Monday, 28 August 2023

CHEAP VBCW TANKS (3)

In the search for cheap "Hollywood style" tanks for use in the VBCW, there are the occasional frustrations. So this is a short post about "the one which got away" - the Mundus 609 plastic tank: 

A treasury - nine mint Mundus 609 plastic tanks in their original boxes.
Picture from an auction lot some twelve years ago - well before
the Hereford VBCW was 'in the market' for such "60s plastic toys".
A rough idea of size can be obtained from the accompanying 54mm figures.

The problem with the "Mundus 609" tank is not so much that "it got away"; rather, that it seems pretty impossible to find at all. This is particularly annoying as it is known to have a length of 9cm, which makes it wholly compatible with other VBCW "Hollywood tanks".



Obviously, in historical terms, the Mundus 609 is of a completely unrecognisable design - but arguably, that makes it even better from a VBCW viewpoint. So we shall just have to plug away looking for them - if anybody reading this post has one, or knows where to find them, then please leave a comment below!

Thursday, 24 August 2023

CHEAP VBCW TANKS (2)

Another 1960s cheap plastic toy to use as a "Hollywood style" VBCW tank: 


As with so many of these 1960s products, the plastic toy looks nothing like the dramatic box art, and although the tank vaguely resembles an M-4 Sherman, it is far too "chubby" and stylised to be anything close to a scale model of the real thing. Hence, a perfect product for a VBCW "Elstree Industries" tank:

As a clockwork "friction tank", the toy has 4 road wheels underneath the chassis and slightly 
raised tank treads. The wheels and clockwork mechanism are easy enough to remove, as is the
"trumpet oversleeve" over the barrel (compare first picture with these).

100mm - or just under 4 inches - long. This is about the right length
for a "28mm tank", and the rest of the dimensions follow on from the length.

Two early production models crewed by the BUF go in to action under the command of 
Major Everard (as the then was, now Major-General Everard) at the Battle of Winforton Pontoons

Later production models form the basis of the Ledbury BUF "Mailed Fist" Battlegroup.
For scale comparison, note tank commander, an old GW Imperial Guard Commissar.

A closer shot of the tank commander, whose tank has been converted with a
longer tank barrel (made of plastic tube). The crewed vehicles to the left of this photograph
are "Yone Tanks" from THIS POST, and helpfully "scale compatible".

Unless you are lucky at a car boot sale, if you wish to recruit a force of "Elstree Industries" tanks, Ebay is your friend. A search under "friction tanks" often brings up examples marked at about the £5 range...

Tuesday, 22 August 2023

TYPES OF THE VBCW (11) - WOMENS INSTITUTE CHAIRWOMAN (TOWN)

Continuing our "VBCW Types" series (see the Label on the right for previous figure entries), nothing could be more "Very British" than the Chairwoman of a branch of the Women's Institute:

This Lady's not for turning.....Reiver Castings Code BBB1. Unknown painter.

Two piece suit, gloves, pearls and handbag - a perfect example of a Women's Institute Chairwoman of some urban branch - for the rural branches would surely deserve a classic tweed, rather than dark blue, two piece. In the 1930s, the Women's Institute had close to 300,000 members - absolutely dwarfing the membership of either the BUF or the Communist Party (c. 30,000 - 60,000 members dependent upon the precise year). Just to prove that pretty much any "modern" figure can be adapted to the VBCW (and quite a few from other historical periods), this 28mm lady comes from the Reiver Castings "Battle of Britain 1984 - What If Scenario" range, marketed by Northumbrian Painting Service - see HERE - and might otherwise be recognised (in quite another historical time stream, unimaginable in 1938) as Britain's first female Prime Minister.

Monday, 21 August 2023

MUCH MARCLE LARGE MODEL AIR SHOW 2023

All kinds of things go on in Herefordshire without much publicity...and that's not just in the VBCW.

This Saturday 2nd and Sunday 3rd September 2023 heralds the return of the Much Marcle Large Model Air Show to the Malvern area, promising a sky filled with RC model aircraft "from before WW1 to the present day". The event is run by the Large Model Association and will no doubt have its quota of "VBCW Aircraft":

An RC Model of a participant in the VBCW Airwar. This appears to be an Anglican Hawker Hart.

Only "large scale" will do at Much Marcle.....this is clearly from the VBCW RAF Bomber Force
(see HERE), possibly even Wing Commander Daring's own plane (see HERE)

The sky contested.....RC Models in action.

The event takes place between 10am and 5pm each day at Much Marcle Garage, just off the A449 by the Walwyn Arms. Full details, plus lots more photographs, HERE.

Friday, 11 August 2023

AUTUMN BIG GAME 2023 - THE SCENARIO

"It's the most remote parish in Herefordshire, and the field armies of all the VBCW factions have "passed it by" in their determination to attack each other - it might be said that Little Hereford is truly a 1930s agricultural idyll. Well, apart from the heavily armed local farmers and their homemade A/T weapons, marauding renegades (of all factions), robbers and brigands (of none), numerous spies and intelligence men, and the psychotic Nuns of St. Mary Magdalene.... 

The Autumn Big Game 2023 is an "all play all" bashathon, where there are farms to capture, cattle to rustle and individual reputations (and individiual alliances) to be made (or unmade)..."

Following our "Early Notice Post", it's time to set out the Scenario for the Autumn Big Game 2023 ("Big Trouble in Little Hereford"). And there is indeed "Big Trouble" (or there certainly will be by lunchtime...)

1. The Table

Our usual "Big Table" represents the Parish of Little Hereford, consisting of five farms and the Church of St. Mary Magdalene. Farms and Church will be randomly distributed across the Table by the Umpires, and as the Table is purely representative, there is no need on this occasion for any kind of map. Umpire/Terrain Tsar Roo will, as per usual, provide and place all the roads, hedges, ditches, trees, bushes, haystacks etc. etc. that might be necessary to 'provide interest and break up lines of fire' across the Parish. For his part, Umpire Clive will provide all the farmers' "agricultural animals" (aka "objective points" or "mobile barbecue snacks") and also place them in random pattern across the "Big Table". The result? A 1930s "rural idyll" awaiting some action....

2. The Farms and Farmers

Each of the five farms is owned and run by a "Big Man" - the 1930s equivalent of an 'agricultural baron'. It just so happens that each "Big Man" is represented by a Charbens or Britains 54mm figure dating from the 1930s, so quite as old as the VBCW itself. Each "Big Man" is placed within the boundaries of his farm and will not move during the course of the Big Game - he is just a personality placeholder.

Each of the five farms has a section of 10 armed agricultural workers (rifles/LMG) standing ready to defend their farm. Some farms may have, in addition, a heavy weapon of some kind (mortar or MMG), and all have some kind of improvised AT weaponry (bomb pigs, anyone ? exploding milk churns? TNT satchels ?).

While within their own farm, all agricultural workers are immune from morale tests. They are all determined to "fight and die for their home" and, while on the farm, count as "Trained/Regular" for all other purposes. Should the agricultural workers be moved out of their own farm, however, they count as "Raw/Green" for all purposes, including morale.

At the start of the Big Game, the Umpires control all the "Big Men" and their agricultural workers, however armed. While under Umpire control, the agricultural workers will adopt a purely defensive posture, i.e. seeking only to defend their own farm.

3. The Farmers' Co-Operative Assets

The "Big Men" of Little Hereford have entered into a "Defensive Co-Operative" in anticipation of attack. The Co-Operative has purchased bribed persuaded the following to come to their aid:

(1). a "Farmers' Technical", i.e. a PMW 1.5 ton truck armed with an improvised "heavy tank gun" using "homemade ammunition". Softskin with a crew of 4, Green/Raw for all purposes.

(2). the "Little Hereford Light Horse", i.e. a section of 10 Cavalry armed with swords and carbines. Count as "Trained/Regular" for all purposes, these country troopers can also "fire from the saddle".

The Farmers' Co-Operative Assets will be placed roughly in the centre of the Table at the beginning of the Big Game, and will at all times remain under Umpire control. Their general mission is to assist in the defence of any farm under physical attack.

4. Random Umpire Forces

But that's not all. In addition to the Umpire Controlled "Farmer's Co-Operative Assets" detailed above, the Umpire Forces may be fortified by the appearance of (at random, controlled by dice throw at the start of each move):

(1). The North Herefordshire Hunt - beware the fox! A pack of ten pink jacketed huntsmen and their baying pack of hounds charge after a randomly moving fox; they will run down anything that stands between them and their quarry!

(2). The Herefordshire Police Lancers - a patrol of 10 stern faced "keepers of law and order" with their pigstickers, ready to engage all and sundry !

(3). "Doc Daktari and the Shangani Patrol" (2 x South Rhodesian Technicals with 'Big Game Hunters'). South Rhodesia's finest enter by road, determined to take "a few trophies" home to Salisbury - and these hunters are heavily armed but not at all fussy !

Additional rules for the above will be blog published in due course, or at least appear on Roo's Mobile Phone for the Big Day. There may or may not be more "Random Umpire Forces" on the Big Day - it may depend upon what the Umpires find in their storage boxes the night before !

5. The Nuns

A schismatic sect of psychotic Nuns, led by Mother Superior Firepower, have recently taken over St. Mary Magdalene Church in Little Hereford. The former parish Church has now been turned it into a Convent devoted to the worship of "the Blessed Alfred Nobel".

The Nuns have a mortar with a spotter, one section of "nun infantry" (9 Rifles and 1 LMG), one section of "self immolating explosive nuns" (10 Nuns with suicidal tendencies and huge explosive charges), and an HQ led by Mother Superior Firepower.

The Nuns begin "the Big Game" at prayer within St. Mary Magdalene Church, and will at all times remain under Umpire control. 

The Nuns will not take any part in "the Big Game" unless: 

(i). directly attacked, in which case they will defend St. Mary Magdalene with utmost ferocity;

(ii). "disturbed from their devotions", in which case they will seek to "cleanse the Parish of all malefactors". "Malefactors" may include anyone, even local farmers - these are, after all, psycho-Nuns.

Quite what may cause the nuns to be "disturbed from their devotions" is unknown, but loud noises such as explosions, revving engines, the rattle of tank tracks, ululations of grief, rifle fire, etc. etc. would, on the whole, seem unwise.

Nuns, permanently in a state of religious ecstasy, are never subject to morale tests. They count as "Trained/Regular" for all other purposes.

While organised as a section, the "self immolating explosive nuns" may move independently of each other, i.e. are not subject to the one inch "continuity" rule. Their explosives count as the same as AT teams when attacking armour; alternatively when attacking infantry or cavalry, their explosions count as mortar bursts. "Self immolating explosive nuns" may explode themselves whenever they wish (but will obviously only do so when worthwhile, e.g. in contact with a tank or when a mortar burst circle would cause casualties). Any more detailed rules in relation to Nuns will be provided by the Umpires at the start of the "Big Day".

It is rumoured that St. Mary Magdalene contains within it "a treasure of great value". Quite what it might be - perhaps "the Ark of the Covenant" rendering its possessor invincible in battle - can only be discovered by a Player taking complete control of St. Mary Magdalene.

6. Your Platoon

Your Platoon represents one of the "landless" contending groups within the Parish of Little Hereford, anxious to capture as many farms, agricultural animals and treasures as possible, and then finish with a victory barbecue.

Your Platoon could simply be 'an independent battlegroup' from one of the VBCW Factions (Anglican, BUF, Royalist, etc. etc.), stranded or left behind by the Hereford VBCW's famous "War of Manoeuvre". Or you could be an outfit of robbers, or brigands, or discontented agricultural workers, or anything you like, really. The point is that you're not bound by VBCW Faction, but are acting quite independently and for your own personal interests. Nobody is likely to enquire too closely as to what is happening in remote Little Hereford, and you can therefore feel free to make (or unmake) strange alliances as you wish...

Please use the Platoon Generator to ensure that your Platoon is in accordance with the "WTDW" rules. If you wish to create a new commander character (or just rename your existing commander) to reflect the isolated nature of Little Hereford and your own Platoon, that would help the Umpires. And remember - as the Umpires are nice, helpful people - if you're taking part in the Modelling Challenge 2023, you can, as a free Umpire Bonus, play your resulting Technical(s) at this Big Game !

7. Rustling Cattle - to your Farm

Well, when we say 'cattle', we really mean 'any kind of agricultural animal'. In addition to the ordinary cows, there will also be scattered across the Table all sorts of farm animals - sheep, pigs, ducks, etc. To rustle any kind of animal, you need to place one of your figures (any kind of figure) in base to base contact with said quarry, and then conduct it back to your Farm at an ordinary rate of movement (no charging back, please). So there's no point "rustling cattle" unless you have a Farm base to take them back to - in such circumstances, the animals will "simply wander off" (at Umpire discretion).

So how do you obtain a Farm ? Direct assault might be the most straightforward method, wiping out the farmer defenders and "capturing the Big Man". Or you could try to take a Farm by subterfuge, using your specially Umpire granted "Spies and Intelligence Men".......see below.

Special rule - St. Mary Magdalene, if and when occupied, also counts as "a Farm" for cattle rustling purposes. It just doesn't have a "Big Man" because, um, well....its a Nuns' Convent, for goodness' sake.

8. Spies and Intelligence Men

Vienna 1930, Madrid 1940, East Berlin 1950, Little Hereford at any time during the VBCW - these places are all known to have been hotbeds of espionage and counter-intelligence. Just to get you in to the proper frame of mind, please now play the theme tune from "The Third Man" before reading on. Done? Ok, then -

(a). in addition to your Platoon, you have an "Intelligence Unit" of six figures (1 Leader, 5 Agents). These are initially kept off-table, for use only in the "Intelligence Phase". If you want to produce suitable figures for your "Intelligence Unit", please do so, but the Umpires will provide an "Intelligence Unit" of figures for you otherwise;

(b). "Intelligence Phase". The Intelligence Phase occurs between each 'Move' and is of very short duration. Players decide if they want to play one of their "Intelligence Agents" (or even more critically, their "Intelligence Leader") to "subvert a Farm", and place their chosen figure next to the relevant "Big Man". There is then an opposed die roll of a D6 (drawn results are re-rolled) between the challenging "Intelligence Agent/Leader" and the defending "Big Man", with these modifiers added to the relevant D6 score:

Big Man +3

Intelligence Leader +2

Intelligence Agent + 1

"Its the Last Turn of the Big Game Challenge" - 2

(c). If the challenging "Intelligence Agent/Leader" loses the D6 opposed dice roll, the losing figure is surrendered to the Umpires, and plays no further part in the Big Game;

(d). If the challenging "Intelligence Agent/Leader" wins the D6 opposed dice roll, the "Big Man" and his farmer forces have been subverted by propaganda (or betrayed by a traitor within their ranks) and can then be used by the winner as part of their Platoon, whether staying to defend the Farm or exiting to assist the winning Player's offensive plans. The winning "Intelligence Agent/Leader" is placed and remains next to the "Big Man" to show "who's now the Boss", but has no combat value. The winning "Intelligence Agent/Leader" will then use the Big Man's dice modifier in any subsequent challenge;

(e). If, during the same "Intelligence Phase", two or more players choose the same Farm in which to place one of their Intelligence Agents/Leader, the players battle it out between themselves (using an opposed D6 roll) for the right to challenge the "Big Man".

(f). No, you cannot challenge the same "Big Man" with more than one "Intelligence Leader/Agent" during the same "Intelligence Phase";

(g). Yes, you can play more than one "Intelligence Leader/Agent" during the same "Intelligence Phase", provided they are each played against a different "Big Man";

(h). Yes, once a "Big Man" has been subverted in one "Intelligence Phase", any other Player can challenge the "Intelligence Leader/Agent" (in possession of the Farm) in any subsequent "Intelligence Phase", using the same opposed D6 method. The successful Player takes charge of the Farm and its' farmers (wherever they may be, even if they have exited the Farm).

Special Rule - the Convent is immune from Intelligence Attack

9. Your Aim

Read this far? Eyes crossed over at the complications ? OK then, here's the Executive Summary of your mission at the Autumn Big Game 2023:

"IT'S A BASH-ATHON. Blow up your Enemies (that's pretty much everyone). If you're brave, occupy the Convent. Otherwise, get a Farm, by fair means or foul. Keep the Farm. Avoid being run over by the North Herefordshire Hunt - or the Police Lancers. Get as many rustled cattle to the Farm as possible. Blow up your Enemies some more. Try to capture more Farms. Don't get machine-gunned by the Big Game Hunters. Blow up the recumbent corpses of your Enemies. At the end of the Big Game, whether roasting your rustled cattle or captured prisoners (hey, depends upon what kind of character you're playing) enjoy your inevitable Victory Barbecue."

At the end of the Big Game, the Umpires will declare the "Winner", which should be pretty obvious - the Player who has acquired the most Farms and Cattle while losing the fewest troops from his Platoon, or inflicting the most spectacular amount of casualties upon everyone else.

10. Campaign Background - and does it Matter ?

After the Communist's "Disaster at Dinmore" and the Combined Corporate Guard's vigorous defence of the Cadbury's Factory at Marlbrook from the aggressive (and sweet-toothed) Anglicans/Bromyard Social Democrats, HM Government are on somewhat of a high.

It is known that the defeated (and spectacularly athletic when necessary) Comrade Colonel Professor Winter has since spent most of his time dashing around in London, seeking to avoid "repatriation and liquidation" by Stalin's NKVD. 

It is also known that HM Government's C-in-C, the newly promoted Major-General Everard and his staff, have been busy planning a significant "Government Counter-Offensive" (aka the Spring Big Game 2024). 

However, as remote Little Hereford is cut off from such momentous events, for this Autumn Big Game 2023 only, absolutely none of this matters a jot..,,,

Wednesday, 9 August 2023

AUTUMN BIG GAME 2023 - EARLY NOTICE !

The Hereford VBCW Autumn Big Game 2023 ("Big Trouble in Little Hereford") will take place at:

YARKHILL VILLAGE HALL

on

SATURDAY 7th October 2023

10.00am - 5.00pm (doors open c. 9.30am)

St Mary Magdalene, Little Hereford Parish, Herefordshire.
Little Hereford's WIKI is HERE

It's the most remote Parish in Herefordshire, and the field armies of all the VBCW factions have "passed it by" in their determination to attack each other - it might be said that Little Hereford is truly a 1930's agricultural idyll. Well, apart from the heavily armed local farmers and their homemade A/T weapons, marauding renegades (of all factions), robbers and brigands (of none), numerous spies and intelligence men and the psychotic Nuns of St. Mary Magdalene....The Autumn Big Game 2023 is an 'all play all' bash-athon, where there are farms to capture, cattle to rustle and individual reputations (and individual alliances) to be made (or unmade)....updates to come as we get nearer the Big Day itself !

IMPORTANT NOTE : this Big Game is NOT at our usual venue of Burley Gate Village Hall, but at our alternative venue of the YARKHILL VILLAGE HALL. Some may remember that we used Yarkhill for the Spring Big Game 2022, and it is an excellent venue. See our old YARKHILL INFO LINK 

ANOTHER IMPORTANT NOTE : remember that you can play your "Modelling Challenge 2023" Technical(s) at this Big Game. If you don't know what we're talking about, see HERE

See you at Yarkhill Village Hall on Sat. 7th October 2023 - and don't trouble the Nuns !

Tuesday, 8 August 2023

CHEAP VBCW TANKS (1)

If you're going to manoeuvre big VBCW tank forces (and who is not 'a tankie'?), then you need the tanks to be quick to build - and cheap. Hence, Hereford1938 has mostly taken a "Hollywood tank" approach to armoured warfare (well, this is alt-history), and scratched around for suitable 28mm-ish scale models/representations. Hong Kong/Japanese toys from the 1960s have been found to be 'just the thing':

A tinplate AND plastic creation from Japan, marketed as a "Yone tank".

This type (the "Skeet Tank") not only runs on a clockwork mechanism, but also
shoots "safe disks". Wow !

The tinplate upper is easily removable, allowing the wargamer to ditch the clockwork
mechanism, key and gear. The resulting holes are easy enough to disguise with a little
plasticard and filler. Then underspray and paint to taste..

Et voila - "French Lend-Lease" tank destroyers in use with the 
Ludlow Experimental Armoured Brigade. 28mm crew figures in Adrian Helmets.
Clearly waiting for suitable transfers/decals...

Going the other way, and no shortage of transfers/decals - BUF tank destroyers
 with 28mm crews head along the road to Ledbury, passing a parked up BUF Tank Brigade.

These "Yone/Skeet" tanks are particularly fun, as the "open top" allows for some characterful crew figures. One of the "Safe Disks" provides an exact fitting base. Both these "tank destroyers" were sourced from Ebay, where such "Yone/Skeet" tanks occasionally pop up at about £5 a piece. Warning - some sellers clearly think such tanks are made from "unobtainium", and price accordingly - obviously to be avoided. Most, however, realise that they simply have an old and mass produced cheap plastic toy for sale....

Saturday, 5 August 2023

28mm EDWARD VIII and QUEEN WALLIS

Following Man Ray's efforts with Mrs Simpson, here is Phil Robinson's later (and 28mm) version of Edward VIII and, by now, Queen Wallis, in the VBCW:

Partizan 2012 Special Figures - Edward VIII and "That Woman"

A different version, plus further information about uniforms and these 28mm Partizan figures, can be found HERE

WALLIS SIMPSON by MAN RAY

Man Ray may now be best known as a Dadaist and Surrealist, but during the 1930s he was also a conventional society photographer. No surprise, then, that he photographed Wallis Simpson:

Wallis by Man Ray, 1935.


The Society Lady of 1935. Wallis was in her late thirties at this point -
and married to Ernest Simpson.


Wallis by Man Ray, 1936. A very different look, either commemorating
Wallis' "Nights in Shanghai" or prefiguring her ""Very Fascist" fashion phase.

Man Ray's WIKI is HERE