• Dogfight!

    Dogfight!

    By Published On: 27 May 2026Categories: Early Twentieth Century5 min readViews: 136

    An Accurate Report by Hauptmann Bruno Bierhaller! Phil's WWI Aerial game got a run out on 27 March at the community centre. [...]

  • Our BOB campaign ends – Final musings of an umpire

    Our BOB campaign ends – Final musings of an umpire

    By Published On: 19 April 2026Categories: Early Twentieth Century12.7 min readViews: 175

    After a year of planning and 3 years of playing, over 24 tabletop battles our BOB campaign has come to an end [...]

  • Khirdalana II: A Fond Farewell to the Back of Beyond!

    Khirdalana II: A Fond Farewell to the Back of Beyond!

    By Published On: 1 April 2026Categories: Early Twentieth Century14.9 min readViews: 196

    Rob hosted the 25th and final Back of Beyond campaign game at the War Room on Sunday 22 March 2026, after three [...]

  • Georgia Jubilant! 4th Battle of Samtredia (BoB Campaign)

    Georgia Jubilant! 4th Battle of Samtredia (BoB Campaign)

    By Published On: 18 February 2026Categories: Early Twentieth Century12.9 min readViews: 216

    Church bells rang out in Tiflis, with crowds celebrating in the streets, following a critical Georgian and Allied victory over the Ottoman [...]

  • Storm on the Caspian: Battle of Guryev (Back of Beyond Campaign)

    Storm on the Caspian: Battle of Guryev (Back of Beyond Campaign)

    By Published On: 6 February 2026Categories: Early Twentieth Century8.8 min readViews: 227

    Philip's Bolshevik First Shock Army took on Pete's White Russian Army at Guryev on the Caspian Sea, on Tuesday 30 December at [...]

  • So why the Spanish Civil War?

    So why the Spanish Civil War?

    By Published On: 19 February 2025Categories: Early Twentieth Century11.9 min readViews: 524

    In a project that has lasted longer than the actual Spanish Civil War itself I have been building a Republican (government) army [...]

  • Bolos Battered! 3rd Battle of Shardara (BoB Campaign)

    Bolos Battered! 3rd Battle of Shardara (BoB Campaign)

    By Published On: 1 December 2024Categories: Early Twentieth Century8.5 min readViews: 311

    Richard's Chinese Warlord army decisively defeated Kamall's Bolshevik army at the War Room earlier today, in the space of four game turns. [...]

  • BOB Campaign – the biggest battle so far – 2nd Battle of Shardara

    BOB Campaign – the biggest battle so far – 2nd Battle of Shardara

    By Published On: 24 August 2024Categories: Early Twentieth Century2.3 min readViews: 265

    The campaign so far has produced some very interesting clashes on the table top. The 2nd battle of Shardara (North West of [...]

  • Half Time in the BOB Campaign

    Half Time in the BOB Campaign

    By Published On: 23 July 2024Categories: Early Twentieth Century10.9 min readViews: 274

    I promised Piotr at our scheduled halfway point of Turn 6 to provide some further thoughts on the campaign both as an [...]

  • Red Retreat: The Battle of Nalchik Oil Wells (BoB Campaign, turn 5)

    Red Retreat: The Battle of Nalchik Oil Wells (BoB Campaign, turn 5)

    By Published On: 16 March 2024Categories: Early Twentieth Century4.8 min readViews: 250

    A combined Polish-Czech force led by me (8 brigades) and Alex (7 brigades - of which 3 were deployed) repulsed Philip and [...]

  • Back of Beyond Campaign. Initial musings from the umpires!

    Back of Beyond Campaign. Initial musings from the umpires!

    By Published On: 30 January 2024Categories: Early Twentieth Century10.8 min readViews: 262

    “Now, this is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of [...]

  • Stopped at Samtredia! Turks vs. Poles in Georgia (BoB Campaign)

    Stopped at Samtredia! Turks vs. Poles in Georgia (BoB Campaign)

    By Published On: 14 January 2024Categories: Early Twentieth Century4.3 min readViews: 249

    Major General Stanisław Sosabowski's Polish Expeditionary Force was halted by Mark 'Pasha' Trowell at Samtredia Junction in Georgia earlier today. Attacking with [...]

  • A Return to WWI Aerial

    A Return to WWI Aerial

    By Published On: 6 September 2023Categories: Early Twentieth Century1.7 min readViews: 263

    After a gap of several years, last Friday we played a WWI aerial game. Set in October 1916 and fought above the [...]

  • WWI Aerial: 50 Years of Dogfighting

    WWI Aerial: 50 Years of Dogfighting

    By Published On: 6 September 2023Categories: Early Twentieth Century6.2 min readViews: 230

    After running a recent WWI aerial game at the club, I was asked to write a blog reflecting on my experience of [...]

  • Comrades Derailed: The Battle of Penza (BoB Campaign)

    Comrades Derailed: The Battle of Penza (BoB Campaign)

    By Published On: 24 July 2023Categories: Early Twentieth Century7.9 min readViews: 225

    Our Back of Beyond campaign continued on Saturday with a heavyweight clash on the outskirts of Penza between Jonathan’s White Army (led [...]

  • Painting up the Back of Beyond

    Painting up the Back of Beyond

    By Published On: 10 July 2023Categories: Early Twentieth Century2.3 min readViews: 253

    In recent weeks most of the members of Heston and Ealing Wargamers have been immersed in a very wide-ranging Back of Beyond [...]

  • One Thousand Cuts: The Battle of Astrakhan (BoB Campaign)

    One Thousand Cuts: The Battle of Astrakhan (BoB Campaign)

    By Published On: 20 April 2023Categories: Early Twentieth Century7.5 min readViews: 254

    Rob's fantastic Back of Beyond campaign reached top gear with its first tabletop battle on Tuesday night, in what proved to be [...]

  • A Club Campaign –set in the Back of Beyond – November 1918

    A Club Campaign –set in the Back of Beyond – November 1918

    By Published On: 11 April 2023Categories: Early Twentieth Century4.7 min readViews: 243

    After persuading club members to collect an army for a future club campaign set in the Back of Beyond, I have finally [...]

  • WWI Middle East

    WWI Middle East

    By Published On: 7 January 2023Categories: Early Twentieth Century1.2 min readViews: 283

    Phil umpired a clash between Turkish and British forces in 1917 Palestine at the club last night. Philip, Richard and Tim were [...]

  • Back of Beyond – The Relief of a Fort

    Back of Beyond – The Relief of a Fort

    By Published On: 4 September 2022Categories: Early Twentieth Century2.1 min readViews: 228

        For the Sunday game we decided to undertake a Back of Beyond game to test the rules again and start [...]

  • Whites vs. Reds: The Back of Beyond

    Whites vs. Reds: The Back of Beyond

    By Published On: 10 October 2021Categories: Early Twentieth Century1.8 min readViews: 229

    Rob brought down his 28mm Back of Beyond armies to the community centre on Friday 8 October. We played a Russian Civil [...]

  • Back of Beyond: First Impressions of Setting the East Ablaze II

    Back of Beyond: First Impressions of Setting the East Ablaze II

    By Published On: 19 June 2021Categories: Early Twentieth Century2.1 min readViews: 247

    Last night saw the Bolsheviks (led by Rob, Richard and Phil) and Poles (led by Brian, Patrick and myself) clash over possession [...]

  • Bayonets Polished: BoB Army Ready

    Bayonets Polished: BoB Army Ready

    By Published On: 29 May 2021Categories: Early Twentieth Century0.7 min readViews: 284

    I have now finished my Polish interwar army for Back of Beyond. This consists of 10 infantry units, 6 MGs, 3 mortars, [...]

  • Back of Beyond – My Bolos are completed

    Back of Beyond – My Bolos are completed

    By Published On: 22 May 2021Categories: Early Twentieth Century0.5 min readViews: 191

    At last I have completed my Bolshevik army for the BOB games we intend to play. I have 11 units of infantry [...]