My SYW Workbench – British, Hannoverians, & Saxons

This initially 1 June published article has been updated 1 October.
I have added 3 more Saxon units newly painted below.

This years paintwork is becoming rather productive. After having done the French Aquitaine infantry, I did a composite battalion of Hannoverian Grenadiers. They are a set of really great looking figures. The miniatures are by Friedrich Schirmer, I believe, and nowadays available at Zinnfiguren aus Königswusterhausen foundry – link: www.zinnfiguren-kw.de

The units I've chosen to represent this composite battalion are the grenadiers from the regiments of Spörcken (2-A) and jeunne Zastrow (9-B).

A Hannoverian Grenadier battalion was made up of average 7 or 8 regimental grenadier corps all through 1761, but limiting it to two different painted uniform at my units strength of 16 figures has proven to be just fine, to my taste. Did that with Prussian and Austrian units before.
Along with them, I also did 3 command figures. His Royal Highness – or in French abbreviations: S.A.R. monseigneur le comte de Lusace et son entourage. I entitle him Prince Xavier or simply Lusace. All 3 miniatures are from Kieler Zinnfiguren – link: www.kieler-zinnfiguren.de

Voilà. Lusace (centre) is seen dressed as a French lieutenant-général, as per his French generals patent dating to 12 August 1758. The uniform is based on a pastels portrait by the French court painter Quentin de-la-Tour which should be dated at around 1758.

Lusace is seen with the badge and blue cordon of the Polish order of the White Eagle. His entourage are a staff officer of the Leibgrenadiergarde and a hussar officer of Lusace's raised Hussar Corps that seems to have served for staff duty's, only, rather then having been a regular combat force. Lusace was the vanguard of my first Saxon infantry units that were to follow.

Its the Saxon regiments Kurprinzessin – or French: Princesse Electeur Royale, as I chosed to lable all my units in French. I should note that I aimed to arrive at a neat looking band à la figurines of the famous Meissen porcelain series, giving the lads those neat rosé tan cheeks. It didn't work out really. My Princesse Electeur Royale lads look like alcoholics recruted from the Dresden butchers lane. Fine enough. It might give them an additional punch during game. Next is the regiment Frédéric-Auguste. 

Princesse Electeur Royale I have done in their 1756 uniform when it was a grenadier battalion. My figures are seen with their distinctive grenadier mitres, which they didn't have when serving with the French from 1758 on. The heck. This way they look so much better. Also mitres with white metal instead of my yellow are documented. My yellow is based on a contemporary manuscript that is now part of the Berlin Deutsches Historisches Museum Collection – The former Zeughaus / Arsenal.

My latest paint job are the Royal Welsh Fusiliers (IR 23) of which WIP images are to follow within short.

Voilà, my selected group of miniatures that will become the 23rd Foot Royal Welsh Fusiliers.

Started painting them. In the background, you see my Hannoverian Foot Guards, that serve as my colour sample, just to get the red and blue shades adjusted to some degree. The colours should have been about the same, to my understanding. After all, its all king George's II. regts. 

Here see the progress, despite following the Football World Championships. I opted for a different flag bearer. The Welsh Fusiliers being honored with having a very rare Prussian grenadier flag bearer miniature from a mould that is no more. A very old design dating from the 1930's, I believe. A great figure, with its fluttering silk so much better suited then this dead calm wind situation flag of my initial choice. Once he is painted, You won't be able to tell he isn't real English or Welsh at all. 

 Nearly done now 19 June. Just a few bits here and there yet to do. They look great while at the same time England vs Uruguay isn't doing all that well.

Here they are all painted and based – ready for battle, so to say.

I'm not entirely sure whether I've got the uniform the right way. My Welch Fusiliers come with red breeches - they could have been blue, though. Also I did them with white gaiters besides black would have been right, for no white set was used by the British in Germany. But I do all my regular line units in white, throughout, except for my white coated Austrians and now also the Saxons. I think it looks better this way. Just grenadiers, Lights, and artillery I moreoften paint with black gaiters.

Later during summer I did 3 more Saxon units. I did a composite battalion of grenadiers. I've choosen the grenadier companies of Leibgrenadiergarde and Graf Brühl to represent them. The other regiments are the Gardes and Prince Antoine. All miniatures are old casts of Prussian Musketeers by Kieler Zinnfiguren. The mounted staff officer of the grenadiers is an Austrian character as well as the cheering officer of the Guard regiment. The Leibgrenadiergarde drummer is actually a French character, but serves well as a Saxon. I sart to become increasingly easy with bothering on cuff sizes and other fussy detail. God knows what tailors these men contracted. He should be just fine. He is from another foundry.

Below see my entire Saxon Corps completed.