my birthday present! (1 Viewer)

[majorsmith]

Well i got this great figure for my birthday! kettle drummer life guard hussars of the imperial German army 1900, my dad (beatingretreat) made it for me to get my toy soldier figure collection off the ground, my interest is German forces of the 20th century and late 19th.

 

[kogu]

A belated Happy Birthday, Major Smith , and what a fine present you got
Congratulations to this wonderful piece.
Konrad

 

[thebritfarmer]

Belated birthday wishes and what a fine gift!! The horse sculpt is one of y favourites.

 

[wadepat]

Hi Majorsmith,

Congratulations for receiving such a wonderful birthday gift! It is a beauty!

Warmest personal regards,

Pat

 

[DMNamiot]

Wow thats an amazing gift! You are very lucky to have such a talented dad! I hope you have many more happy birthdays and manys more amazing gifts!

Dave

 

[4th Hussar]

I am an orphan , will you ask your Dad if he will adopt me.

 

[johnnybach]

This is the hospital - there was a mistake when you were born - and we were swapped over. You are really the Prince of Wales - and I am you. You can stay there - if you like - but we must exchange our posessions. You can have Wales in exchange for your horsey thing with the man playing his drum.

(Only joking bach - he's better than Wales. johnnybach

 

[theBaron]

Another excellent piece by your dad, a great rendition of Elo Sambo. Happy Birthday and thanks for sharing it with us!

Prost!
Brad

 

[trooper]

Interesting little nugget about Elo Sambo. In Martin Windrow's book "Uniforms of the French Foreign Legion" he shows an illustration of the negro kettledrummer of the 1st REC and states that he was Billy Pesa who claimed to have been the kettledrummer of the Imperial Garde Hussars. This is dated 1937. At first I thought that this must have been Elo Sambo but then found out that he had died in 1933. Now although there were several Cameroon and German East Africa soldiers serving in the German army in the Imperial days to the best of my knowledge only Sambo served as kettledrummer to the Garde Hussars. So who was Pesa and why did he make this claim?

 

[johnnybach]

Hi trooper. I don't know who Billy Pesa actually was - or why he made the claim. There was allegedly very little question over "who" you actually were when you joined the FFL in those days - BUT - I do have a 54mm model of Billy on his drum horse (Tradition of London version). I don't know if it will add much to the debate - but it gives me a chance to practice! I'll take a photo of him tomorrow - if you like - and post it here? johnnybach

 

[johnnybach]

Further to my earlier post about Billy Pesa, if you go to:

legioncavalerie.free.fr/fr/fanfare.htm

you can read all about him, and even see several pictures of him.
It's in French - but just press the translate button - for a quirky translation!
johnnybach

 

[johnnybach]

This is the figure - still available from Tradition, number KD5402. He was marked as Billy Pesa in the catalogue when I bought him as a casting around six or so years ago. Interestingly, he isn't now!

I think, from memory, the sculptor was Alan Caton. If you go on to the web site I listed in my last post, the pictures of Billy shown there looks like it could have been the source from which the sculptor took his inspiration - and much of the detail. Not sure if this helps the debate over who Billy was - but at least shows that is who he "claimed" to be. If you read the French site - he apparently did make the claim!

Another point to make is - that I'm nowhere near as good a painter as your Dad! Note: this might be a good figure to add to your growing collection though? johnnybach

 

[trooper]

You are correct Johnny, the sculptor of Billy Pesa was Alan Caton. He also sculpted the figure of Elo sambo shown earlier. Trooper

 

[theBaron]

I think Alan sculpted most if not all of those mounted kit figures, didn't he?

 

[thebritfarmer]

Did he change his style of sculpt as I think Prefer this horse to say some of the ones he does for Little Legion/ATS.

 

[Martin Tabony]

This is the figure - still available from Tradition, number KD5402. He was marked as Billy Pesa in the catalogue when I bought him as a casting around six or so years ago. Interestingly, he isn't now!

I think, from memory, the sculptor was Alan Caton. If you go on to the web site I listed in my last post, the pictures of Billy shown there looks like it could have been the source from which the sculptor took his inspiration - and much of the detail. Not sure if this helps the debate over who Billy was - but at least shows that is who he "claimed" to be. If you read the French site - he apparently did make the claim!

Another point to make is - that I'm nowhere near as good a painter as your Dad! Note: this might be a good figure to add to your growing collection though? johnnybach

Not many people are as a good a painter as John!

Martin

 

[aujj65]

You are correct Johnny, the sculptor of Billy Pesa was Alan Caton. He also sculpted the figure of Elo sambo shown earlier. Trooper

I think Alan sculpted most if not all of those mounted kit figures, didn't he?

Not only very talented but apparently he is a very nice man as well!

Jeff

 

[johnnybach]

Good to know that there IS a tenuous link between El Sambo and Billy Pesa then. Both were sculpted by Alan Caton. I wonder whether he had the same idea that perhaps they were one and the same person too???

The mystery thickens! johnnybach

 

[trooper]

Good to know that there IS a tenuous link between El Sambo and Billy Pesa then. Both were sculpted by Alan Caton. I wonder whether he had the same idea that perhaps they were one and the same person too???

The mystery thickens! johnnybach

I'll ask him the next time we speak. Trooper