The wonderful thing about our North Star 1672 range is that the figures will do for many different nations armies in the period 1665-1680. This is
because it is a time just before uniforms, and the figures are all dressed in the fashions common amongst soldiers throughout Western Europe.
because it is a time just before uniforms, and the figures are all dressed in the fashions common amongst soldiers throughout Western Europe.
This of course includes Britain.
The years covered by our range is called the Restoration Period in
Britain as it was the time the monarchy, represented by Charles II,
was restored after the English Civil War.
It was also the genesis of the British Army. Britain, tired of soldiers
and war, had disbanded much of it’s forces after the Civil War and
Oliver Cromwell’s reign. With the return of Charles II to England in
1660, the units still under arms swore allegiance to the King and
became the senior units of the British Army.
Some of the infantry regiments:
Coldstream Guards
Grenadier Guards
Scots Guards
1st Regiment (Royal Scots)
2nd Regiment (The Queen’s)
3rd Regiment (The Buffs)
st
The years covered by our range is called the Restoration Period in
Britain as it was the time the monarchy, represented by Charles II,
was restored after the English Civil War.
It was also the genesis of the British Army. Britain, tired of soldiers
and war, had disbanded much of it’s forces after the Civil War and
Oliver Cromwell’s reign. With the return of Charles II to England in
1660, the units still under arms swore allegiance to the King and
became the senior units of the British Army.
Some of the infantry regiments:
Coldstream Guards
Grenadier Guards
Scots Guards
1st Regiment (Royal Scots)
2nd Regiment (The Queen’s)
3rd Regiment (The Buffs)
st
Colour.
What was worse, the rest of the Matabele army failed to
support them, but fell back and allowed the column to cross
the Bembesi and Umguza Rivers unopposed. Lobengula fled
northwards, trying to find refuge among the Ngoni across the
Zambezi, but either died on the way, probably from smallpox.
Only one more battle remained to be fought - the "last stand"
of the Shangani Patrol, so stirringly related recently in these
pages by W. P. Bollands. But this was actually a mistake, as by
now both sides were seeking to end the war. The British South
Africa Company appropriated most of the best land for sale to
white farmers, and confiscated most of the Matabele cattle. In
1896 the people launched a desperate rebellion in which twice
as many whites were killed as in 1893. This time the Matabele
abandoned their traditional tactics, and fought mainly as
skirmishers with rifles. Some of them had been employed by
the British as policemen, and had obviously learned to shoot.
As Summers and Pagden remark in their book (see the source
list at the end of this article), observing that the whites
suffered eleven percent battle casualties in this campaign,
twice the rate of the 1893 war, "the Matabele had become a
fair marksman". But numbers eventually told against them,
and after six months of fighting they were beaten, more by
starvation than by military force. Matabele Warfare.
Regiment
The basic military unit among the Matabele, just as in
Zululand, was the "regiment" or "ibutho", commanded by an
officer known as an "induna". Regiments were formed in Zulu
style, by calling up all the boys in the kingdom who had
reached military age since the last unit was formed, though
unlike in the Zulu system Matabele regiments might
occasionally be reinforced by drafts formed from the sons of
the original members. The Zansi regiments were always
regarded as the elite of the army, with the Enhla next in the
scale and the Holi generally despised, but this social snobbery
did not necessarily reflect their actual military effectiveness,
and there were some very good Holi units which fought
loyally even in the crisis of 1893. Rather regrettably the
Matabele did not seem to go in for the splendid names sported
by many of the Zulu regiments; there are no “Raisers of Dust”
or “Overthrowers of Kings”. But among the distinguished
regiments of Lobengula's reign were:
support them, but fell back and allowed the column to cross
the Bembesi and Umguza Rivers unopposed. Lobengula fled
northwards, trying to find refuge among the Ngoni across the
Zambezi, but either died on the way, probably from smallpox.
Only one more battle remained to be fought - the "last stand"
of the Shangani Patrol, so stirringly related recently in these
pages by W. P. Bollands. But this was actually a mistake, as by
now both sides were seeking to end the war. The British South
Africa Company appropriated most of the best land for sale to
white farmers, and confiscated most of the Matabele cattle. In
1896 the people launched a desperate rebellion in which twice
as many whites were killed as in 1893. This time the Matabele
abandoned their traditional tactics, and fought mainly as
skirmishers with rifles. Some of them had been employed by
the British as policemen, and had obviously learned to shoot.
As Summers and Pagden remark in their book (see the source
list at the end of this article), observing that the whites
suffered eleven percent battle casualties in this campaign,
twice the rate of the 1893 war, "the Matabele had become a
fair marksman". But numbers eventually told against them,
and after six months of fighting they were beaten, more by
starvation than by military force. Matabele Warfare.
Regiment
The basic military unit among the Matabele, just as in
Zululand, was the "regiment" or "ibutho", commanded by an
officer known as an "induna". Regiments were formed in Zulu
style, by calling up all the boys in the kingdom who had
reached military age since the last unit was formed, though
unlike in the Zulu system Matabele regiments might
occasionally be reinforced by drafts formed from the sons of
the original members. The Zansi regiments were always
regarded as the elite of the army, with the Enhla next in the
scale and the Holi generally despised, but this social snobbery
did not necessarily reflect their actual military effectiveness,
and there were some very good Holi units which fought
loyally even in the crisis of 1893. Rather regrettably the
Matabele did not seem to go in for the splendid names sported
by many of the Zulu regiments; there are no “Raisers of Dust”
or “Overthrowers of Kings”. But among the distinguished
regiments of Lobengula's reign were:
Ingubo, "The Blanket": Formed by Lobengula as his
bodyguard, hence the name, implying that it accompanied
him everywhere.
Imbizo, "Drafted": Also created by Lobengula, by drafting
aristocratic Zansi boys from smaller regiments formed by
Mzilikazi. Regarded as elite.
Insuga, "Stand Up": A young regiment with a very
distinguished record in the war of 1893.
Inzimnyama, "The Black Ones": An elite Holi regiment,
formed in Mzilikazi's reign. Guarded the main entry point to
Matabeleland at Mangwe Pass. The name may imply that
they carried black shields.
Inyati, "Buffalo": A favourite of Mzilikazi's, probably
founded before 1840 but reinforced with younger drafts
since. Inyati veterans were still guarding his grave in 1893.
Amahlogohlogo, "Golden Weaver Birds": Lobengula and his
cousin Mtshane Kumalo both served in this unit in their
youth, and the latter was commanding it in 1893. The name
refers to the source of the feathers in the warriors'
headdresses.
Zwangendaba, "Here is the News": An elite unit which
rebelled against Lobengula in 1870 and was consequently
destroyed. The survivors were incorporated into the
evocatively named Amabugudwana, "Swimmers in Blood".
Colour of their shields
Were Matabele regiments distinguished from each other by the
colour of their shields like the Zulus? Surprisingly, this is not an
easy question to answer. Summers and Pagden quote David
Carnegie, who was in Matabeleland in the 1880s, as saying that
"The different regiments are known by the colours of the
shields they carry", and observe that several white veterans of
the 1893 war confirm this. "However" they continue, "the
Matabele themselves do not seem to agree". According to one
informant each regiment "had shields of the same shape", but
not necessarily of the same colour. (Illustrations and surviving
examples do show minor variations on the standard shape of the
war shield, with some photographed in the 1890s being so
broad in relation to their length as to be almost circular. There
were also much smaller versions carried by herdsmen and
messengers, but these were not normally used in battle.)
colour of their shields like the Zulus? Surprisingly, this is not an
easy question to answer. Summers and Pagden quote David
Carnegie, who was in Matabeleland in the 1880s, as saying that
"The different regiments are known by the colours of the
shields they carry", and observe that several white veterans of
the 1893 war confirm this. "However" they continue, "the
Matabele themselves do not seem to agree". According to one
informant each regiment "had shields of the same shape", but
not necessarily of the same colour. (Illustrations and surviving
examples do show minor variations on the standard shape of the
war shield, with some photographed in the 1890s being so
broad in relation to their length as to be almost circular. There
were also much smaller versions carried by herdsmen and
messengers, but these were not normally used in battle.)
NSA1008 - Matabele Warriors in full Regalia
