Ogre Oldhammer Flashback

Came across these old Games Workshop Ogres in the depths of my Mancave. Painted a long time back they have some interesting skin tones that if I painted them now they would look very different.
These would have been painted with Games Workshop paints which I don't use now.
These ugly dudes have a lot of character even today and they are all metal.

The basing was natural sand unpainted with a few tiny areas of flock grass. From memory I made a standard for this unit which had it's on pile of rocks to make it free standing and was placed on the grey flat rocks of the front row middle Ogre. That Ogre I am sure is a Blood Bowl character who I added the two severed heads. I added the bell on the chain as well which would have been for the inclusion of a unit Musician.

I am not sure but Oldhammer experts may be able to confirm this or not.....the Ogre with the shaggy hair and goat horns may have been an Ogre Shaman.
With the inclusion of the Purple colour that I seemed to have used a lot back in my Warhammer Chaos days these may have been for inclusion of my Chaos fantasy army. The unit tray was a homemade cut and paste job. Hmmmmm. I could actually re-base these for Kings of War and only use four of them to represent the same size unit of six.

I am currently very slowly cleaning out my Mancave to make way for human occupation again. It will become a bedroom as it was a long while back when someone returns to the nest. I will have a work station located elsewhere so it shouldn't cease productivity. Well.......hopefully not too much.

Cheers from Brendon

Looks interesting..

If you like Armour, Swords and skirmish games this might be worth a look...
http://www.dadiepiombo.it/images/stories/dp/lords.html
I am very curious about this set of rules but I really don't know anything about it.

This image stolen from the Internets.

Cheers from Brendon. Merry Christmas 2014 by the way.

ANZAC day post 2014 Part 2

A street in Hawera, New Zealand near Laurents VC Street is named as Grant VC Street. Named after another Victoria Cross winner from WWI. Another Street that I went down or went past when I lived in Hawera.

John Gilroy Grant born in Hawera, NZ, 1889.

Enlisted in the NZEF when the ANZACs were engaged in the Gallipoli Campaign.

Arrived in Egypt in October 1915 and joined the 1st Battalion, Wellington Infantry Regiment. 

This was formed after the evacuation of Gallipoli and from Egypt they went to the Western Front.

He was 29 years old when he was awarded the Victoria Cross. The action in this VC story takes place during The 2nd Battle of Bapuame (21 Aug - 3 Sept, 1918) a few days before Laurents patrol action (posted here). 

This period was a critical point in WWI and the Kiwis had occupied Bapaume after heavy fighting alongside the British 5th Division. They faced strong points and a very strong trench system but improved armoured support and artillery marked the beginning of the Hundred Days Offensive the turning point in the war.

It must have been a hellish and herculean effort for the allies effort to finally crack the German front line and Grant made a contribution that was easily worthy of a VC.

1st of September 1918. John (by now a Sergeant) was commanding a Platoon in the leading waves of the Battalions attack near Bancourt to take some high ground. Below is the Gazette notice published after the events that led to his VC award.

This is only one German WWI Machine-Gun. John and his platoon faced five of them.

John's VC was the last one awarded to a member of the NZEF in WWI. He survived the war and returned to NZ and served in the Territorial Force until 1929. He may have carried the trauma of his war experiences with him for the rest of his days until he reached 81 years old at the time of his death. A Wikipedia entry suggests remaining in employment was difficult for him due to his erratic behaviour. Post Traumatic Stress Disorder is just one of the many afflictions that can haunt survivors that are witness to the supreme sacrifice that others have made.

Lest We Forget

ANZAC day post 2014 Part 1

Laurent VC Street. A street I saw regularly in my childhood town of Hawera in New Zealand. Named after Henry John Laurent a Victoria Cross recipient from WWI. As a kid I thought it was unusual to see a street name with VC in it and didn't think much beyond that. Later in life I realised what VC stood for. The highest medal for gallantry in the face of the enemy that a British and Commonwealth servicemen can receive.

So who was Harry?
One of five Laurens men (later anglicised to Laurents) who served on the front lines of WWI. That's one mighty contribution by a single family alone. When he enlisted he said "I am going to live to see my country free." At that time his father lived in Hawera. He left with the 6th Reinforcements. Enlisted with the NZEF in May 1915 aged 20. Prior to that he was in the Territorial Force since he was 16 years old.
Like his long lived grandfather who was 93 when he won the VC he lived til 92 and was the last NZ WWI VC winner at the time of his death.

Service
Joined the Western Front 1916, 2nd Battalion, 3rd NZ Rifle Brigade.
Wounded in the Somme Offensive.
Become Sergeant by 1918.

WWII, commanded a Home Guard Battalion.
Retired with Rank of Lieutenant Colonel.

Hundred Days Offensive
It was for action during this period which Harry was awarded the VC. The Hundred Days Offensive was the final period of WWI from August 8 til November 11, 1918. A rapid series of attacks that pushed the Germans out of France and the armistice followed.

The Citation
After the 2nd battle of Bapaume the NZ division was in pursuit of German forces.
September 12 Harry leads a patrol in the area east of Gouzeacourt Wood. Orders....locate and regain contact with the German front line.

Harrys VC gazettal notice.

To return with 112 prisoners from a patrol must have been a big surprise when they arrived back at the NZ front line. I wonder if all of his family returned from WWI? As prestigious as VC is returning alive would have been the best reward for any family.

Lest We Forget

Bombing of Darwin 71 years ago

Today as at writing this is February 19th. Seventy one years ago this city that I live in was attacked by Japan. I have previously posted a small blog entry and that according to my Blogger stats is the most viewed post here. Once again the city sees a few old veterans of those times come back to a much different place to back then to attend official ceremonies and functions.
Back in the early 1940s Darwin was very much a frontier town (some consider that it still is) but on the day of the first attack the harbour contained a lot of allied shipping. By the time of the attack Australia was already at war with Japan. Joining allied declarations after the Pearl Harbour surprise attack. It was from Pearl Harbour that the Aircraft carriers came to deliver destruction to Darwin. Those four Japanese aircraft carriers were later sunk during the Battle of Midway. The lessons learnt by the Japanese during the attack on Pearl Harbour were put to use over Darwin and one result was a greater number of bombs dropped on Darwin.
Today I went and had a look at a small exhibition on aspects of mapping the Darwin area before during and after the first bomb raid. It is no surprise that there was as good as no maps over North Australia at that time so it was a critical intelligence operation to create some.
In the aftermath of the first and largest bomb raid Darwin's war largely became an Air War. Naval forces dispersed to Brisbane, Fremantle and other locations. You can read about a Veteran of WWII in Darwin posted last year here.
Rather than some Black and White WWII images this year here are some recent photos from Darwin.

My Uncle David who visited from New Zealand in the 2012 Dry Season at the Aviation Heritage Centre in front of a Spitfire replica. Sadly Uncle David passed away in January 2013. 

View from Stokes Hill Wharf at sunset across Darwin Harbour. Civilian wharf workers were killed here during the bombing and it would have been a scene of chaos and burning ships on February 19, 1942.

Lest we forget.

Air Craft Hanger, then and now

Around Darwin we have plenty of sites that remind us of a violent past. In particular when Darwin was repeatedly bombed by Japan during WWII. In July 2012 I had some relatives visit from New Zealand. They are particularly keen on vintage cars so I took them to what is now the home of the local 'Motor Vehicle Enthusiasts Club' which is based at the old QANTAS/Guinea Air hanger. Back in 1942 this was a civilian Aerodrome but no doubt quickly became military. The former runway has long since become another Road (Ross Smith Avenue). I took these photos (except for the first one) because it makes a good now and then comparison.

How it looked back in 1942 after being bombed.

 

How it looks when we visited in July 2012.

Inside the Hanger you can find examples of damage inflicted on the steel structure. That's a bloody big hole! My wookie hand and arm to help show how big it is.

World War 2 gamers might recognise the shape of this vehicle. 

I am glad wasn't around when the Hanger got shredded.

Cheers from Brendon (The Kiwi). 

Aviation Heritage Centre pics

I mentioned back here (post about a WW2 Vet talk) that I would post some pics I took at the Darwin Aviation Heritage Centre that day. So here they are and you get to see some of what I saw.

I met a former work colleague who had retired a few years back at the centre and he was as keen as me to see the veteran talk and suggested if I had the time that the centre is always keen for volunteers. I don't have the time at the moment to join up but it would be a cool thing to be a part of. Time feels like something I have been short on lately but that is the lament of every gamer.

The museum is just outside the fence of RAAF Darwin. Very near the spot when Richard got wounded during a Japanese bomb raid.

The centre has expanded the shop area since the last time I visited and have a good selection of books with historic aviation theme at the core of course. I will have to go back and have another sticky beak in the future.

B-25D Mitchell (Hawg-Mouth)

Japanese Zero wreckage.

Some wreckage out the back of the Museum. 

Spitfire reproduction.

Grey Nurse (a type of shark)

Snoopy in a Jet

 Sabre with the hole that goes through the whole jet.

Viet Nam corner of the building. A Viet Nam Vets comment at the museum..."Thank God for the Cobras"

 Tail of the big B-52. The day we went the Cockpit was open. Went inside and had a sticky beak and for such a huge air-craft it has a very small cramped working area for the crew. In fact it would be smaller than what I saw because all the electronics and puter gear had been removed.

Question round. How many B-52 bombers are on public display in the world and where in the world are they?

Cheers

World War II Veteran talk

I recently had the great experience of hearing an Australian Veteran of WWII give a talk here in Darwin. A veteran who had active service while based here in Darwin with 380^th Bombardment Group. Richard (Dick) Dakeyne was an Aussie among the Americans with 90^th Bombardment Group then 380^th BG then back to 90^th.

Dick initially trained as a part of a new Top Secret group for Radar Counter Measures (RCM) here in Australia and was embedded with the Americans who were under control of the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) while based here in the Top End.  He became an Aussie among the Yanks. But he mentioned that the Americans at that time were not all Yanks. Only those from the North considered themselves Yanks. 

The talk was a part of the 70 years since Darwin was first bombed by the Japanese aniversary and was held at the Aviation Heritage Centre. The centre is well worth a visit and I will post some pics I took there in the future. http://www.darwinsairwar.com.au/home.html

The talk really opened my eyes wider as to what was going on here during the war years. The 380^th back then was lots and lots of B-24 Liberators. Dick was a waist gunner (50cal) and RCM.

Here is some random bits I remember.

- First encounters with Japanese pilots were a wake up as to just how skilled and experienced they had become after years of conflict in China and other places.

- Operational altitudes he described as very low most of the time. So low that a B-24 crew was lost when the very bomb they dropped on a ship exploded under them. He described them as much lower than in Europe. Due in part for flying under Radar detection.

- Distances they flew became HUGE! A target in Borneo (Balikpapan oil refineries) and return to Darwin was around 16 hours leaving about 10 minutes (or less) fuel.  Since the talk I have found that this mission was 200 miles further than the Ploesti mission in Europe. A company is actually making a doco about 'Shady Lady'. One of the Liberators that crash landed safely on the coast in Western Australia. I hope they do a good job.

- Bob Hope entertained them at one point but being an Aussie Richard didn’t get half the jokes. Gary Cooper also came but was a very poor entertainer but fortunately he was also accompanied by two good looking female actors.

- The crews had an event that really shook them up. A Liberator was rammed head on by a Zero. Well before the phrase Kamikaze was mentioned. It made them concerned about the resolve of the Japanese if they are willing to sacrifice man and materiel like this.

- Between Darwin and the Tiwi Islands they saw a Crocodile swimming in the ocean. It became target practice and was sent to the bottom.

- After a Japanese Air Raid Dick used a belt to save a life by stopping a severed leg from bleeding out. Dick was hurt in an Air Raid and spent 5 weeks in Katherine Hospital (I lived in Katherine a few years back. You can still see a bomb crater that was dropped by the Japanese there).

-On a mission they came across a plane that was the Japanese equivalent of a DC-3 so the Liberator became a fighter and they shot it down.

- A crate of whiskey was on offer for the crew that could knock down a factory chimney at a Nickel plant on one mission but it went unclaimed. This was an important target as it produced a huge amount of the Nickel supply for Japan.

Reconciliation.

- Years later after the war he found himself in Japan and met a local man around the same age. They discussed what they did in the War. The Japanese man was an AA gunner on the North Coast New Guinea. The very same location that Dick had bombed on at least three occasions. They could both laugh about how poor a shot each other was (as they both survived after all) and how the Japanese would collect dead floating fish after each raid (easy fishing).

Now and then. Dick 19 years old back in 1943.

Sandra Kay (named after the Pilots daughter I think) with crew including Dick.

An Important target with a Whiskey bonus. Dick shows us the black cloud of dust in the middle is from 50 cal strafing from the Liberator.

Bombing of Bombers. Talking about Japanese tactic of trying to bomb a Liberator with a Phosphorus bomb.
Madness.

When a bomber becomes fighter.

It’s amazing what you can find on the internet now. A little digging shines more info on Richard’s war experience such as a mission record of the SANDRA KAY (one of the Liberators Richard flew in).

http://380th.org/HISTORY/PARTV/MR/MR42-72790-071.htm

Two paintings of 380^th Liberators in action.

http://380th.org/IMAGES/AMBON_Harbor.jpg

http://380th.org/IMAGES/Balikpapan_harbor.jpg

Anyway cheers for now and I will get back to gaming hobby posts soon.
The Kiwi (Brendon)

Defence of Darwin Experience

Sunday, 19th of February, 2012, marks 70 years since the first devastating air raid on the town in which I live Darwin, Australia. Today we had a few events on but yesterday me and the family went and checked out a couple of associated things to see. First was an exhibition in a Gallery in the City with The Bombing of Darwin as its theme. 188, roughly shoe box sized, cardboard, paint and sticky tape WWII Japanese aircraft made by primary age children helped to give a visual realisation of what Darwin had to cope with on that day. Amazing.

The Defence of Darwin is a new extension to the East Point Military Museum and is well worth a visit. http://www.defenceofdarwin.nt.gov.au/index.php?id=22
It opened on Saturday shortly before we got there. The site itself is the base of a Coastal defence facility from WWII. It features a 9 inch gun emplacement in the Museum grounds and one outside it.

This recreated gun is not the original. That got used as scrap iron.

Here's me pushing a bomb under the gun.

New state of the art presentations in the Museum help tell the story to the modern audience and they have done an amazing job of it. I was impressed. A table showed an animated map with moving Zeroes and bombers flying over Darwin in 1942. Touch screens give you eye witness accounts and locations of those people during the bombing.

Darwin as a target was a part of the Japanese strategy of making it harder for USA to operate in the Pacific. In a chronological order in a very short time frame first Singapore Fell, Pearl Harbour was attacked and then the same bombers of Pearl swooped down on Darwin. They dropped more bombs on Darwin than Pearl Harbour. Darwin harbour had around 50 ships anchored at the time of the first air raid.

It was a hot weekend as it no doubt was back in 1942 and it was great to see so many Veterans around the City that have returned from all over Australia and also the globe.

Here is some gear you can see in the Museum grounds.

2 pdr Anti-Tank gun.

17pdr Anti Tank gun.

 Universal Carrier.

 Japanese weapons and flags.

 The kid in front of an Anti Air gun.

 Buffalo. It's a big beast.

Today (Sunday) I attended the official memorial ceremony. After that I got down to the Aviation Heritage Museum and a guest speaker who was a veteran of active service in Darwin with US bombers based here gave an extensive talk on his experiences back then. It was an absolute privilege to hear him speak but I will post more about that in the future.

Cheers for now (The Kiwi) Brendon.

Christchurch Air Force Museum, New Zealand.

This post is another another aviation themed collection of pics I took while on Holidays. While in NZ on our big Kiwi holiday we had a brief stay in Christchurch. As you would expect we saw significant damage here and there from the Earthquake action they have had and continue to have. Sometimes it felt like the City was under a siege and holding out against an unseen enemy. But the damage that enemy has done is obvious in many places and a big difference from when we visited the City 5 years previously. Some areas it was very shocking and confronting. Here in Darwin we can expect a Cyclone or two to attack us during our Cyclone Season but I don't imagine it doing the damage these days that one did in 1974 when Darwin was utterly devastated (Cyclone Tracy). However Darwin was devastated during World War II. We are about to have Commemorations of the 1st Bombing of Darwin on the 19th of February, 1942. But I will post more on that in the future. For now here are some pics of what I saw in the Museum. http://www.airforcemuseum.co.nz/
The Museum looked great despite the Earthquakes but we got there very late before closing due to some craziness but I still managed to race around and snap some pics.

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Well worth a look if you are in the area.
Cheers from Brendon (The Kiwi)

Omaka Aviation Heritage Centre, New Zealand

While travelling around New Zealand I flipped through the Lonely Planet book for things to see and do I came across this Museum of World War I aircraft. The book actually said something like it is the highlight of Blenheim. A town in the middle of a big wine producing region. I really could not give a flying hoot for wines and wineries so for me it was probably the only thing to do in that town. We were travelling north from Kaikoura after doing an incredible Whale Watch tour on our way to Picton to get the Ferry to the North Island and it was easy enough to find.

In a word the Museum is INCREDIBLE! So unique and special. What is it? A collection of World War I planes like you have never seen before in your life and also lots and lots and lots of glass cabinet associated items. Some of the planes are reproductions and some are originals. The collection is from Peter Jackson. Yep, director of ‘Lord of the Rings’ and ‘Bad Taste’.  He has been collecting WWI stuff since he was young. I have seen a real cool film that Peter Jackson created for the Canberra War Memorial Museum here in Australia (and that is a must go and see if you are ever in this nations capital) but at Omaka, Weta Workshop has deployed it’s incredible talent and craft as well. The planes have pilots. Many are set in context and in a scenario. As an example one plane has the pilot standing on the wing balancing his damaged plane to the ground over mud and trench terrain. The Red Barons plane is being looted after it has crashed landed.

Out the front was these two planes. I think they are recreations for the ‘Battle of Britain’ movie.

So very, very life like.

Lets get some momentos.

 Scale model next to the real sized plane.

 Couldn't stop from looking at this plane. So bird like looking, so different from how we visualise a plane these days.

Just a fraction of what you can see at the incredible Museum. Oh by the way, lots of the planes at the Museum actually fly! Incredible.

Cheers The Kiwi