By Request

This is John Norris's Introduction to the Seven Years War article (Part 1) from Wargamer's Monthly magazine. So far it is uncertain that there ever was a part two, which is a shame as it would have covered the figures, rules and books available in 1977 for this conflict.

Lost magazines - Wargamer's Monthly

Thanks to Harry for this curiosity - does anyone remember it? Edited by Sean O'Hogan, it was an attempt at a glossy wargames magazine, published in 1977. This is the only copy I have ever seen. Does anyone know any more, and whether it ever made it to a second issue? The editorial and list of contents are shown below.

Redcoat - review from Battle Magazine April 1977

Some interesting views on boardgames, campaigns and supposed differences between British and US wargaming in this review by Tony Bath (I think).

Thanks to DC of Unfashionably Shiny for the scan.

Vintage Wargaming Jackdaw!: Wargaming in Ireland starts fight with Peace and Disarmament Committee, November 1977

Anyone remember Jackdaws? They were folders containing facsimile documents about historical events. There must have been a fair few - I have a copy of the Peninsular War one, which lists 115 titles plus 24 Canadian Jackdaws. Of these, quite a few had military connections - if there is interest I may try to research further for a separate post.

My attempt at a Vintage Wargaming Jackdaw concerns a controversial meeting of the Wargamers Association of Trinity College Dublin in November 1977. My thanks to Conrad Kinch of Joy and Forgetfulness and his wife's uncle, who collected this original material. I should probably point out that the issue was really about NATO and possible Irish membership, rather than wargaming per se.

I think the material represents the views of both sides.

Omdurman June 1977

It seems to be Battle Report Week on VW this week so here is another, from Wargamer's Newsletter #189 of December 1977. It presents a June 1977 wargame of Omdurman put on by the Wargame Study Group of the Victorian Military Society at the Aldershot Army Show in June that year. The players were Staurt Asquith, Jack Alexander, and Ted Herbert, with Dave Langley umpiring.

(By the way, if anyone has a spare copy of Ted Herbert's Handbook for Colonial Wargamers I have been looking for one for several years...)

More David Barnes - the Battle of St Hilary 1808

This Napoleonic battle report appeared in Wargamer's Newsletter 187 in October 1977

An English Civil War Encounter, by David Barnes, Wargamer's Newsletter #184 July 1977

The earlier posts about Bill Holmes' campaign diary and Ed Saunders' commissioning of water colours from his table top battles put me in mind of this lovingly illustrated battle report by David Barnes from Wargamer's Newsletter July 1977.

Siege Warfare - Siege of Dendermonde, by Ron MIles, in Battle Magazone

Shortly after the discovery of Christopher Duffy's Fire & Stone in the local lending library, Battle Magazine for Wargamers published a series of articles on a massive siege wargame run in Southampton by Ron Miles. This was a Marlburian siege, illustrated with photographs of the town set up, some rather lovely S range figures, and maps and plans of the town.


Henry Hyde has built a pdf containing all these articles which is available for download from the Battlegames website here.

The Hinchliffe Guide to Wargaming May 1977

The Hinchliffe Guide to Wargaming was a small grey covered booklet published by Frank Hinchliffe in 1977. Ny copy also has a one page insert of a set of Rules for Medieval Warfare by John Sharples.

Ian Hinds of Hinds Figures Ltd, who now owns Hinchliffe Models, has kindly given his permission for me to post the booklet here, and John Sharples has agreed for his rules to be posted. They will be next.

Personalities on Parade

In the late 1970s Battle Magazine published a series of interviews by Don Featherstone of well known wargamers, under the title Personalities on Parade. I posted the interview with Neville Dickinson on the Lone S Ranger, and Doug has posted the Peter Gilder one on Unfashionably Shiny. I have just posted the Bill Lamming interview on the Old Metal Detector, and thought it might be useful to have all three, plus the George Gush piece, in the same place. They are posted below.

Personalities on Parade: Neville Dickinson