First up is the Brig, commanding his troops from the front.
Next up is the first section of Infantry, still in Greens, they are painted as members of the Royal Green Jackets.
Then 2 section, in Jungle DPM.
Figures are Mystic SPirals (including the Brig), Gripping Beasts MoFo range and Mongrel Miniatures. They still need badges on the sleeves (divisional etc) but otherwise are finished.
Fllowing the 50’s/60’s feel the British Forces fighting the Mekon on Venus are organised in the same way as the British Army of the Rhine, hence the BAOV acronym.
I have been working on the shoulder flash for them, and my two lead contenders are shown below.
Ok a few work in progress teaser shots to keep you happy!
Showing the Fire Belt Raider force under construction.
Then a TSR2 in flight.
And lastly 1/600 (3mm) Tanks, Artillery and FV432.
With this project I wanted the whole thing to feel very British, possibly stereotypical British.
So the sources are Dan Dare, Gerry Anderson, HG Wells, Battle/Action and 2000ad comics and of course the greats of British televised SF, Quatermass and Dr Who (Blakes 7 also gets an honourable mention as well).
I want a world where Treens can battle Daleks and Cybermen, Martians in their huge walkers or with 4 arms from Edgar Rice Burroughs, and of course somewhere in all this mix, 50’s British with stiff upper lips. I want 50’s and early 60’s rather than the Swinging London and Beatles mid to late era 60’s, even if some of the kit I have purloined for them to be using is as late as 1970s.
Following this through I now have in 28mm and 1/50, Daleks (Dr Who magazine) British (Mongrel, Mystic SPirals and Mofo), GI troopers (from 2000ad’s Rogue Trooper)(Games Workshop Catachans amd a female Squad will come from Shadowforge), vehicles from ebay via corgi, Centurions and Saladins so far although they will get Saracen and Stalwart converted as well, Landrovers from TAG and other stuff to come from S&S (FV432’s, L109 light guns, Scorpions and Scimitars and Samsons etc). I am even equipping a Matchbox Bentley for Major Easy to become Brigadier Easy :). Treens are Games Workshop Orks, Huge Martian Walkers are being scratchbuilt as will a lot of other kit. The lead mountain is now mostly assembled, just need to get cracking painting it.
In 1/600th I have assembled airforce units for the RAF and I am using certain Germany luftwaffe 1946 designs for the Mekons forces as I want them all based on flying wing designs. Also in 1/600th I have used Oddsal Osmeys moderns to build a company of British Mechanised Infantry and a Company of Centurions as well as ancillery bits and pieces for them (Land Rovers are doubling up for lots of other vehicles at the moment!).
To be honest I haven’t had this much fun on a project for ages. 🙂
With the interplanetary ships provided by the Renegade Treen allies, Britain soon launches small scientific expedition to Mars. Professor Allan Quatermass leads the party to be the first humans onto the surface of the Red Planet. Their Treen allies have warned them that something dangerous lives there, and that none of their own ships have returned, but the British press on regardless.
After landing in late 1958 the mission goes well for several days, with rock samples and various other tests being done. And then the Martians appear, clad in great metallic warmachines they seek to destroy the invaders of their planet.
The Scientific team however manages to escape by the skin of their teeth and is chased almost to the Moonbase itself before the Martians break off pursuit. It is an ominous warning that Wells did not just write fiction, and now we are out in space that the War of the Worlds might be just beginning…
The jungle planet of Venus has been ruled for over 200 years by the absolute dictator Mekon. He controls the Northern Jungle zone completely and most of the southern Jungles having crossed the Fire Barrier.
There is still some resistance to his rule deep in the Southern Jungles, and rebel factions have managed to escape to Mars where they hold a small but well defended foothold.
In early 1958 a secret Commonwealth base was made in these Southern reaches and a Commonwealth force has slowly been building up in secret.
It is hoped that in 1959 when the Sky Carrier Atlee is ready for deployment in the skies of Venus that the Commonwealth forces and their Rebel Treen allies will take the attack to the Mekons forces.
(Note: in canon Dan Dare, the southern reaches are inhabited by Therons, who are effectively humans, so I have decided they were lost a while back in the Mekons drive for control of the planet)
The Treen are a large bulky muscular race, those under the Mekons direct control are rigidly disciplined and controlled and show little or no emotion or independance. The Southern Rebels have a greater spirit and capacity for doing the unexpected and have been able to hold off the Mekon, but they never had the forces or the manufacturing capacity to do much more than hang on and survive. With the coming of their new Commonwealth Allies this has changed and there is a new hope for the these downtrodden people.
(Treen in SPACE: 1959 will be played by Orks from Games Workshop)
More information on Mekon, Treen and Therosn is here: http://www.dandare.org.uk/MekonDynasty12.htm
Space: 1959
It all started at the end of WW2, by 1950 Britain is getting back on its feet. Its the dawn of a Golden Age- there is a new young Queen, Elizabeth II and the scientific windfall of the wars has been accelerated, if Heath Robbinsonish technology. Britain has stayed out of the Great Soviet War, but this conflict continues to devestate mainland europe, Asia and North America. Refugee scientists boost resurgent British science, while increasing trade through the Empire/Commonwealth builds the necessary finance.
Britains trade as a result of the Great Soviet War rapidly increases. As moves from Empire to Commonwealth cannot economically or ethically be resisted it is decided that Britain must exploit new opportunities and build a new Empire by seizing the initiative in the space race
1952 sees rockets launching satelites and the first man in space
1955 Britain plants the Union Jack on the moon
1958 The start of the first British Space station
It is also the year 1958 that the opportunity of a lifetime falls to the British and their Commonwealth allies in the space program. Renegade factions on the Jungle planet of Venus make contact with the small Moonbase, to seek an alliance against the Ruling despot and Dictator Mekon. Britain sends the adventurer Dan Dare to negotiate with them and soon the offer of trade concessions and land for a Venus Base is made in return for Military assistance and Hardware. A new expansion opportunity awaits and Britain grabs it with both hands, soon a small BEF is in place on the jungle planet, covered by adapted planes from the RAF and the building of the first of the Churchill class Sky Carriers.
With help on system travel from their new allies it is time for the Union Jack to to go the planets, a new era awaits…
SPACE: 1959 
