Amongst the various forces of the free state there is much variety so much so that some wags on both sides have labelled the LFS forces ‘the 57 varieties’ army after the famous Heinz advertising slogan.
The Military Council of the Free state is aware of the weaknesses this variety engenders in the LFS forces as well as the espirit de corps it produces. With that in mind the LFS has experimented in bunching similar militias battalions in Divisions. Some of these are purely a local area command – so the Bootle or say Aigburth Divisions are just a cluster of the Local Defence Volunteers and other militias from the area with a chain of command put in place for them to follow (or ignore.) Others are more like proper Divisions designed to be moved to were the city needs them most. The ‘Celtic Tigers’ Division was the first example of this.
A second is the Cosmopolitan Division which is made up of ethnic minority militias from across the city. Various figures are on order but the eventual make up should look something like this.
Division HQ
Ex-Regular General Stand & Staff in cars
Sir Godfrey Parcelington MC (an old Colonial Colonel type rescued from gathering dust in the venerable Athenaeum Club)
Division Assets
‘C’ Battery Liverpool Artillery ex-regulars with soviet guns (Major Terrance Smith)
Cosmopolitan Hussars mixed and varied volunteer cavalry (uniforms a mix of all sorts) (Major Michael Stamp)
Cosmpolitan Support Battalion HMGs, Mortars, AT Guns w Crew & trucks (Major David Caine)
1st (Black Panthers) Brigade
Brigadier Lionel Lethbridge & Staff HQ (Mounted)
The Brigade name was actually selected to mimic the ‘Celtic Tigers’ by Brigaider Lethbridge a former TA Major, Importer from South America, naturualist and big game hunter.
Jamacia Street Rifles
Lt Colonel Bill Lara
The flag is a combination of the liverpool Tricolour and the Ethiopian one whose colours of red, gold and green where just starting to have pan-African associations. Riflemen will tend to wear civilian dress with a LFS tricolour arm band though the ‘checkered banner’ might appear in the hatband patches, as collar tabs ,scarves or ties amongst more dapper militia men.
Figure wish we have some bolt action armed ‘AK47 Republic’ militia figures we’ve been using but I hope to gradually replace these with more 1930s garbed troops (flat caps etc;)
All-Indian LFS Volunteers
Lt Colonel Hardeep Rampakash
A combined force of Indian seamen Indian volunteers who think fighting in the British Civil War will secure Indian independence this force has little local connections. It has small number of former Indian Army viceroy commissioned and Rajah’s officers who give it discipline and a command structure. It is a strange combination of jobbing seamen, pro-liberation intellectuals and former Indian Army sepoys acting as mercenaries. Combined with the sheer variety of the Indian population reflected in its ranks it’s a heady mix with its own combination of discipline and morale problems. However it fends alright.
The units banner is a another checkered affairs based on the All-India Congress flag adopted in 1927 combined with the Liverpool Tricolour.
The All-India Volunteers have acquired a fair number of Indian army uniforms wear the Liverpool Tricolour armband with that or in some cases civilian dress. I’m going to man them with a combination of Indian 1914 Peter Pig Figures and some civilian ones.
2nd (Orient) Brigade
Brigadier Samuel Stewart and Staff (on horse back)
King David Legion
Lt Colonel Saul Caller
Some of the Jewish population of Liverpool have banded together much like the Irish when forming their battalions though many have been drawn to other local or party forces. 3 ‘King David Legion’ Battalions exist though at least one is deployed to protect the Jewish areas of the city from other militias. One is deployed with the Cosmopolitan Division though with some resentment. It is thought the arrangement is one that see’s the KDB get some beneficial supplies from the Council or the price for the other battalions autonomy.
A conventional western dressed militia though if I can find evidence of ‘Ultra-Orthodox’ jews fighting I might try and introduce some variety in ACW frock coat and broad hat figures but I know in the current area many don’t serve with the IDF in Israel so suspect it’s unlikely. Normal tricolour armbands.
Berry Street Irregulars
Lt Colonel Larry Yip
Liverpool’s Chinese population goes back many years and is supplemented by Chinese seamen. traditionally the Chinese community lived closer to the docks but BUF bombing has driven them back to Berry Street. Despite the conflict in China sufficient forces have been mobilised from the community to fight in its defence. However the City fathers have persuaded the community to put it at the City’s disposal.
The banner is a normal liverpool flag with the KMT sun (ruling party of China and current Chinese state symbol.)
I’m hoping to use bolt action armed vietcong for these caps from peter pigs range. A combination of conical hats, short brimmed soft hats (hoping can paint to look like battered fedoras and homburgs) and bareheaded troops with sober European colours and the odd vivid silk might get a nice effect. Wear the usual liverpool tricolour armband.
Merseyside Musselmen Milita
Sir Bernard Turtledove or Turtledove Pasha as he was known when in service to the Sultan – is an old Eastern hand. He is also a native Liverpudlian and suitably filled with local patriotism. On the commencing his City’s efforts to resist the Blackshirts Turtledove pasha took to recruiting his own militia made up of Bashi Bazooks, Ghazis, Pushtans and bandits he had known through his long career – or at least their grandsons and bastard grandsons. Together with some ’pinching’ from the All-India Battalion he has a small if fierce force at his disposal.
The Pasha’s fortune has secured French ’horizion bleau’ cloth for his mens uniforms, a force of ex-Indian and French colonial army NCO mercenaries to give his force backbone and plenty of ammunition for practice. he won’t deface his uniforms with the liverpool tricolour though as the unit banner incorporates it and is worn as a shoulder patch it would perhaps be excessive. Headgear is amix of Fez, turbans, helmets and Arab headdresses.
