"Goums?" Topic

Alright, guys, here's one for you.

We're doing Late War FOW in the local group. Have been thinking about doing FFI using the rules for the Goums (French Moroccan colonial troops), but no luck on miniatures. Any suggestions? Is there a range available? Maybe a colonial range that would look the part? Doesn't matter to me what country they're available in, if they exist, so long as they'll ship stateside.

Thanks,

A.

Nothing available. It would take quite a bit of conversion work to add burnouses, etc. to either US or British figures.

I've thought about commissioning a range of Goumiers for over a year now, and have had input from a number of very helpful folks, but have yet to get off my tuchas to do anything about it.

Allen

I use 1940 French. As what pictures I've seen have them in Adrain Helmets

Yep, some in French kit, especially early on:

Adrian and capote:

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But also:

Burnouse and Adrian (a classic image):

picture

Shorts (!) and turban:

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Burnouse and turban:

picture

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Burnouse and battle bowler:

picture

picture

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picture (with dinner!)

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British and American kit mixed:

picture (modern film)

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You get the idea: they were usually a scruffy lot of ruffians!

Allen

The film, by the way, is "Days of Glory (Indigenes)". If you seacrh for production shots from the film, there are some very good images:

link

It's also interesting to compare goumiers on parade:

picture

…with the sharp-looking colonial Bataillon d'Infanterie de Marine du Pacifique (here entering Rome):

picture

Allen

IIRC Goom are in the eureka 300 club… but will they be released a day or so…
Right now the 1940 frenchs are the best offer but maybe is it possible to use SCW moroccan (PP does somes but pictures aren't good enougth to really check)
It is also possible to do some convertions with PP heads on US minis

PP's SCW Morocccans are sprightly little fellows in Spanish (more or less conventional) uniforms, light kit, and turbans. I use them for Libyan infantry for the Western Desert, and they're fine for that. But the closest goumiers in appearance would be the ones in shorts above--except that they're in shorts.

Allen

With a bit of creative painting and some minor conversion, these Eureka Australians could be used:

link

Paint the greatcoat as a burnouse, paint the boots as sandals, maybe add a greenstuff scarf around the head/neck, and remember that they are only 15mm so they should easily pass the "looks ok at arm's length" test!

Those guys with the sheep…was that dinner, or were they fraternizing?

You might try swapping helmeted heads onto some 15mm North African rifle armed Arabs/Beduin/Tuaregs/Berbers. I'm not very familiar with colonials, but I think Minifigs and Stone Mountain both do 15mm FFL lines:

link

Hmm.. some great ideas here, Alan (and everybody else!) Pictures especially appreciated, as they give a good idea of variety I wasn't aware of (the image of the Goums in Adrian and capote, for example, looks promising).

I should think about requesting them over at the 300 club if they aren't already, though I seem to have zero luck with what I request from 'em. (My tastes may be too odd;) )

Will keep hunting and looking. Will also get a look at those SCW ranges at PP.

Indigenes has been mentioned before elsewhere. Is it any good?

-A.

(Make that ALLEN. Not Alan. Sorry. I know too many with that name.)

I was really looking forward to 'Indigenes.' It did not live up to my expectations. Sorry, didn't like it at all. Hard to put my finger on exactly why, but I wasn't engaged by it in the slightest.