British 1st Airborne Division

So far, we have assembled figures for the British 1st Airborne Division as follows:

British 1st Airborne Division

Division HQ: 

    Gen. Urquhart, ADC, 

       Radioman, Air Liaison, Motorcycle mesgr. (5 figs.)

      Jeep 

      Defense platoon (4 Figs.)

      Recon Squadron: (12 figs; 3 jeeps armed with vickers)

      Glider Pilot Regiment (16 Figs.)

      9th Field co. Royal Engineers Jeep with Trailer. Bicycle (9 Figs)

      Ambulance Jeep (2 Figs.)

      1st Air Landing Light Artillery Regiment (2 Jeeps w/Pack Howitzers 8 Figs).

1st Para Brigade:

     Brigade HQ. (Gen. Lathbury) 3 Figs.

       Defense Platoon: 4 Figs.

       Jeep w/radio w/trailer

     Bren Carrier (RASC)

     Royal Engineers: 8 figs, 2 bicycles, hand cart.

     1st Air Landing Anti-tank Battery (one troop per Battalion)

           A Troop : 6 pounder ATG w / Jeep

           B Troop : 6 pounder ATG w / Jeep

           C Troop : 6 pounder ATG w / Jeep

     1st  Para Battalion (38 figs.)

     2nd Para Battalion (38 figs.)

     3rd  Para Battalion (38 figs.)

1st Air Landing Brigade:

    Brigade HQ. (Gen. Hicks (3 Figs.)

       Defense Platoon: (4 Figs.)

       Jeep w/radio w/trailer

     Bren Carrier (RASC)

     Royal Engineers: 8 figs, 2 bicycles, hand cart.

     1st Air Landing Anti-tank Battery (one troop per Battalion)

           D Troop : 6 pounder ATG w / Jeep

           E Troop : 6 pounder ATG w / Jeep

           F Troop : 17 pounder ATG w / CWT truck (w/ South Staffs)

     7th Kings Own Scottish Borderers (44 figs.)

     1st Borderers Regiment (44 figs.)

     2nd South Staffordshire's regiment  (44 figs.)

4th Para Brigade:

        Brigade HQ. Gen. Hackett (3 Figs.)

         Defense Platoon: (4 Figs.)

         Jeep w/radio w/trailer

     Bren Carrier (RASC)

     Royal Engineers: 8 figs, 2 bicycles, hand cart.

     1st Air Landing Anti-tank Battery (one troop per Battalion)

           G Troop : 6 pounder ATG w / Jeep

           H Troop : 6 pounder ATG w / Jeep

            I. Troop : 6 pounder ATG w / Jeep

     10th Para Battalion (38 figs.)

     11th Para Battalion (38 figs.)

     156th Para Battalion (38 figs.)

First Thoughts

This grim reality will be represented using 28/30mm wargames figures, vehicles, gliders and other equipment that are evocative and representative but not always quite true to scale. These gliders for example would be much larger relative to the paratroopers. However they would take up too much table room without adding to the look and feel of the game.

Although our game is nearly a year in the future at this writing, the enormous task of assembling all of the game pieces is already well in hand.

From 1 Brit Airborne Div 242114 hrs.

This desperate message from British 1st Airborne is a poignant reminder of the plight of the Paras in the final hours of Operation Market Garden: A Bridge Too Far. This new Blog is both a tribute to the brave men of the British, Polish and US forces who took part in the Operation and a chronicle of the wargame we intend to put on in 2017 to commemorate the campaign.

I hope to provide some insight into what happened and also to share how we went about collecting, converting and organizing our miniature armies to re fight the major action across the full length of the Market-Garden corridor.