Clive Ward

Updated donations

Thanks to Rosie Gibbons at Combat Stress our fund raising tool has been updated.  It seems I'd paid it in to a general fund rather than the fund attached to this page. Doh!

THANK YOU!!

A big THANK YOU to everyone who has donated their time and money to help raise funds for COMBAT STRESS CHARITY.

80 years ago today

At 11.01 pm May 8th 1945 Central European Time, 10.01 in London, marked the formal end to hostilities in Europe.  However, Prime Minister Churchill announced the end of the war via a BBC broadcast at 03.00pm the same day.

Paid in

Yesterdays funds are in despite it not showing on the page!!

A close run thing...

This game took six rounds but the stubborn veteran paras slowly beat down Rommel's Afika Corps and took the table.  

Plentiful Rosie Lea

It's thirsty work playing bolt action to raise funds for combat stress!

Games raise £££s

Two of the three gaming tables

Brew and Bake Day raised £65.75

Flag and ballon welcome

OUR Brew and Bake DAY Surpasses our GOAL!

IT happened!  The event at Miniatures Singles was a great success with customers and neighbours all chipping in.  We raised sixty five pounds seventy five pence in cash donations!!!

The eve of Brew and Bake

Just One Year

Despite the disaster of Slapton Sands less than a week earlier, on May 4, 1944, Allied forces conducted a full-scale rehearsal for D-Day, known as Exercise Fabius, along the English coast.  Mimicking Sword, Juno, Gold, and Omaha, the troops themselves were unaware the proposed locations.  This was the largest amphibious training exercise ever held.  And yet, twelve months later,  May 4th 1945, at 18:30 British Double Summertime, at Lűneberg Heath, south of Hamburg , British Field Marshal Sir Bernard Montgomery accepted the unconditional surrender of the German forces in the Netherlands , northwest Germany including all islands, in Denmark and all naval ships in those areas. The surrender preceded the end of World War II in Europe and was signed in a carpeted tent at Montgomery's headquarters on the Timeloberg hill at Wendisch Evern. 

Preparations for VE Day

Today at Miniatures Singles we prepared three 4ft x 4ft tables ready for our Brew and Bake fundraiser on Tuesday.  One Jungle,  one desert, and one flat beach, should anyone fancy a quick skirmish.  We also dressed a table for cakes and drinks plus red, white and blue balloons.  More importantly customers generously donated to the cause raising more cash for Combat Stress.  We thank them and look forward to a fun day on Tuesday 6th from 3pm until late evening

Raising the flag over Berlin

May 1st

Here we are in May and the countdown begins for VE Day. On May 1st, 1945, the BBC announced the death of Adolf Hitler, who had committed suicide in his Berlin bunker. Meanwhile the U.S. Seventh Army reached Hitler's birthplace, Braunau am Inn, Austria and German troops began to co-operate with the western allies.  Grand Admiral Karl Dönitz endeavoured to paint a picture of national bereavement, he proclaimed: 'our Führer… has fallen. In the deepest sorrow and respect, the German people bow.

Wadja mean? 500 points?

I've been mentioning Bolt Action 500 point army, skirmish and tables as if everyone knows what I'm going on about.  However, just in case folk pop along for a Brew and Bake at Miniatures Singles next week and are confused by a skirmishing bolt action table, here's a very quick explanation.

One 2nd Lieutenant with pistol or Sub Machine Gun (SMG) 

 plus one soldier with SMG                                                             60pts

Three 10-man units of  Regular Infantry: 

Comprising 1 SMG, 8 Rifles, 1 Light MG -(120pts each).                360pts           

One Light Mortar team -                                                                 35pts                

One Boys Anti-tank team -                                                                 30pts                        

Extra information

• British National characteristic. =Rapid Fire - 

      Points total: 485

Now the thing to remember, amongst many things, is that a light machine gun uses two figures.  So your ten man unit is effectively  seven rifles plus one rifleman assisting the light machine gunner.  Led by NCO with smg. Equalling ten men.  See the photo.

Not a happy union

In April 1945 Berlin was falling under relentless Russian pressure.  The western allies were further west around the agreed upon stop line, the Elbe river, approximately 118 km from Berlin.  Meanwhile on 29th April, ensconced in his bunker, Adolf Hitler married his long term girlfriend Eva Braun and wrote his last Will.

Slapton Sands

28th April 1944: Operation Tiger, also known as Exercise Tiger, was.a disastrous pre D-Day training exercise held on Slapton Sands in Devon.   The exercise involved 30,000 American troops practicing a landing, but it was struck by a German E-boat attack, resulting in significant casualties, including over 700 deaths. The incident was kept secret for decades 

Imagine being involved in atraumatic incident and not having it recognised and therefore unable to obtain treatment.  Even after VE Day.

Join us at @miniaturessingles for our Brew and Bake Celebration on th 6th May to raise funds for @Combat Stress.

Fall of Saigon

On 27th April 1975, fifty years ago today, rockets fell on Saigon. Launched by the North Vietnamese this heralded the fall of Saigon on 30th April 1975.  Effectively unifying Vietnam and ending the decades long conflict.

Colonies

Although May 8th is Victory in Europe day the hostilities had encompassed North Africa. Troops, as in the First World War, were drawn from the colonies.  Even though France had fallen in 1940 many if her troops continued to fight.

• French Expeditionary Corps (FEC):

  The FEC, a major component of the Free French forces, comprised roughly 112,000 men, with colonial units (Moroccan and Algerian troops) making up about 60% of its strength. The FEC participated in the Italian campaign, demonstrating considerable operational mobility in mountainous terrain.  And In August 1944, the FEC, along with other Free French forces, was involved in Operation Dragoon, the Allied invasion of southern France, contributing to the liberation of Toulon and Marseille.

  #VEDay @miniaturessingles @combatstress

 

Ladies! Please!

Women accounted for between 12 and 25 percent of all Resistance members, according to Laurent Douzou, a history professor at Lumiere Lyon-11 university.  And yet only six women have been honoured as Companions of the Liberation  -- compared with 1,038 men.

This mysogeny worked in their favour as women were not considered brave enough or clever enough to be a threat.  They would carry messages, transport weapons in baby carriages, and escort allied combatants to safety.  it wasn't until 2015 that women's substantial contribution to the resistance was recognised.

We will have a skirmish table available at Miniatures Singles Brew and Bake for VE Day and Combat Stress Charity on the 6th May.  Fancy leading some partisans on a vital mission?  Bring upto  500pts army for a spot of Bolt Action.

Remembering

St George's Day...not

Back to Normandy today for St Georges Day.  Although, the celebrations have been moved to the 28th by the Church because a Saint cannot be celebrated in the week after Easter.

Happy Easter

The weather is nothing to write about and the world news isn't much better.  However, my sojourn into the Pacific Theatre modelling has resulted in this Japanese type 91 105mm howitzer of one of the scenarios we are planning to provide @miniaturessingles on the 6th May.  Obviously not the Victory in Europe, 8th May 1945, but the table will be a reminder that while we were celebrating at home,  the conflict continues in the East.  I'll be adding more European themed models over the next few weeks.  In the meantime, thank you for your support and continued interest in this worthy charity

Cake

I'm really pleased and humbled that our friend Scotty will be baking cakes for sale at the Brew and Bake VE Day event,  I'm busy building and painting scenery for the games tables should anyone fancy a game of Bolt Action as well as a cuppa and cake.  Pete is sorting the web and advertising.  And the fund has started to increase already!  Very exciting.

Why I'm supporting

Three generations of family service.

I am hosting a Combat Stress Brew and Bake Event!

To celebrate the 80th anniversary of VE Day this year, I will be hosting a Brew and Bake coffee event at Miniatures Single shop in Aylestone to raise vital funds for life-changing mental health treatment for veterans.  There will also be tables available for Bolt Action from 3pm till late on May 6th with all drinks, cake and tea purchased during the event going towards the charity.  So bring down a 500 pts skirmish force and join in at;

Miniatures Singles

Unit 5 

Leatherline House Business Centre, 

71 Narrow Lane, Leicester.  

LE2 8NA 

Combat Stress is the UK's leading charity for veterans' mental health.  As a charity, their records show that we supported veterans from the Second World War right up until 2016. But it’s not just Second War World veterans who turned to them for help. In the 80 years since VE Day, Combat Stress has supported thousands of former military personnel who’ve experienced military trauma, helping them to tackle their past and take on the future.

Please support me in my efforts to raise money for such a worthwhile cause.  Anything you can give towards my event will help Combat Stress provide life-changing mental health treatment to veterans today.

Thank you so much.