Kapiti Fusiliers Regiment

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The Kapiti Fusiliers Regiment

by Fusilier Roly Hermans

Never heard of the Kapiti Fusiliers Regiment? Well, that's not surprising really, as it only exists in miniature. Read on, dear reader, and learn more ...

It was Fusilier Mike MacGillivray (an American member of the Friday Night Fusiliers YahooGroup) who started it all. On 20 May 2004 he posted this message:

I'm just musing: What if we collectively selected a line(s) of miniatures, each painted representations of ourselves ... and forwarded them to New Zealand HQ, so that a 'miniature btn.' could be put created and based by, none other, than our Fusilier General?

Perhaps we could even talk Grahame Black into creating a standard for our eccentric band, that seldom appear on French OOB's?

While there was a generally postitive reaction to this idea, nothing much happened until Mike posted a follow-up message over two years later on 4 August 2006, addressed to the Fusilier-General, Roly Hermans:

Mon General,

The following proposal is being submitted on behalf of your fusiliers, who wish to create our battalion/regiment in miniature.

As we have both the esprit de corps and painting skills to produce a fine replication, it is proposed that the Fusiliers will create a miniature battalion/regiment of themselves - to be used in Napoleonic wargames, and designated as "The Kapiti Fusiliers" (replacing an historical battalion/regiment).

- Several members have already indicated their willingness to paint. It is suggested that each purchase 5-6 of the new Perry French to re-create a company, and paint them to depict the French army during "The 100 Days".

- It is suggested that each painter have liberty in style, to show unique authorship for each company.

- A company shall consist of 100-120 men (5-6 figs on a 1:20 scale).

- All figures should be completed by the end of October, and for the outposts, mailed to a TBD depot.

- The staff in New Zealand will be responsible for mounting them,
creating terrain, and providing a permanent display setting.

- Our general shall assign who will paint the officers and/or casualties.

This proposal met with an enthusiastic response amongst the Fusiliers. Before long, we had companies being recruited and painted in New Zealand, Australia, USA and France.

In the end, most of them were made up from Front Rank figures rather than Perrys, though one or two of the latter can be seen in the regiment. Some Fusiliers even managed to convert one of their figures into self-likenesses.

Once all the companies were fully painted in their finery and sent to the 'depot' (Fusilier Roly's home in Paraparaumu, New Zealand), they were based and formed up into two battalions.

The end-of-October deadline turned out to be a bit tight, so it wasn't till March 2007 that the Kapiti Fusiliers were finally fully 'trained' and ready to leave the depot for their first campaign.

The first battalion of the Kapiti Fusiliers. From left to right, the companies were painted by Fusiliers Michael MacGillivray (USA), Mark Temple (Australia), Roly Hermans (New Zealand), Chris Kendrick (Australia), Peter Haldezos (New Zealand) and Scott Bowman (New Zealand). Click on the picture to enlarge.

The second battalion of the Kapiti Fusiliers. From left to right, the companies were painted by Fusiliers Roly Hermans (New Zealand), Chris Kendrick (Australia), Scott Bowman (New Zealand), Mark Case (USA), Phil Roberts (USA) and Eric Veitl (France). Click on the picture to enlarge.

A close up of the grenadier company painted by Fusilier Michael MacGillivray. Behind it can be seen Phil Roberts' company, and the tete de colonne painted by Fusilier Scott Bowman.

As the Kapiti Fusiliers never existed in real-life, a little artistic licence ensued, especially with the command stand. Here we see the mounted Fusilier-General (painted by Roly Hermans), aided by Fusilier-ADCs Peter Haldezos with his trademark glasses (left), and Eric Veitl, about to give his all for the Fusiliers (right).

The flag of the Kapiti Fusiliers bears the battle honours of the first two wargaming engagements it has taken part in. The flag artwork is converted from elements of the gorgeous flags found on the War Flags and the Vexillologie Militaire Européennee websites. Fusilier Grahame Black of GMB Design in the UK (yet another international connection!) has even agreed to produce an actual miniature standard and a fannion for the regiment!

First battle honour - the Battle of Segensburg

The Kapiti Fusiliers Regiment first 'saw the elephant' on 16 June 2007 in the Battle of Segensburg, the first in a short series of battles in a mini-campaign.

The various recruiting sergeants from far and wide across the world
were pleased to hear they behaved very bravely. The second
battalion was so well-painted that a Russian regiment was too overcome at their finery, and took to their heels even before contact was even gained - or at least that's what we'll believe was the cause of the rout!

The two battalions of the Kapiti Fusiliers in action at the Battle of Segensburg.

Second battle honour - the Battle of Biburg

The Battle of Biburg was the second game in our mini-campaign, played on 12 August 2007. In this action, the regiment was ably commanded by Fusilier Rhys Jones' young son.

An entertaining report on the battle can be found on Von Peter's Wargaming Madness website. Here's an excerpt that describes the actions of the Kapiti Fusiliers:

The town of Biburg formed the hinge between GL Gregorovitch’s Russians and GM von Peter’s Russo-Prussians and these worthy individuals had their focus fixed elsewhere. Gregorovitch was attempting to eradicate the French to the east and von Peter had his hands full to the west so it came as a bit of a rude surprise when the cheeky French just sauntered into the unoccupied part of Biburg!

Gregorovitch - “The French have just taken a bit of your Biburg”.

von Peter - “ Not mine. My bit has got a battalion holding it. That’s your bit”.

Gregorovitch - “But you’re meant to be holding Biburg”.

von Peter - “No. We were each meant to hold the section on our side of the town”.

... it was then realised that the French battalion holding the disputed real estate was a battalion of the International Fusiliers.

The Kapiti Fusiliers can be seen here attacking a village during the Battle of Biburg.

So the Kapiti Fusiliers Regiment will continue to fight on, and its actions on the field of combat will be recorded on this web-page. There are many other battle honours no doubt waiting to be won (and possibly a defeat or two as well, especially if commanded by the rather tactically-challenged Fusilier-General himself!).

But whatever happens in the battles they engage in, the Kapiti Fusiliers Regiment will always be a symbol of the international comradeship amongst the members of the Friday Night Fusiliers YahooGroup.

Here's a couple of links to other online articles about this illustrious regiment:

Von Peter's Wargaming Madness includes an article about the company and the ADC that Fusilier Peter Haldezos painted.
In his My Wargaming Interests blog, Fusilier Scott Bowman writes about his part in recruiting for the Kapiti Fusiliers Regiment.
Fusilier Mark Temple describes the company he painted on his Realistic Miniatures blog.

A last peek at some of the companies of the Kapiti Fusiliers Regiment. This photo shows (from left to right) the companies painted Roly Hermans, Peter Haldezos, Roly Hermans again, Mark Case, Chris Kendrick and Scott Bowman.