Heavy Camel Corps 1885 (1 Viewer)

[PolarBear]

Pvt. Willam Jenkins and Capt. Grant Pearson scan the horizon in search of Hadendoa tribemen, nicknamed Fuzzy-Wuzzies by Rudyard Kipling

Figures:
WB Redcoats
44007
44019

Gloss poster version:

 

[PolarBear]

Watercolor version:

 

[DMNamiot]

Hi Randy,

The first one sums up what I think they saw when they attempted the relief of Khartoum. Very well done sir

Dave

 

[1879fanatic]

Randy,
While they look for the Hadendowa, the Beja may sneak up their backside!
Great figures, and picture!
Mike

 

[jazzeum]

Very nice Randy.

 

[cantinetozzo]

Beautiful composition as always,with 2 of my next objectives .

 

[glossman]

Pvt. Willam Jenkins and Capt. Grant Pearson scan the horizon in search of Hadendoa tribemen, nicknamed Fuzzy-Wuzzies by Rudyard Kipling

Figures:
WB Redcoats
44007
44019

Gloss Poster Version

Hello Randy,

Thanks very much for this magnificant image of the Heavy Cavalry Camel Regiment in the Sudan.

I just love glossy camel sets.....

Best, Raymond.

 

[GICOP]

I love these, but I think you may have guessed that

Cheers

Martyn

 

[craig1985taylor]

there just great!!!! thanks for another amazing composition randy

 

[glossman]

Here is some information of the British Camel Corps in the Sudan 1884 quoted from the historikorders.com website

Quote

The first contingent of the Camel Corps was raised in Dongala and was composed of the Royal Sussex Regiment and a wing of the Mounted Infantry. It was known as Major Marriott's Camel Corps.

Volunteers were seconded from regiments serving in Egypt as well as some home regiments, and the first batch of these volunteers began to arrive at Alexandria on October 7, 1884.

On October 26, 1884 the Camel Corps was officially divided into four regiments. They were:

Guards Camel Regiment:

23 officers, 403 men; 1st, 2nd 3rd Grenadier Guards, 1st and 2nd Coldstream Guards, 1st and 2nd Scots Guard, 10o Royal Marine Light Infantry (RMLI).

Heavy Camel Regiment:

24 officers, 430 men; 1st and 2nd Life Guards, Royal Horse Guards, 2nd, 4th, 5th Dragoon Guards, 1st, 2nd (Scots Greys) Dragoons, 5th and 16th Lancers.

Light Camel Regiment:

21 officers, 387 men; 3rd 4th, 7th, 10th, 11th, 15th, 18th, 20th, 21st Hussars.

Mounted Infantry Camel Regiment:

26 officers, 480 men; 1st South Staffordshire (38th), 1st Royal West Kents (50th), 1st Black Watch Highlanders (42nd), 1st Gordon Highlanders (75th), 2nd Essex (56th), 1st Sussex (35th), 2nd Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry (46th), 3rd King's Royal Rifle Corps, Rifle Brigade, Somerset Light Infantry, Connaught Rangers, Royal Scots Fusiliers.

Quote

Best, Raymond.

*

 

[craig1985taylor]

Thanks for the information Raymond it was very interesting to read im going to have to look up the camel corps & do some reading

 

[glossman]

Thanks for the information Raymond it was very interesting to read im going to have to look up the camel corps & do some reading

Hello Craig,

I am glad you found the ORBAT of the British Camel Corps in the Sudan of interest.

The uniforms can be confusing. It appears that the uniforms of the Heavy and the Guards Camel Regiments overlap.

It was my understanding that the "Heavies" wore light blue jackets, while the Guards had their red jackets.

Cheers, Raymond.

*

 

[craig1985taylor]

Hello Craig,

I am glad you found the ORBAT of the British Camel Corps in the Sudan of interest.

The uniforms can be confusing. It appears that the uniforms of the Heavy and the Guards Camel Regiments overlap.

It was my understanding that the "Heavies" wore light blue jackets, while the Guards had their red jackets.

Cheers, Raymond.

*

thats interesting! does that meal our 2 camel corps figures from the guards regiment should be wearing red then?

 

[glossman]

thats interesting! does that meal our 2 camel corps figures from the guards regiment should be wearing red then?

Craig,

Check out the title of this thread and the first post.

I have taken the liberty to re-post the image for easy reference.

The postcard picture says "Heavy Camel Corps" and I agree completely with Randy's description.

Cheers, Raymond.

*

 

[PolarBear]

From what I have read (including eyewitness accounts) the Guards did wear red tunics and the Heavies grey-blue. That is the way Little Legion has made theirs (see below) and why I called my scene Heavy rather than Guards. However, the Osprey book The British Army on Campaign 4 (1882-1902) shows the Grenadier Guards (part of the Guards Camel corps) wearing the grey-blue tunic as is represented by the W. Britain figures in my scene. The new WB limited edition medic just says British Camel Corps,

 

[PolarBear]

Michael Perry's Guide to Uniforms of the Sudan War 1883-85 shows both Guards and Heavy Camel Regts wearing the grey-blue tunics.
http://www.wargamesillustrated.net/gallery/download/Sudan 1883 - 85.pdf

Perhaps my scene could have been called either Heavy or Guards but I decided to follow Lord Gleichen's eyewitness account With the Camel Corps on the Nile that says the Guards had red tunics while the Heavy wore the grey-blue.

 

[glossman]

From what I have read (including eyewitness accounts) the Guards did wear red tunics and the Heavies grey-blue. That is the way Little Legion has made theirs (see below) and why I called my scene Heavy rather than Guards. However, the Osprey book The British Army on Campaign 4 (1882-1902) shows the Grenadier Guards (part of the Guards Camel corps) wearing the grey-blue tunic as is represented by the W. Britain figures in my scene. The new WB limited edition medic just says British Camel Corps,

Michael Perry's Guide to Uniforms of the Sudan War 1883-85 shows both Guards and Heavy Camel Regts wearing the grey-blue tunics.
http://www.wargamesillustrated.net/gallery/download/Sudan 1883 - 85.pdf

Perhaps my scene could have been called either Heavy or Guards but I decided to follow Lord Gleichen's eyewitness account With the Camel Corps on the Nile that says the Guards had red tunics while the Heavy wore the grey-blue.

Hello Randy,

Thanks very much for your balanced perspective and the references.

I shall pursue the references as I have a special interest in the British Army Camel Corps in the Sudan.

Best, Raymond.

*

 

[PolarBear]

Here is a scan of the Osprey illustration but this time being used in Donald Featherstone's Khartoum 1885 from the Osprey Campaign series. In the text he states that the Guards Camel Regt wore red but the illustration borrowed from the British Army on Campaign 4 contradicts that. Notice in the illustration, he has 1 GG in red on his right sleeve to indicate he is from the Grenadier Guards. The Private in the WB Redcoats series has this too but it is not on the sleeve of the new officer figure. (perhaps it only appeared on ORs).
Unfortunately there does not appear to be much in the way of photographic evidence of the uniforms of the Camel Regiments. If anyone has photos I would love to see them. if you buy both figures you will see in person that the officer's tunic is also greyer than the private's but I understand that such variation occurred.

 

[PolarBear]

One last note:

There was also a Light Camel Regiment (made up of Hussars) and a Mounted Infantry Camel Regiment as part of the Gordon Relief Expedition.
The Osprey British Army on Campaign 4 says they all wore grey serge.

 

[craig1985taylor]

Randy, Raymond thank you both for you interesting information about there uniforms, Im thinking maybe some of the guards regiments didn't adopt the new grey uniform & just went to war with what they already had as in there red one's? Just an idea probably completely wrong well im defiantly going to read up on it you both have sparked my interest

Cheers Craig.