Grand Duchy of Warsaw National Contingent

Once I have worked out how to do composite pictures in photoshop, I will hope to combine these two photos into one. I think they are worth posting as they are to try to give a better impression of these units together.

The latest National Contingent is that for the Grand Duchy of Warsaw. Assembled from a number of different sources this contingent poses a few problems. These figures were already painted, to an extent, and based, in a number of different ways. They then needed to be reorganised into units and I painted around 30, mainly vintage, castings with a high proportion of officers, to complete these units, as far as possible matching the style of the other figures.

Also many of the figures are Alberken (later Minifigs 20mm). I decided to include them here to give a better impression of the whole contingent.

In theory it is based on Poniatowski's Corps in the Grand Armee of 1812, with associated units (Vistula Legion and Cavalry Reserve Corps units). I am fully aware that the consistency of basing, painting and finishing is not what I would want and at some point may revisit this, but for now i will look on this as a job done.

If I was starting again with all the figures unpainted and unbased (and I'm glad I'm not) I would maybe make sure I had all the units in the 5th Corps and forget the Vistula Legion. However, the Vistula Legion units also offer Peninsular service, which is a big plus.

I would particularly like to mention excellent service from Graham at Flags for the Lads, who acknowledged an e-mail order on a Sunday and posted it on Monday, so I received it on the Tuesday. My flags of choice are normally Rofur, but this option wasn't open for these units. Polish flags were generally tiny, so I went for Grahams large 25mm/28mm ones rather than their 15mm versions. I reduced the Vistula Legion ones (which are larger) but used the others as supplied - and am very happy with them.


I also thought it might be useful to post a picture of how I store Hinton Hunt figures. These trays are IKEA wardrobe inserts (sadly no longer available). If you want to stack them they won't work for some cavalry figures (too tall) and standards etc need to be laid on their side.

I'm also (finally) working on a cataloguing system for my Hinton Hunt units, using a spreadsheet, and unit identifiers using the stickers you can see in the tray partitions.

Grand Duchy of Warsaw National Contingent: Commander and Staff Officer

Poniatowski and an ADC. At some point Poniatowski has lost his plume (shot away, perhaps). The staff officer is yet another repaint of the very old Rose Wellington personality figure, which has also so far provided Spanish commanders and a mounted Royal Navy officer to command landing parties.

Grand Duchy of Warsaw National Contingent: Infantry Units 1

The first three battalions are probably the best painted units in the contingent.

Grand Duchy of Warsaw National Contingent: Infantry Units 2

A bit of a hybrid battalion, followed by a voltigeur unit.

Grand Duchy of Warsaw National Contingent: Infantry Units 3

Two Alberken battalions. The first one has a Hinton Hunt officer and converetd standard bearer, grenadiers and voltigeurs. The second has one Hinton Hunt officer and grenadier company.

Grand Duchy of Warsaw National Contingent: Infantry Units 4

The first unit are Alberken Voltigeurs. This includes a good illustration of the officer - in some of the other units standard bearers are conversions of this figure.


This is a slightly understrength battalion using up the figures left over from the other units.


The only white uniformed Polish infantry unit was the 13th Infantry Regiment. I have wondered about overhauling and repainting these as another unit, but as the figures are fairly rough castings and already based, so far I have resisted the temptation'

The officer and standard bearer are converted infantrymen. The unbit also currently boasts three drummers (two of them Alberken). None of the other units have drummers - perhaps this is a reason to redo this unit and redistributre these figures. However, as this would mean at most three units with drummers, perhaps it is as strong an argument for leaving them be.

Grand Duchy of Warsaw National Contingent: Vistula Legion infantry regiments

The majority of the rank and file of these units (with the exception of the first battalion below, and on the right of the first picture) are Alberken/Minifigs 20mm figures.


This marching battalion is entirely Hinton Hunt.


The officer is Hinton Hunt and the standard bearer is made from a charging Hinton Hunt figure.


The officer on the right hand side of the picture, the grenadier company, the standard bearer and two supporting infantry are Hinton Hunt figures, while the rest are Alberken.


The officer, converted standard bearer and two voltigeurs are Hinton Hunt figures.

Grand Duchy of Warsaw National Contingent: Artillery

Posted for completeness of the contingent, as there is no Hinton Hunt element here - the gunners are Art Miniaturen and the gun is a Newline Austrian field piece. The Polish artillery (with the exception of the Vistula Legion, with mainly French materiel) was equipped primarily with captured Prussian and Austrian equipment generously sold to the Grand Duchy by the Emperor.

Grand Duchy of Warsaw National Contingent:Cuirassiers

I had originally intended to use Alberken figures for the Polish 14th Cuirassiers, but instead decided to use this unit of Hinton Hunt one piece castings FN 102.

These served in the 4th Cavalry Corps, rather than Poniatowski's Corps, so I intend to brigade them with the Sazon Zastrow Cuirssiers, which are ready and will be posted here soon.

Grand Duchy of Warsaw National Contingent: Chasseurs a Cheval

These 5th Chasseurs are FN 122 one piece castings, with plumes removed.

Grand Duchy of Warsaw National Contingent: Lancers

These figures are not Hinton Hunt but Alberken (later Minifigs 20mm). I have a small number of separate arm Hinton Hunt Lanvers which may join the colours at some point in the future.

Mysterious WN 13 variant

Another slightly mysterious figure is this advancing Polish infantryman. I have seven of these figures, which came without muskets. They don't look as though these have been removed, so I suspect they were cast open handed. I had assumed they were home cast pirated versions, but on undercoating them I realised they were very crisp castings, and don't have misshapen bases, often a sign of the pirated figure. I don't think I have imagined the presence of epaulettes, which has led me to paint them up as voltigeurs. From the same source I have a similar open handed advancing Prussian infantryman.

It is hard to find suitable replacement muskets for Hinton Hunt figures (often the "separate musket" figures have been separated from their muskets by several decades). Here I have used Jacklex colonial rifles, which while not ideal serve perfectly well, I think.

The Uniforms of Leipzig - France and the Grand Duchy of Warsaw

The Uniforms of Leipzig - Polish Lancers of the Guard

WN 30 Grand Duchy of Warsaw Marshal Poniatowski

WN 43 Grand Duchy of Warsaw Elite Lancer

WN 26 Grand Duchy of Warsaw Voltigeur marching

WN 25 Grand Duchy of Warsaw Voltigeur Officer marching

WN 24 Grand Duchy of Warsaw Voltigeur firing

WN 23 Grand Duchy of Warsaw Voltigeur charging