ECW painting inspiration

[Radar]

Went to a big Sealed Knot 'battle' over the weekend. They had cavalry! Never seen a re-enactment with cavalry before (jousting at Royal Armouries doesn't count). Really interesting to see the cuirassiers (who did a demo before the battle) - how they struggled doing everything: firing pistols, sheathing/unsheathing swords, being able to see where they were going ... those with full face helmets all seemed to hold they heads at strange angles so they could see where and what they were doing.

Needless to say they didn't participate in the 'battle' for obvious reasons!

Here's a pic to whet your appetite, and a picture heavy link.


https://www.keepyourpowderdry.co.uk/2019/05/the-sealed-knot-ecws.html?m=1

[martin goddard]

Looks good.Must be hard doing occasionally what the real troopers did every day. In those olden days there was no health and safety either, Thus risks could be taken moreso?

[Radar]

As you rightly say Martin, practise clearly a big part of the equation for the cuirassiers. Yet the harquebusiers were absolutely flying around the battlefield.

The difference the kit makes for re-enacting occasional wearers was very noticeable, it doesn't stretch the imagination to much to see why in 'real life'  full suits of armour were ditched in favour of buff coats, breastplates and 3 bar pots (and that's even before you factor in costs)

[Leman (Andy)]

Were they really that well fed in the English Civil War? I always remember the massive Confederate soldier on the picket line in the opening of Gerttysburg - after a couple of years hard campaigning and hard marching I don't think so!

[Radar]

Perhaps best to gloss over the girth, age and Bob-ness (think Blackadder) of some of the re-enactors.

[martin goddard]

The sealed know and ECWS are gems !

[Leman (Andy)]

Just noticed I mistyped Gerttysburg - maybe it should have been Girthysburg?

[mellis1644]

Having been a pikeman in my younger years with both ECWS and SK I can say although not real, having a dozen horse 'charge' at you gives a whole new respect to the people who did it for real. Horses are big when they are coming at you at speed and you just have a large stick to protect you. It's also interesting even a reenactment how the visible world drops to a very small area when fighting. The physical interaction of a standard solider and the reason for the colours as a rally point becomes all too clear. Adds a whole perspective to games that having 1 unit atomically react to things is not always a good simulation on games.  

P.S. Modern well trained combat soldiers get it drilled into them about situational awareness and hopefully develop the skills for that. The better the training the more that is part of their skill set - or should be on average. However, that's modern guys and I suspect many officers of the time were not good at that skillset, especially the citizen soldiers of the ECW.

[Radar]

Good to hear what it was like from your perspective  Mellis. It was very noticeable in amongst the big spectacle were lots of little individual battles taking place

I thought this picture was quite an eye opener - the Scot having to fend off the cavalry sword at full stretch above his head

[Radar]

Lots more painting inspiration, this time from the Cropredy Bridge 375 events at the weekend.



https://www.keepyourpowderdry.co.uk/2019/06/cropredy-375.html?m=1 Picture heavy!

[Colonel Kilgore]

Nice picture - and lots of "fog of war"!

Don't think much about their uniformity of dress, but probably more accurate than our little men!

[Radar]

Thanks, to get the flash in the pan/ muzzle flash shot I use a burst of shots. Really interesting to scroll through the burst to see the fog develop. Something we just don't get to see with the naked eye.

[Martin Smith]

Great blog, and Nice pics.

[Radar]

Thanks

[mellis1644]

Nice picture - and lots of "fog of war"!

Don't think much about their uniformity of dress, but probably more accurate than our little men!

This was not a time of uniforms in the true sense of them, so you are right. Those nicely matched and colored units we have are quite pretty but generally very unrealistic for the period. Even if fairly newly raised with a colonel who actually provided clothing for a unit, the fabric was not as resistant to fading as in modern times. There were few if any rules for keeping to those outfits alone as well like in future times, so there would be many shades/styles and colors in most units. Soldiers often 'acquire' items along the way and I suspect that was very common in the period.