Gordon of Monymore's Pike - WIP

Managed to get a few hours on the pike block and command for Gordon's highland regulars. Got the flesh, leather, metal and hodden grey done. Now onto tartans and officers glad rags.

Flags for MacColla

Below are the flags used on my command base for MacColla. They were made in photoshop and can be printed for use in your own armies. I painted over the printed design (see here) as I prefer the hand-painted look but that is not really necessary.

The yellow flag depicts 'the black galley' common in ancient West highland heraldry, especially amongst the MacDonalds and MacDougalls, the descendants of Somerled. It is typically taken as a representation of power and is also linked to the Lordship of the Isles. 

The white sheet depicts the infamous "red hand of Ulster", a symbol linked to Ulster since at least the 16th century, and common amongst the heraldry of the O'Neill family. It is also found in west highland heraldry especially amongst the MacDonalds. 

The flags are speculative, but the designs use symbols common in the contemporary 17th century heraldry of the MacDonalds and other west coast clans with links across the water to Ulster.  There is no evidence that flags like these were carried by MacColla, or that they even existed, but both seem like fitting motifs for the Ulster-backed MacDonald. 

I can't claim this as an original idea, it is actually borrowed from a description of MacColla in Nigel Tranter's "Montrose: Captain General". Although Tranter puts a white galley on a black sheet. I changed this to a black galley on a yellow sheet to be consistent with references to MacColla's colours at Auldearn, and to be faithful to West highland heraldry.

Below is a link to great website source on West Highland Heraldry.  Some great ideas here for flags for your highland clansmen!

West Highland Heraldry

Apologies for repetition, but I wanted to include the flag information, previously published here, in this post too.

MacColla Command Base WIP

Quick update on my brigade command base featuring Maj. General Alasdair MacColla, near legendary commander of the Irish Brigade. The Litko 60mm round bases arrived last night so settled on final layout and finished up the new flags.

I was thinking of adding a Covenanter casualty model behind MacColla as well as some detritus of battle (helmet, musket etc) but it just looked too busy so will likely stick with just the big man and his personal standard bearers.

The flags are speculative, but the designs use symbols common in the contemporary 17th century heraldry of the MacDonalds and other west coast clans with links across the water to Ulster. The yellow flag depicts 'the black galley' common in ancient West highland heraldry, especially amongst the MacDonalds and MacDougalls, the descendants of Somerled. It is typically taken as a representation of power and is also linked to the Lordship of the Isles. 

The white sheet depicts the infamous "red hand of Ulster", a symbol linked to Ulster since at least the 16th century, and common amongst the heraldry of the O'Neill family. It is also found in west highland heraldry especially amongst the MacDonalds. 

There is no evidence that flags like these were carried by MacColla, or that they even existed, but both seem like fitting motifs for the Ulster-backed MacDonald. I can't claim this as an original idea, it is actually borrowed from a description of MacColla in Nigel Tranter's "Montrose: Captain General". Although Tranter puts a white galley on a black sheet. I changed this to a black galley on a yellow sheet to be consistent with references to MacColla's colours at Auldearn, and to be faithful to West highland heraldry.

Will post the finished command base soon, together as well as the flag sheets. 

Flags for the Irish Brigade III

Below are the flags I used for my latest Irish unit, MacColla's Lifeguard. They are another pair of flags from the 12 listed in the contemporary "True Informer" news sheet (1644). There are no contemporary illustrations of the flags, so layout and imagery are based entirely on the True Informer descriptions. 

All of the colours are thought to have featured a red saltire on a yellow field in the canton, and the Royal Crown and cypher (CR), together with the latin motto "Vivat Carolus Rex", or "Long Live King Charles". There is often debate about the use of a red saltire on a yellow field in the canton of the Irish flags. This is based upon a suggestion by Hayes McCoy in his book on Irish flags that the cross was actually an Irish cross. This is often accompanied by an assertion that the saltire was not used as an Irish national flag in the mid-17th century. However Young, in Emblematic Tradition (3), reckons Father Wadding, whose description Hayes McCoy cites, may be describing earlier flags or prototypes, whereas the eye-witness reporting in the True Informer saw the actual colours. There is also plenty of evidence for contemporary or earlier use of the red saltire (and note this is not a burgundy cross mis-described) in Ireland by 1640,s and 50's. Click on this link for more info – yes its wiki, but there are good citations. 

It is most unfortunate that none of the contemporary Scottish chroniclers bothered to describe the flags they saw the Irish carrying at Auldearn, or Aberdeen (Spalding, where are you when we need you!), and so like Stuart Reid, I have chosen to favor the True Informer descriptions.

 The first colour is a white sheet with "a blood red cucifix". There is no illustration of the flag, so the cross with the gold light flare is my own interpretation. The motto on this sheet is "AEQUUM EST PRO CHRISTO MORI", which translates as "It is just to die for Christ". When I made this flag I made a spelling mistake so AEQUUM is AQUUM. doh!

The second is a yellow sheet, with "the resurrection of christ". No illustration of the original flag design exists but I have based the picture on the famous illustration by Graham Turner in the Osprey "Scots Armies of the English Civil Wars", written by Stuart Reid (Men-at-Arms 331). The motto on this sheet is "EXURGAT DEUS DISSIPENTUR INIMICI", which translates as "Let God arise and let His enemies be scattered". The motto is incorrect in Reid's book, but I had made the flags before I discovered about the error, so my flag reads "EXURGAT DEUS DISSIPEXTUR". Easily fixed with a dab of paint or pixels.

I chose to include this iconic flag with Lifeguard as one of the contemporary chroniclers describes MacColla as being accompanied with a yellow flag at Auldearn. This may have also have been the King's Standard, which Wishart reports that MacColla carried to distract the Covenanter attack at Auldearn while Montrose was busy getting the rest of the foot in order.

As previously, both flags were made in photoshop, and printed on good quality paper. They were subsequently entirely re-painted, to give them the hand-painted look. They were cut out, folded and glued to a 6 cm steel pin using superglue. At the same time the paper was glued together using a glue stick. The flag was then folded by rolling gently around a paint brush handle while the glue is still wet, and once dry was cut using scissors to give a more ragged campaign look.

I have some alternate Flags for MacColla's Lifeguard which are of a more Highland/Ulster flavour. I will use these on a MacColla command base for Pike and Shotte. I have also put taken a few WIP shots of these flags and will share all this once the command base is complete (I am just waiting on the bases from Litko). 

The flags for my first Irish Regiment can be found here.

The flags for my second Irish Regiment can be found here.

Descriptions of all 12 of the Irish colours, including the latin motto with translation can be found in "The English Emblematic Tradition (3): Emblematic Flag Devices of the English Civil Wars, 1642-1660" by Alan R. Young (Ed.). This excellent tome can also be previewed online at Google Books. The flags are also described by Stuart Reid in "Scots Armies of the C17th. III: The Royalist Armies, 1639-46" (published by Partizan Press). 

MacColla's Lifeguard ready to take the field

Managed to get some time to complete the flags and basing so MacColla's chosen men are ready for battle. Didn't get time to set up a proper photo shoot on the table with scenery (maybe later), which is a shame as last week I also painted up 3 new houses for the village of Auldearn that would have made a great back drop.

I have included MacColla in the unit accompanied by a trusty bodyguard armed with lochaber axe. He is based separately so can be removed if he is not with his lifeguard. I am also preparing a separate MacColla command base for 'Pike and Shotte', using my other MacColla model so he can also make an appearance in his more typical role as brigade commander.

The lifeguard is made up of a mix of highland and Irish shot, representing MacColla's most trusted Irish veterans and Hebridean clansmen. I have chosen to represent the unit as a kind of 'elite' commanded shot, rather than as traditionally armed highlanders with claymore's etc, although I have given one personal bodyguard figure a lochaber axe, and he is based with MacColla.

Most figures are Eureka ECW Irish and Highlanders. There are also four Perry figures; the two Ensigns, the Irish Captain with pistol, and the Irish musketeer in floppy hat.

The lifeguard companies were picked from amongst the 3 regiments of the Irish brigade, and Reid in his Osprey on Auldearn estimates there were about 140 men in the unit at the battle. At 1:10 this is 14 figures, and the unit can be fielded as a "standard" sized shot unit. Some play testing will determine whether or not this unit should be fielded as commanded Irish shot with 'elite 4+' or as the hard bastards included in the Scots Royalist army list in the 'Pike and Shotte' rule book, which should be fielded as a 'small' sized unit.

For flags this unit gets another couple of Irish sheets from the True Informer list, including the famous yellow sheet featured in the Osprey MAA on Scots in the English Civil War. As usual, I will share the flags on the blog, with more info as soon as I get some time to post them.

Finally, this is the unit in their new movement tray, made from the GW plastic tray kit. The tray still needs to be painted and textured.

Next unit up on painting table is Gordon of Monymore's Regt, they are the black primed figures in the background, and then onto the Gordon Horse...

50 Shades of Grey - Findlatter's WIP 2

Couple of shots of Findlatter's.  Been working on these through the summer, in addition to getting Halket's Horse done.

Only got the standards to do and then finish up the basing.  Once thats done will get them photographed and written up.

Been a labour of love but happy with how they came out.  After Halket's its a toss up between Buchan's and Seaforth's Highlander's.  After that I'm done - June next year - hopefully before then....

Took this just before I finished the command.

No pikes yet - before I worked out the basing outline

Pikes added and shote added - standards to go.