CIGARETTE CARD ROYAL NAVY

With the VBCW rumours that the "Bristol Fleet" is even now setting sail, intent on raiding along the coast of Wales, it would be remiss to exclude the Senior Service from the "cigarette card" treatment. Thankfully, blogger "Hatchfive" has already done all the work, in a series of five (very colourful) posts:

Life in the Royal Navy, Part One
Life in the Royal Navy, Part Two
Life in the Royal Navy, Part Three
Life in the Royal Navy, Part Four
Life in the Royal Navy, Part Five

All of these cards provide an insight into the Royal Navy in the 1930s, plus lots of useful modelling information for those adding "sailors" to their VBCW Platoons (hello, Giles), or intent on building a VBCW Fleet. On that note, in Bristol, the question on everyone's lips is whether HMS Woolworth, HMS Argos, or that new BUF Escort Carrier, the Joseph P. Kennedy, will ever make it home....

CIGARETTE CARD RAF

The ubiquitous cigarette cards of the 1930s - then faithfully collected by all small boys and girls of the better sort - now form a useful historical record for the VBCW player. Especially if collected together into the albums issued by the tobacco companies:

John Player's Aircraft of the RAF, published 1938

Blogger "Hatchfive" has kindly scanned all the cards and information from the 1938 RAF Album and published them in a series of links:

Aircraft of the Royal Air Force Part One
Aircraft of the Royal Air Force Part Two (Bombers)
Aircraft of the Royal Air Force Part Three (Fighters)
Aircraft of the Royal Air Force Part 4 (Flying Boats and General Purpose)
Aircraft of the Royal Air Force (RC and Trainers)

These cigarette cards - published in the very year of the VBCW - may provide inspiration for the 2020 Modelling Challenge, "Aircraft and Anti-Everything".

THE 1935 ELECTION - POSTERS

Whether topical or not within the VBCW timeline, Miss Smythe, the Chief Librarian of the Ludlow Public Lending Library, has recently arranged an Exhibition of Political Posters from the 1935 Election, the last election before the outbreak of the Very British Civil War. Those who must endure a British General Election at any point in the future may have cause to be grateful to her:

Stanley Baldwin, the Prime Minister of the "National Government" formed
in 1931 to meet economic challenge of "The Great Crash".
Solid, dependable, reliable - according to Conservative Central Office. 

The National Government had delivered on its promises at the last
General Election. Things could only get better... (prop. T.Blair).

Don't forget "The Housewives Vote" (even if
it's "He" who goes out to work). And always
stay on message - Put the NATION FIRST

Hold on....this one says that I should vote
against the National Government - in the
NATIONAL INTEREST.
Vote Liberal!

A vote for the Liberals is a vote for FREE TRADE.
Lord Samuel says so, and he is a
Very Important Man, you know.

The Labour Party took on the National Government's
"Real Record" (i.e. they're not telling you the truth)

And the National Government responded.
Labour isn't telling you the truth....

...but Labour made clear their own priorities.
Presumably that nasty Mr Baldwin was a
"wanton warmonger"

Nonsense! That nice Mr Baldwin believes
in the League of Nations and World Peace.
Our Word is Our Bond.
(Other countries, of course, may not
 prove quite so reliable.)

Labour promise "no more war" nevertheless.
A stark poster less than 20 years after
the end of "The Great War".

...and just in case you hadn't got the message -
Labour promises to "Stop War".
Everyone else must want to start one....
perhaps even a Civil one?

[Note : the national results of the General Election held on 14th November 1935 are summarised in a previous blogpost, see HERE. Locally, Mr James Thomas of the Conservatives won the Hereford Constituency (18,234 votes), beating Walter Dingley of the Liberals into second place (8,853 votes) with George Clarke of Labour bringing up the rear (2,397 votes)]

Additional Note:

Contemporaneous comment from the Illustrated London News on the General Election Posters.

AUTUMN BIG GAME 2019 - THE FULL NARRATIVE

The full narrative of the Autumn Big Game 2019 ("The Battle of Mortimers Cross") is now up on the Hereford1938AVBCW website - see HERE.

The Bishop wisely sat this one out, leaving it to so called "Government" forces to battle it out with the Red Horde of Colonel Comrade Professor Winters - plus loads of "commercial traffic" and some local farmers!

SPRING BIG GAME 2019 : THE FULL NARRATIVE

A full narrative of the Spring Big Game 2019 - the Second Battle of Shobdon - is now up on the Hereford1938AVBCW Website : see HERE

A triumph for Anglican forces - including the capture of Shobdon Detention Centre and the first successful charge in AVBCW history by the Ludlow Light Lancers!

SPRING BIG GAME 2019 : HMG APPEAL TO SHOBDON LDVs.....

The Spring Big Game 2019 ("Shobdon:Cockpit of History") duly took place on Saturday, 23rd March 2019. Full reports will follow in the usual way, but our AVBCW historians would be remiss if they did not record immediately the written appeal cleverly made by Senior Captain Barrington Maynard (aka Alan), C-in-C Government Forces situated at Shobdon Court, to his Local Defence Volunteers immediately before the battle:

Confidential

To:  Mr Grace (the Younger)                     FROM : Senior Captain Barrington Maynard

        Mr Hodges                                                  North West Regional Commander

        Mr Jones                                                     HMG

                                                                                               

Sir,

The moment of trial is upon us. After months of peace under the benign rule of HM Government, Shobdon is about to be invaded by foreign hordes. The Communist atheists have somehow inveigled the unworldly and gullible Anglicans to join forces and attack Shobdon. However, you may rest assured that His Majesty’s forces will defend your land vigorously against this unwanted and unwarranted aggression, and as commander of those forces I look to you to join me in this task.

I am aware that there has been a certain amount of discord locally, regarding the Bateman claims. I do not pretend to know what the outcome of this case will be, nor when it will be decided. This unlooked for conflict has greatly disrupted all business, including the law, as you well know. What I will say is that only His Majesty’s High Court has the power and authority to pass judgement, not some collection of leftward-leaning bishops, and certainly not the Communist Party.  The Communist teaching is that ‘all property is theft’, which means it would never be granted to any claimant. Indeed, anyone claiming the estate would automatically be identified as a member of the gentry, put up against the nearest wall, and shot! You should also beware of any ‘offers’ from the invaders, as the following intercepted messages show.

TELEGRAM COMINTERN TO WINTERS

MOST IMMEDIATE+ATTACK SHOBDON AUTHORISED. STOP+SEIZE SHOBDON COURT.STOP+DESTROY SHOBDON AIRFIELD. STOP+LIQUIDATE ALL IN SHOBDON INSTRUCTIONAL CENTRE.STOP+ CAPTURE ALL CAPITALIST IMPERIALIST PERSONS PROPERTY SHEEP AND SECRET DOCUMENTS. STOP.+ NO MERCY FOR NON-PROLETARIANS.STOP+NO EXCUSES FOR FAILURE.STOP+LOCAL COMMISSAR PERSONAL INITIATIVE AUTHORISED FOR TEMPORARY TRUCES OR ARRANGEMENTS WITH DECLARED PROLES AS NECESSARY+ FORWARD THE REVOLUTION+ACKNOWLEDGE+ENDIT.

TELEGRAM WINTERS TO COMINTERN

TOP SECRET+ACKNOWLEDGED. STOP+ATTACK SHOBDON AUTHORISED.STOP+NO EXCUSES FOR FAILURE.STOP+CONFIRM TEMPORARY TRUCES OR ARRANGEMENTS AS NECESSARY WITH DECLARED PROLETARIANS. STOP+FORWARD THE REVOLUTION COMRADES+ENDIT.

There are some slanderous tongues that whisper the local LDV is reluctant to fight, or might seek some opportunity to defect. The fate of the traitor Captain Morgan, and the knowledge that any disloyalty to His Majesty would certainly disqualify any claimant, should quash such rumours.

I am confident that you and your men will fight valiantly for your land, and I wish you good luck in the coming ordeal.

Barrington Maynard

SPRING BIG GAME 2019 : SHOBDON COCKPIT OF HISTORY

The Hereford AVBCW Blog (TNG) now contains all the details for the forthcoming SPRING BIG GAME 2019, to be held at the Burley Gate Village Hall, Herefordshire, on Saturday 23rd March 2019 from 10am to 5pm. Head on over to get all the background and arrangements, starting from HERE. News, too, of foreign parts : all the latest from Captain Wilfie Smith and The Forest of Dean AVBCW can be found HERE !!