This page showcases my contribution to one of the Friday Night Fusiliers International battalions.

THE FRIDAY NIGHT FUSILIERS? ... WHO? ... WHAT? ...

The Friday Night Fusiliers (click on the name to go there if you’re the nosey type!) is a Yahoo group of fellow wargaming enthusiasts. It started as a local (Wellington, New Zealand) thing but quickly became international with members in Australia, America, the UK, and continental Europe as well as elsewhere in New Zealand and who knows where else. I have met many wargamers via ‘The Fusiliers’ as it is often referred to in abbreviated form. Many I am now proud to call friends.

At some stage one particularly sadistic Fusilier (I think it was Fusilier Mike MacGillivray from the US) suggested that it would be a good idea if The Fusiliers created a battalion where different Fusiliers painted a company each. All the companies would be congregated together somewhere, based, photographed and published on the net to general world wide acclaim etc. Additionally the battalion could go to war and be used for gaming so that it’s feats of military prowess (or otherwise) would rain reflected glory and fame (or otherwise!) upon The Fusiliers. Fortunately the suggestion spurred much discussion, but very little action!!

I was saved. It takes me all my time to paint my own figures, let alone figures that I would just give away!!!

Then the idea resurfaced. That Fusilier Mike chap again I think. And this time the idea stuck ... and was taken up with a reckless enthusiasm by some. It was agreed that the battalion(s) would be Napoleonic French line infantry in the post 1812 ‘Bardin’ uniform. The figures would be from Front Rank and would be in the marching pose, four figures per company. Fusiliers could apply via a poll for which company they wished to model. Such was the unruly rush for companies that I believe two Fusilier Battalions are to be created. Nutters!!!!!    8O)

I chose the second fusilier company (sky blue pompons). I wanted a less regimented look and something a little different so I ordered a fusilier in greatcoat, a fusilier with covered shako, a fusilier taking a sip from his canteen and a fusilier advancing head turned to look at the aforementioned drinking fusilier. All are in campaign dress as opposed to full or parade dress. See them below ...

These are the first Napoleonic French I have ever painted and though I had a general appreciation of their uniform i still had to check several details. Luckily the French army had lots of non standard uniform variants that I could take advantage of, e.g. the piping/trim on the collars should more probably be blue, but could be white ... which stands out much better and is more, errrrr, fun to paint!!!

As well as the four fusiliers I decided that I needed to purchase two more figures to create the world famous Fusilier ADC Peter.

But who is Fusilier ADC Peter?

Being the mature, sensible and fun loving hobbyists that we are the The Fusiliers went through a stage of allocating military ranks or positions to some of The Fusiliers. The group’s founder Roly Hermans became The Fusilier General or as I preferred The Fusilier General Sir!. Along with Eric Veilt (from France) I became a moderator to help Roly administer The Fusiliers. For this both Eric and I became Fusilier ADCs - and for me in particular I became Fusilier ADC Peter.

While chatting about this project with Roly, The Fusilier General Sir! himself, I jokingly raised the idea of creating a Fusilier ADC Peter figure by getting Davouts head (modelled by Front Rank bareheaded with male pattern baldness & glasses) and attaching it to a hussar type figure to create a miniature me (a distinguished looking chap with male pattern baldness and glasses!).

The idea took hold so I duly purchased the Davout figure and a dismounted French horse artillery officer who is dressed in the hussar style with pelisse etc. Fusilier Greg Simmonds was commissioned to perform the head swap, as he enjoys this sort of thing and is rather good at it, and all I had to do was create a uniform. In the end I was quite conservative in uniform choice, as can be seen below, with only several kilograms of gold thread to show that I am a particularly important ADC to a particularly important Fusilier General Sir!

The original idea was for Fusilier ADC Peter to be based with his company, but this has since changed and he is now more likely to be based on the first battalions command stand.

Most of the companies (including these) are now in the possession of The Fusilier General Sir! and will soon be based, photographed etc. They have been recruited in Australia, the US, France, New Zealand, and perhaps other countries I’m unaware of. It will be interesting to see how all the different companies come together.