Thursday 25 October 2018

AUTUMN BIG GAME 2018 - GROUP LEADER GILES - AN OBITUARY

Staff Commander A.D. Mann, official spokesman for H.M.Government's "Warden of the Marches", Lord de Braose, today confirmed the "death by firing squad" of BUF Group Leader Giles, formerly one of the County's most prominent battlefield commanders.


The late BUF Group Leader Giles
"Thanks to our excellent communications network, news of Sir Gilbert Hill's assault across the Wye in the general area of Winforton reached Hereford very quickly," stated Staff Commander Mann. "It was imperative that re-inforcements be rushed to this new front as soon as possible. Upon enquiries being made, however, it was discovered that our senior commander, Group Leader Giles, was lolling about in his private quarters, quite disinterested in battle, instead perusing a Colefax & Fowler catalogue and gorging himself upon strawberry ice-cream. There was only one possible sentence for such a gross dereliction of duty. Captain Queeg of Wyrd Force organised a drumhead court martial and the subsequent firing party."

Giles (38) originally rose to prominence in the VBCW as the loyal BUF henchman of toady to subordinate of Captain Arrowsmith at The Battle of Bredwardine Fords, there being some suggestion that he transferred to the BUF Three Counties Legion from the Malvern Hills Conservators shortly after the earlier Battle of Bredwardine Bridge. Arrowsmith's initial patronage assisted Giles' rise within the Government command structure, as did the notoriety associated with his name featuring on the Anglican "Most Wanted List" after his spiteful massacre of the Ludlow Expeditionary Force's RNVR Rocket Crews at Bredwardine Bridge (note 1).

Storm Leader Giles (as he then was) thereafter served with distinction at the Battle of Whitney on Wye, before assuming overall command of Government forces following the still unexplained disappearance of his former military mentor, Captain Arrowsmith. It was thought at this time that Giles' influence would wane within the Government command structure; instead, following his stubborn defence at the Battle of Berrington Approaches and battlefield promotion to BUF Storm Commander, Giles' future prospects brightened considerably. Joint leadership (together with the allegedly late Major Straitt-Jackett) of the Government assault columns that successfully invaded came to the assistance of Sir Barrington Patchpole KC at Wigmore burnished his burgeoning reputation and lead to his rapid further promotion, on this occasion to BUF Group Leader.

A publicity still of Giles released by HM Govt.
upon his promotion to BUF Group Leader 
Against this background of sterling service to the Government cause, how can the BUF Group Leader's sudden "dereliction of duty" be explained?.Some say that Giles never quite recovered from being severely wounded in the course of his epic "woody battle" at the Battle of Berrington Approaches. His illness at the subsequent battle of Wigmore was evident to all military observers, and caused his early - on this occasion, honourable - retirement from the field of battle. Others suggest that the administrative strain of organising the relocation of BUF Barracks within Herefordshire - a very long term project - brought on a severe case of "PTSD" and exacerbated a pre-existing complaint of "OCD" (evidenced by Giles' obsession with the BUF interior design being carried out by the fashionable new firm of Colefax & Fowler). Nobody can quite explain, let alone understand, the late Group Leader's obsession with strawberry ice-cream, which seems to have originated from some kind of "cinematic in-joke" unknown to all but the Group Leader himself. Be that as it may, a few point to the notorious ambitions of Captain Queeg, the newly appointed commander of the Government's "Wyrd Force", and darkly suggest that the drumhead court-martial may have reached its conclusions obscenely swiftly. (note 2).

Group Leader Giles was unmarried, and had no issue. He is buried in an unmarked grave. Donations to the BUF Benevolent Fund (Three Counties Legion). No flowers, please (by order, Staff Commander A.D. Mann).

Notes

(1). see Note 4 to the account of the Battle of Bredwardine Bridge.

(2). in an alternative time-line, Hollywood apparently filmed this version of the Group Leader's final moments.  

Wednesday 24 October 2018

AUTUMN BIG GAME 2018 - FIRST REPORTS!

After his personal triumph at the Battle of Winforton Pontoons, Sir Gilbert Hill has provided a fully illustrated Press Release in celebration of his hard fought victory and commemoration of the fallen.
A panoramic shot of the start of the battle. Sir Gilbert's forces are in the centre, flanked by his Anglican allies.
The first smokescreen has been laid down as the Anglican Tank Brigade (on left) undertake road manoeuvres.
Following a prayer from the Bishop of Ludlow, Sir Gilbert gives the order : Boats away!
Sir Gilbert's assault boats storm the River Wye as pontoon bridge building gets underway.
Towards the middle of the battle: pontoon bridge building is well advanced as the Anglican tanks await
their opportunity to cross the river. Hidden by clouds of smoke, Sir Gilbert's forces are landing on the northern bank.
Sir Gilbert and his command staff observe as battle is joined.
Sir Gilbert's forces storm the northern bank of the Wye. Lord Scudamore's Loyal Legion, under the command of newly arrived Lt. Everard, wait in line amongst the green crops, wondering when their promised Government reinforcements
 will arrive. "Stokkies House" - and the scene of his ultimate capture by the forces of Ludlow - is to the left.
Sir Gilbert completes his Pontoon Bridge and throws his tank support into battle. The battle is almost over and,
with the capture of Stokkies Joubert and rout of his King's Colonials by the forces of the Bishop of Ludlow,
HM Government's remaining troops are forced into "an orderly retirement towards Hereford"
Having successfully extricated HM Government's forces from the battlefield, the newly arrived Lt. Everard, anxiously dashed off a brief report to County HQ. Unfortunately, such was the confusion in the County caused by Sir Gilbert's "breakthrough battle", Lt. Everard's despatches soon fell into "enemy hands". Here they are in full:

"To :         General Officer Commanding                                                       From :  Lt.Everard
                 H.M.Government Forces                                                             Acting Commander
      Marches Command                                                               South Hereford Region

Sir,

Herewith my report concerning the recent action in the Willersley – Winforton area.

Intelligence was received that a large Anglican force, supported by the renegade Sir Gilbert Hill’s troops, were mounting an amphibious operation to cross the River Wye near the villages of Winforton and Willersley, supported by an entire tank brigade, and included the building of three pontoon bridges. The enemy also had the assistance of several smoke tanks with seemingly unlimited ammunition, which due to the prevailing wind blowing into our faces throughout the day hindered our defensive fire.

As the news was received late there was no time to gather all our forces, and although all available troops in the area were rushed to the spot some unfortunately did not arrive in time to assist in the battle, causing us to be even more severely outnumbered and out-gunned. Despite this our men put up a stout resistance for as long as possible, inflicting heavy casualties on the enemy, before eventually being forced to withdraw in the face of overwhelming odds.

Our right flank was held by our colonial troops under Commandant Stokkies Joubert, who also failed to receive adequate reinforcements. It was anchored on a farmhouse and came under heavy and sustained assault by crack Anglican troops. The centre was held by our Second Platoon, of whom only the Forest of Dean Free Miners and Lord Scudamore’s Loyal Legion were present, supported by one field gun (Signore Mussolini’s gift) and belatedly by two tanks. The left flank was held by the BUF Wulfhere section and the newly arrived Cameroon Highlanders, in their first action. They also had our lorry-mounted artillery, ‘The Dominator’, and latterly  two tanks.

Under cover of a sustained smoke bombardment the enemy infantry crossed the river and began building bridges. Fierce fighting ensued all along the line. The Forest of Dean Miners drove back their attackers, and accurate fire from our heavy weapons prevented the Anglicans completing their bridge in this area. On our right the burning oil surprise weapon was released into the river earlier than intended after the tanker was hit by an Anglican artillery round, so it only delayed bridge building briefly. Sadly the roadside bombs and caltrops also did little damage.

Heavy HMG fire caused the Cameroon Highlanders to retire but they eventually reformed, while the BUF was pitted against two enemy units, inflicting severe casualties and fighting heroically to the last man in a prolonged melee. Fortunately the Wormelow Wildcats arrived in the nick of time to fill the gap. 

A tank melee in the centre ended inconclusively with both sides losing tanks. Lord Scudamore’s men were subjected, not only to heavy fire, but also a barrage of juju spells from Sir Gilbert’s native witch doctor. However they held their ground showing that British pluck and resolve were more than a match for primitive native superstition.

It is a sad commentary that the Anglican Church is now so desperate in this struggle for the soul of the country that they are prepared to encourage the performance of Black  Magic and other arcane rituals by drug-crazed natives, using the blood of cockerels and other such foul rites to try to unnerve our stout-hearted and true defenders of the faith. May God have mercy on their souls.

A late attack by the grim-faced harridans of Sir Gilbert’s Women’s brigade was repelled by a gallant charge by the BUF Canine Section, which put the gin-sodden old biddies to flight.

Sadly our colonial friends on the right seemed to lack their usual elan (whether due to their ritual pre-battle drinking games I cannot say) and proved unable to stem the overwhelming forces against them, culminating in the loss of the farmhouse redoubt and the unfortunate capture of their commander, Stokkies Joubert. The collapse of our right flank made a temporary withdrawal of our remaining troops a prudent measure. I doubt that the Anglicans will long be able to hold a man of such redoubtable stature as Commandant Joubert, whose temporary loss will be felt in boudoirs throughout the county.

In short, a temporary setback, but the performance of (most of) our troops in the face of overwhelming numbers is to be commended.

Respectfully yours,
Lt. Richard Everard"

For his part in this notable Anglican and Allied victory, the Bishop of Ludlow has ordered a "Day of Hymnals and Rejoicing" (rapidly translated by his more PR conscious Chancellor, the Rev. Duff-Postin, into "A Victory Parade and Gala Fun Day"). Ludlow's Saturday evening papers have gone into overdrive, and the Bishop has confirmed the capture and incarceration of Stokkies Joubert by formal statement. Goodness knows what Ludlow's Sunday supplements (more pages than ever!) will say.......

Note : with thanks to Alan, Doug and Roo for the photographs. An "Umpire's Wash-Up", complete with further "illustrations" will follow in due course.

Tuesday 9 October 2018

AUTUMN BIG GAME 2018 - THE CALM BEFORE THE STORM


HEREFORD AVBCW AUTUMN 2018 BIG GAME

“BRIDGE OVER TREBBBLED WATER”

LATE NEWS SPECIAL BULLETIN

TABLETOP TEASER

The Hereford AVBCW Autumn 2018 Big Game ("Bridge over Trebbbled Water") is nearly upon us! A "hard-core" of AVBCW gamers are committed to converge on Burley Gate Village Hall, Herefordshire, at 10am on Saturday 13th October for a full and frenzied day of "double fisted" AVBCW action!

That's right, double fisted! Each player is bringing along not one, but two, full Platoons to commit to action! (note1) It's going to be the greatest test of each player's command ability since, well, um, lesssee now...well, at least since Zama! But will Sir Gilbert Hill prove to be Scipio or Hannibal? With the fate of his nephew, Chief Superintendant Ronald Bigsworth-Hill, hanging in the balance (and the possibility of dear Ronald being hunted down and himself hanged by the BUF unless it goes "the right way"), Sir Gilbert has doubled his efforts and re-doubled his forces...

Sir Gilbert Hill intends to fight "double fisted" with his two Platoons
Sir Gilbert has bravely announced his "battle line up" well before the Big Day, trumpeting the addition of a "Colonial & Dominion Platoon" to the original "Golden Valley Invincibles". But will this "propaganda coup" hand the military advantage to Sir Gilbert's enemies, or is it mere recognition that the much feared Government Intelligence & Telegraphs Section ("GITS") would be bound to discover the composition of his forces before the "Big Day"? After all, it appears that they have already discovered the location of Sir Gilbert's intended battleground:
An Intelligence Map hand drawn by a GITS operative, said to be based on Sir Gilbert's own
Operational Maps. The meaning of "Table1", "Table2" and "Table3" remains obscure, but
may be a secretive Government code.
If the Government's intelligence is accurate, it appears that Sir Gilbert and his Anglican allies plan a river crossing to the west of Hereford itself, striking from the south to the north of the County in the area of Winforton and Willersley. But what tactics will Sir Gilbert and his Anglican allies (variously, the Bishop of Ludlow, the Rev. Canon Colcannonroo and the Rt. Rev. Canon Winters) adopt to try to "force the crossing"? A straightforward "charge of the assault boats" across the river? Or a careful construction of Pontoon Bridges to bring the Anglican Tank Brigade into play (if there is an Anglican Tank Brigade, of course)? Should Sir Gilbert concentrate all his available forces (at least 18 infantry sections plus supporting weapons!) on one part of the battlefield, or should he spread them out in the hope of reducing the Government's resistance and counter-fire? How will Sir Gilbert use his section of "tracked and armoured smoke dischargers" to best advantage?

And what of the newly promoted Group Leader Giles and his newly arrived Government ally, Lieutenant Everard? What will be their plan of defence with their available forces (at least 12 infantry sections plus supporting weapons)? Field fortification and investiture of Willersley, Winforton and "the Farm" may have many advantages, but may also leave the "Western Approaches" ("Table 1") dangerously denuded of defenders, an open avenue for the Anglican Forces to pour through in the direction of Mortimer Country. How will Group Leader Giles use his BUF Tank Brigade (if there is a BUF Tank Brigade, of course) and supporting "Big Guns" - well in advance of his principal battle line with the aim of disrupting the Anglican crossing of the River Wye, or echeloned deep in defence?

Fleet Street's miiltary correspondents breathlessly await the opposing C-in-C's solutions to this "tabletop teaser", just as their Foreign & Colonial counterparts muse over the first entry into the Hereford VBCW of substantial bodies of "native levies" from the Empire and beyond (note 2):

Lt. Everard leads a section of the Cameroon Highlanders, a regal gift from the Fon of Bandjun,
King Kamga II, hereditary ruler of Cameroon, to his "fellow monarch", Edward VIII. The
Cameroon Highlanders are expected to play a major part in the Government's resistance
upon the Wye and and throughout the County.....


























....while Sir Gilbert has of course welcomed Chief Kansan O'Flynn and his native levies into the
tender embrace of the Hill Enterprises (Dominions&Colonial) Platoon (blogposts passim)
The newly arrived Lt. Everard has been heard to sniff that his native troops are at least trained and uniformed regulars, rather than "mere mercenaries"; an insult which, it is understood, Chief Kansan intends to remedy by "poppin' Everard in ma'evah boiling pot" at the first opportunity. And how does the Chief intend to do this? Why, dark rumours are already circulating of the Chief's principal "ju-ju man" and his mastery of the dark arts.....

Can Lt. Everard escape the encircling coils of "ju-ju"? Can Sir Gilbert and his allies triumph, and save Sir Gilbert's nephew from "the long drop"? Do the Anglicans - or even the BUF - really have a Tank Brigade? Can Group Leader Giles pull off another masterpiece of "fighting defence" (and yet another promotion)? All these questions can only be answered by participation in the AUTUMN 2018 BIG GAME, BRIDGE OVER TREBBBLED WATER....

Notes

(1). The late addition of the Rt. Rev. Canon Winters means that the Bishop of Ludlow's forces will be fought as usual, one Platoon commanded by the Bishop (Clive) and one by the newly arrived (but still Rt. Rev) Canon (Robb). The remaining forces (Roo, Doug, Giles, Alan) will nevertheless indeed be fought "double-fisted". May any modern and bad taste jokes resulting please be directed to Umpire Roo.....

(2). if you ignore the Abyssinians, of course. And the "Chinese Christian Converts". And no doubt others innumerable now lost in the mists of campaign history....

Late Notes for Players

(1). Given the lower numbers of players than usual, we will be playing all three tables as "one table" in wargame terms, even if the same are slightly separated physically. C-in-C's should note that sections of Platoons can therefore be "intermingled" by Players if it is thought to their tactical advantage, and Platoons (and their constituent sections) are not therefore restricted to "one table" as usual. Food for thought....

(2). Please have a late check of the special Scenario Rules (blogposts passim) applicable to this Big Game, and remember that we are playing the original "one phase" rules, not the Mort amended "two phase" rules. A look at the original rulebook may therefore help....

(3). Remember your own lunch and the usual tenner!