Preparations for the Battle of Mons, 23 August 1914

I have two areas of interest in wargaming the WWI centenary: early naval actions in the Pacific, Indian Ocean and South Atlantic, and the campaigns on the Western Front. My current project is painting up the forces for the first major action of the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) at Mons, Belgium, on 23 August 1914.

A resource I hope to be calling on for some of the early-war engagements on the Western Front is a little gem I've had on the shelf for years, but never dipped into:

A selection of the 10 fold-out maps in the collection being modelled by my every reliable second in command (my gaming-loving 10 year old girl).

• The First Forty Days 1914. Robertson, Lieutenant - General Sir Horace. Published by Australian Army Headquarters., Melbourne, 1950. A comprehensive study of the first forty days of the war in 1914 on the Western Front. Produced from lectures originally given at the military college at Duntroon.

While the maps are far from detailed, the text accompanying them has some good summaries of troop dispositions and actions.

This is a totally new era for me in war-gaming and I have adopted the Great War Spearhead II ruleset in which a base of troops equals one company. I am gaming in 6mm scale using Irregular Miniatures figures. I had originally planned on using the excellent looking Baccus 6mm Great War range, but due to the proximity of Eureka Miniatures to me (allowing weekly top-up of the unpainted lead pile!), convenience won out over art.

So, the paint brush is working furiously and I have a few pictures to offer of elements of the BEF's 7th Brigade and some divisional artillery (two batteries of 18-pounder field guns).

Two infantry battalions of the 7th Brigade (detail)

Elements of the 7th Brigade, BEF

Two batteries of the Divisional artillery supporting the 7th and 8th Brigades at Mons. Note the spent shell cases next to the gun - quite like how that has turned out (clippings of brass wire).

A huddle of Red Caps: At 7th Brigade HQ - Major General Hamilton drops in to inspect preparations for the defence of Mons (his staff car must have ducked behind some bushes!).

I still have some detailing to do on the field guns and Brigade HQ tent, but they are close to done. They are only iPhone pictures - must improve my photographic abilities for this scale!