Belgian army WW1 (2 Viewers)

[Guy]

Following in Rob's footstep I decided to put a new thread on the forum about the Belgian Army 1914-1918. I do have a lot of pictures ( some of which are very rare) which I will post regulary, one or two per day. Feel free to add any pics you have about the Brave Little Belgian Army during the 1st WW
Here I go
guy:smile2:
Belgian MG team


Belgian Carabiniers and their dogs


Belgian cavalry 1918


Belgian army Chaplain 1914

 

[lancer]

Great idea for a thread, Guy. Belgium is an underappreciated cog in the Allied victory of WW1. Beau Geste seems to be about the only TS maker that does Belgian WW1 figures with several different sets, including the outstanding Machine Gun dog teams that are in your photos. BG also does infantry, cavalry, and a band. My great interest lies in the Belgian Air Service. I look forward to your future postings. -- Al

 

[Guy]

Great idea for a thread, Guy. Belgium is an underappreciated cog in the Allied victory of WW1. Beau Geste seems to be about the only TS maker that does Belgian WW1 figures with several different sets, including the outstanding Machine Gun dog teams that are in your photos. BG also does infantry, cavalry, and a band. My great interest lies in the Belgian Air Service. I look forward to your future postings. -- Al

Al
I know that "Britain" will bring out a Belgian MG team with dogs in 2014, also TGM will be adding some ww1 Belgians next year to his range of figures
guy

 

[Poppo]

Would be interesting if you also put some colonial uniforms from belgian Congo....In black Africa was war too...

 

[lancer]

Would be interesting if you also put some colonial uniforms from belgian Congo....In black Africa was war too...

Poppo, Beau Geste does make sets of Belgian Congo troops, as well as a wide variety of other African WW1 troops. Treefrog carries them. -- Al

 

[Poppo]

Poppo, Beau Geste does make sets of Belgian Congo troops, as well as a wide variety of other African WW1 troops. Treefrog carries them. -- Al

yes, they are very nice and coloured...But I meant photos.

 

[W T Allison II]

by Beau Geste.

 

[Guy]

Would be interesting if you also put some colonial uniforms from belgian Congo....In black Africa was war too...

Ok Poppo will do
guy

 

[Guy]

Great idea for a thread, Guy. Belgium is an underappreciated cog in the Allied victory of WW1. Beau Geste seems to be about the only TS maker that does Belgian WW1 figures with several different sets, including the outstanding Machine Gun dog teams that are in your photos. BG also does infantry, cavalry, and a band. My great interest lies in the Belgian Air Service. I look forward to your future postings. -- Al

Al,
here you have already some info and pics about the Belgian air force in ww1
When the war broke out the Belg Air force was 37 pilots strong !!They mainly flew the French plane ' the Farman HF20"
We had several aces the best known are : Edmond Thieffry Belgian's 1st WW air ace
Belgian ace : Willy Coppens with 37 kills and Belgian Ace De Meulemeester with 11 kills. He designed the 'thistle symbol of the 1st Escadrille de chasse and also their motto:"Nemo me impune lacessit" translated it means "No-one can chanllenge me unpunished" ( the 16th fighter wing ( F 16)still has this emblem today")
more to follow but here are some pics
guy
1st pilot uniform 1915

Belgian ace Willy Coppens

Belgian Hanriot that survived the war

Belgian officer pilot 1915

Belgian pilots 1915

 

[Guy]

Al,
more pics
German seaplane flying over Ostend beach ( Belgiums major coastal town in 1914)

Members of the Belgian Airforce 1914

Pilot uniforms 1916

Belgian Ace Thieffry

 

[lancer]

Thanks for the pictures, Guy. Willy Coppens has always been a favorite ace of mine. He was the premier balloon-buster of the First world War, bar none. Of his 37 victories, 35 were balloons. Only the Frenchman Jean Pierre Bourjade came close with 27 balloons to his credit. Coppens wrote an autobiography which I believe was called "Days on the Wing" which is incredibly interesting. His Croix de Guerre medal from Belgium held 27 Palms and 13 Bronze Lions and he was holder of some 2 dozen other awards.
In 2010 a book titled "The Belgian Air Service in the First World War" was published. Written by Walter Pieters, it is 722 pages long and is as complete a history as is ever likely to be done. It is also heavily illustrated and contains bio info on all Belgian pilots, as well as lists of all Belgian victories and losses. It is an indispensable work for WW1 aviation enthusiasts. -- Al

 

[ucla1967]

Belgian toy soldiers have a couple of things working against them which explains why so few manufacturers have offered them. Many collectors can't get past collecting the major belligerents and don't collect some of the smaller powers. Also, the Belgian uniforms, except in 1914, look too much like the French for some collectors. That being said, I am not in either category and do collect Belgians. Here is an example of a Hiriart special commission set of World War I Force Publique, Belgian Congo troops in their parade dress uniforms that I received recently. I ordered seven sets which were all pre-sold.

 

[ucla1967]

This year, Randy (Polarbear) and I have also ordered from Hiriart, the Force Publique in their field uniforms (white fezzes, blue jackets, and darker blue pants) as shown in this Osprey color plate.

 

[ucla1967]

On my 2016 Hiriart order, I am ordering World War I Belgian Infantry in 1915 wearing khaki with Adrian helmets based upon this French infantry set.

 

[Guy]

On my 2016 Hiriart order, I am ordering World War I Belgian Infantry in 1915 wearing khaki with Adrian helmets based upon this French infantry set.

You're right Mike
Only the uniforms of 1914 are special . Don't forget the whole country was occupied by the Germans by the end of 1914 ( apart from a small area behind the YSER river) so it was impossible for the Belgian Army to get re-supplied with Belgian uniforms, goods, weapons and ammo. That is why you see a gradual change in the Belgian uniforms and almost becoming identical to what the allies were wearing . The Belgian army got re-supplied by France and the UK and by the end of the war also by the US. I add a picture of a Belgian soldier from 1918 wearing a US coat
guy

 

[Guy]

A few more pics
guy
1st Guides. Note some of them are still wearing the bearskin hat

2nd Guides regiment

5th Lancers in service dress

 

[Obee]

We remember .......

 

[ucla1967]

My good friend, Bob Walker, has a number of Belgian sets in his collection that I thought you might like to see. I especially like the Belgian head gear he has displayed with these sets. I believe that the sets with the machine gunners are from a large 14 figure set by W. Britains. The other two are Bob's own castings.

 

[Guy]

Yes this is a Belgian helmet all right from WWI . Love the figures ,thanks for sharing
guy

 

[ucla1967]

Here are a couple of additional Belgian sets in Bob's collection.sets