"Fishguard 1797" Topic

As previously discussed here, I and my compadre, Martin Small, have been working on armies for the farcical French invasion of Wales in 1797. Here are the fruits of our labours to date. There is lots more to come!

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love the light dragoons.. how did you make the hats?

Martin filed the original shakos down into jockey-cap shapes and then made the crest and turban out of greenstuff. Plumes were cutt off the original shakos and glued onto the side of the helmets. He's disgustingly talented in that regard. :o)

That's just bloody smashing. Wonderful, I love it.

Glad you like it. This project is brilliant fun. There is also the added bonus that we virtually have carte blanche to invent uniforms… ;o)

We're also looking at expanding this into a larger campaign. A load of other oddball units were heading to Pembrokeshire to meet the French, so it might be fun to fight a whole campaign, should the French defy history and succeed in beating their opponents. The units I've identified as marching or mobilising were:

The remainder of the Cardiganshire Militia and Pembroke Yeomanry

Around 2,000 armed civilians had assembled by the 25th, including some 400 armed women (!). Some 500 of the civilians were armed with firearms.

A new volunteer regiment called the Loyal Haverfordwest Volunteer Infantry was hastily raised on the 23rd, comprising 3-400 men, probably armed from Pembrokeshire Militia, Cardiganshire Militia and Royal Navy stocks.

Tivy-Side Volunteer Infantry – four companies of infantry under Lord Cemaes, with headquarters at Cardigan, only fifteen miles NE of Fishguard. Nothing is known about this corps' movements, strength or uniforms.

Carmarthenshire Yeomanry – two troops under Lord Dunevor (light dragoons with sky-blue dolmans, red facings and white/silver lace)

Brecknock Volunteer Infantry – single company (no uniform known)

Towyn Volunteer Legion – single infantry company, plus 20 light dragoons and a 2pdr grasshopper gun (no uniforms known)

New Romney Fencible Light Dragoons (Duke of York's Own) – two troops (probably red dolmans).

The Royal Navy's Western Frigate Flotilla was also sortieing in response to the emergency, under the command of none other than Commodore Sir Edward Pellew, of Hornblower fame. It might therefore be fun to add a naval force including Hornblower.

Lieutenant General James Rooke, GOC Severn District & Bristol Garrison, with his ADC, Captain Lord Edward Somerset (15th Light Dragoons) sailed to Tenby, intending to take control of the situation. He arrived at Haverfordwest just after the French surrender.

The 13th Foot (1st Somerset) were ordered to move from Bath to Bristol, ready to embark for Tenby in south-east Pembrokeshire. In the event the emergency ended before they sailed. They were ordered to sail again a week later due to a second invasion scare, which was again cancelled.

The Royal Buckinghamshire Militia (King's Own) were the main part of the Bristol Garrison and were ordered to embark for Pembrokeshire.

A single troop of the Suffolk Provisional Cavalry, forming part of the Britsol Garrison, were also ordered to embark for Pembrokeshire.

There's lots of interesting units there. I think I'll wait until Perry bring out some British Light Dragoons before painting more though…

Big Jemima – sounds like my sister-in-law…..

She LOOKS like my sister-in-law… :o(

Brecknock, eh? Gotta do them, they're my boys. They'll sort those flaming Froggies out for you.

Don't fancy the walk to Fishguard from Brecon, though.

They certainly were on the way. They are recorded as marching from Brecon to Llandovery in six hours, which is impressive going! The New Romney Fencibles overtook them in Llandovery (having marched there from Worcester in 16 hours) and had reached Llandeilo when they heard the news of the surrender on the evening of the 24th. They were in Carmarthen on the 25th, with the Brecknock Volunteers not far behind. The Carmarthenshire Yeomanry meanwhile, had reached St Clears when they heard of the surrender.

Do you live in Brecon? I'd greattly appreciate it if you could let me know of any evidence regarding the Brecknock Volunteer Infantry in the area. I had a look in the SWB museum a couple of months back, but I didn't spot anything. They had a few items from the Breconshire Militia, but that was it.

That looks like a lot of fun, a French invasion of Britain.

We had a similar invasion, however, ours was set during the SYW. Units en route to Germany were redirected to defend positions South of London (Dorking and Cantebury). Regular battalions, local militia, towns folk, game keepers with dogs all ready to defend the homeland.

Thanks for sharing.

I was there in 1997 for the 200th anniversary reenactment. The woman "playing" Jemima was plenty intimidating. Tragically it was the weekend Princess Diana was killed and they considered cancelling the Sunday battle where England prevails. But, the show must go on, we were defeated and England saved.

Absolutely cracking R Mark!!

Glad to see Jemima Fawr in stovepipe hat and red shawl with the broom of doom.

Amazed that Solva and St Davids could put up a unit of volunteers, they're only little places after all. Do any details of their clothing survive?

Are you planning on doing this as a demo game at any shows? I'd love to see it 'for real' like.

No, I don't live in Brecon but on the English side of the border (just). But Brecknock and Radnor is where my blood comes from.

Superb figures and an interesting scenario.

Absolutely amazing work. And a really intriguing campaign. Well done, guys.

21eRegt,

Yvonne Fox was her name and she was a real character and VERY much fitted the part. Sadly she passed away suddenly just after Christmas:

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I happened to pass through Fishguard in a bus that day (as you say, in the week that Diana died), bringing my cadets back from camp in north Wales. I'd totally forgotten about the 200th anniversary event, so it was a bit of a surprise to spot a pair of Voltigeurs skirmishing their way up the High Street!

Plynkes, me too (on my mum's side)! My mum was half-Radnor, half-Brecknock and grew up in Herefordshire (and they said never the twain shall meet).

Timbo, the Solva and St Davids volunteers were simply armed civilians, led by Mr Henry Whiteside, who was a remarkable character.

He was an instrument-maker from Liverpool, who won a design competition held by Trinity House, to design the first offshore lighthouse (for the Bishop's Rock, 20 miles offshore in the middle of St George's Channel). If you watch BBC's 'Coast', you might remember Neil Oliver telling the tale of that first lighthouse, where one man died and the other went stark-raving mad.

On another occasion, Whiteside and his engineers became trapped out there for weeks and he sent the world's first recorded successful message in a bottle!

On 23rd February 1797, after the raising of the alarm, he called a public meeting and called for volunteers – a grand total of six men (all sailors) and a horse stepped forward. Marching undeterred to Fishguard, they eventually encountered a group of Frenchmen looting a farmhouse. Whiteside's men, who had now been joined by men from St Davids (who had upset the Dean of the Cathedral by melting the cathedral's roof-lead to make bullets), fired a ragged volley; killing one French soldier and wounding two more. Pursuing hard on their heels, the Volunteers ran straight into a full French company, who opened fire, scattering Whiteside's men. As the volunteers ran for it, Whiteside wrote afterwards that he let his (borrowed) horse run free, as he deemed it unseemly to outrun his men! :o)

We haven't thought about running it at any wargame shows yet, but we're definitely going to run it at Fishguard on 23/24th August! :o)

Thanks for the words of encouragement, guys. There will be plenty more – I'm presently painting the F&NVI skirmishers, Captain Nisbett and the Cardiganshire Militia. Martin meanwhile has converted a superb Tate from a Victrix plastic figure. He's also made some amazing armed civilians and aggressive Welsh 'ladies' from Perry ACW rioters, so we hope to have those painted up and photographed soon.

Brilliant work.

Looking eagerly for more!

Very kind of you. There'll be more soon. I've stuck a map up on the GdeB forum thread, so those not familiar with my part of the world can see what I'm referring to.

Spectacular Mark! I have been eagerly looking forward to seeing these since you mentioned the project about 6 months ago. They turned out incredibly! I especially love all the conversions you've done – the black caps from the Osprey, the converted Perry ACW, they all look spot-on! Post more pics, please!

Cheers!

Will do! The rest has yet to be painted, but there will be more soon. Martin has converted some fantastic figures from Perry ACW rioters.

For those of you who are really interested, every year there is a charity march from the church that the French shot at on their first night, to the town square where the surrender was signed then back to the beach where the surrender was given, at Fishguard and is attended by reenactors and some of the locals. The place is stuffed with history and the locals are fountains of knowledge, and many of the items are still kept on display such as the letter of surrender.

So if you are really in to it then you should pop along next year to support the area and it's fantastic heritage.

We'll be there doing our game! :o)

Nicely done.

Thanks DH.

Excellent stuff Mark. Truth is always stranger than fiction….

Eh?! Where did I put any truth in there…? this is my version of the Very British Civil War! ;o)

Oh yes – West Wales matriarchs are terrifying and violent. That bit's true.

Our Fishguard scenarios are in the new British Grenadier Scenario Book #3, which is out now:

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A marvelous work! And for sure, deserving to be used in a whole 'What-if?' campaign.

Cheers Abdul. I'm working on the 'Further Adventures of The Black Legion' campaign at the moment and the research is throwing up some interesting stuff.

For one, the recently-discovered diary of a Haverfordwest Volunteer reveals that some 3-400 armed volunteers marched to Fishguard following Lord Cawdor's column – probably on the following day, as it would surely have taken at least a day to organise and equip the volunteers from Militia stocks (the headquarters of the Pembrokeshire and Cardiganshire Militia were both in Haverfordwest at the time). A further 3-4 infantry companies, each of 16-20 figures (Levy or Militia grade) could therefore be added to the British force in the second scenario, as printed in the BG Scenario Book #3.

For the 'futher adventures' campaign: The diary of a retired EIC officer living in Brecon records FOUR troops of the New Romney Light Dragoons passing through the town. This makes the unit as twice as strong as I'd previously guessed (the regiment was initially raised with only two troops, but by 1803 had six troops, so I had conservatively guessed at two troops being available in 1797).

This officer's diary also recorded the Staffordshire Militia (King's Own), under the command of Lord Uxbridge (father of the Lord Uxbridge of Waterloo fame), passing through Brecon on 1st March, on its way to Fishguard – so these can also be added as late campaign reinforcements (Brecon is a hard four-day march from Fishguard – two days for cavalry).

I've added some more photos at link

I've added some photos of Martin's Welsh 'ladies' (converted from Perry ACW rioters) to the page linked above. Be afraid…

Nice bit of good use of imagination…

M

You mean we made some stuff up?! ;o)

It's a fair cop… Although it has to be said that our guess at the French 'uniform' has turned out to be roughly correct according to a recently discovered eyewitness account.

Re the Welsh women – while I'm absolutely certain that there were no organised bands of armed Welsh women present while the French were marauding (with the notable exception of Jemima Nicholas), Lord Cawdor did record a group of about 3-400 armed women turning up at around the time of the surrender! Scary…

In our game they'll simply serve as 'table decoration' or they might be mixed into 'angry Welsh mob' units.

The new 'Canadian Sedentary Militia' from Knuckleduster Miniatures certainly look interesting. They might be just the job for hastily-formed militia such as the Haverfordwest Volunteers:

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Inspiring stuff!

Cheers Skeptic!

There's lots more to come. The Cardiganshire Militia and lots more Frogs (including looters) are painted and awaiting photography. Martin's also done some Welsh peasantry armed with straightened scythes, blunderbusses, etc.

If anyone's interested in coming along, our Fishguard 1797 game will have its first outing during the Fishguard & Goodwick August Festival, on 23 & 24 August, at St Mary's Church Hall, Fishguard (two doors down from the Royal Oak pub, where the surrender was signed).

There might also be room for a few players.

Looking forward to enjoy the AAR!

I think they probably did have leeks in their hats! Convenient place to keep your lunch. I've done re-enactments with half a dozen apples in my shako!

Well it's a theory. :o)

I've taken some more (not very good) photos of the troops. The Cardiganshire Militia are here: link and I'll put the rest up tomorrow.

I've added some more photos now, including Lt Col Knox of the Fishguard & Newport Volunteers, Chef de Brigade Tate and some more Black Legionaires, including these fellows:

a lovely little project

cheers
Matt

Thanks Matt.

That's a cool project I'm currently putting together a British force for 1795.

Cheers GG. Out of interest, whose figures are you using and in what scale? I'm interested in branching out to the Flanders campaigns.

Great fun.

Are the chaps in the photo stealing a table?

Simon