discussion The Defence of Rorke's Drift. 22/23rd January 1879 (Revisited)

[spanner570]

The surviving defenders have been forced back to a final small perimeter by the storehouse.

Members might remember my original model of this battle which I constructed back in 2015.
Since then I've had a long standing urge to add more Zulus to a section which always looked a bit devoid of figures.
A few weeks ago my wife surprised me with a further 100 of the excellent Esci 1/72 Zulus.

I've placed some here and there to fill in some gaps, but the vast majority of newcomers are concentrated on the left of the diorama.

Because some of you good people might have seen the original, I've kept the photos to a minimum just to show the result with the additional figures.

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The over-run kraal.
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A more pleasing balance of the figures. Marvelous invention these 'er drones!
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The present Mrs. Ron has just looked over my shoulder and informed me that I have to build the burnt out hospital to finish this off. I daren't argue, so.....

Cheers all and thanks for looking.
Ron

 

[Jim R]

Hi Ron
That is one very busy dio. Looks great. If SWMBO requests a hospital then you had better get building.
Jim

 

[Gern]

C'mon Ron - admit it! You were there and you're doing this from memory - right? There's no other way you could get such a vivid picture of what it was like!

 

[spanner570]

Jim and Gern - Thank you both for your excellent posts.

C'mon Ron - admit it! You were there and you're doing this from memory - right?

Dave (Big Box) Gern.
I know we all would like maximum longevity on this mortal coil, but I think your suggestion might be a tad over enthusiastic!

 

[minitnkr]

AMAZING. I remember bits of the original film. Wasn't their a remake more recently? PaulE

 

[Mini Me]

It is a terrific piece of work. You have captured the moment most effectively. And by all means carry on with the extension.
Cheers, Rick H.

 

[Gern]

Jim and Gern - Thank you both for your excellent posts.



Dave (Big Box) Gern.
I know we all would like maximum longevity on this mortal coil, but I think your suggestion might be a tad over enthusiastic!

Let's see now. If you were just a young drummer boy who lied about his age on enlistment, you'd have been about 12 years old. That would make your year of birth 1867. So that would make you ..........

OK. Point taken!

 

[Guest]

Fantastic Ron.

 

[spanner570]

Thanks everyone for your great posts.
I know it's a re-hash, I just thought it might be of interest now the extra figures have been added.

Cheers.
Ron

 

[Guest]

Superb Ron:smiling3:.

 

[Jon Heptonstall]

The drone shot looks great.Every body piling up at the barricade.
Jon.

 

[scottie3158]

Ron,
I remember this the first time round and it was an excellent build then but with the additions you have made it is even better.

 

[Guest]

This truly is a work of love, your dedication has to be admired. How long did you spend on it.

 

[spanner570]

How long did you spend on it.

Thank you for the nice post. To be honest Robert I have no idea how long it took to build. With there being so many figures I just went back to it when my eyesight returned to normal and did a bit more painting.

Edit - I've just had a look at my past build threads and I see this one took just over a year to complete back in 2014/15. Then there was this latest additional 100 more Zulus. But keep in mind this was an on and off sort of build, not constant.

Thanks again for your compliments.

Ron

 

[Ian M]

I thought that the first one was pretty fantastic Ron, then you go and pull this one on us...Bloody marvellous old chum.
I was just thinking how wonderful the whole caboodle would look in a glass top coffee table. something I am sure you could cobble together out int'barn

 

[spanner570]

Thanks Ian.
I think I'll need something stronger than a glass topped coffee table. Guess what?........

An hour ago whilst messing in my den I knocked the dio. off it's precarious three foot high shelf. (I knew I would eventuallyI) Did he move it earlier? - NO!
So now I have dozens of figures and countless spears and shields etc. to re-glue. Luckily the stores building remained stuck down.

Take a letter Miss Jones. DO IT NOW!

 

[stona]

A chap called Lee Finnegan posted this picture of a grave marker which he found in Witton cemetery in North Birmingham (sort of between Dudley and Sutton Coldfield).

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I suppose they must be there among the red coats!

Cheers

Steve

 

[spanner570]

Thanks Steve.
Robert Cole was killed as he tried to escape from the hospital he was defending when it was overrun by the attackers. I can't find anything about Pte. Parry - yet.

Thanks for the input.
Ron

 

[Guest]

Looks good. Does adding the hospital mean you have to rearrange the figures or add more?

 

[Mini Me]

More Zulus? I'm in! 570 loves Zulus. 453 get the matches! :tongue-out3::tongue-out::tongue-out2: