Old Front Line
WW1 Podcast with Paul Reed
From The Battlefield to the Tabletop
In this special episode of the Podcast, Paul Reed speaks with archaeologist and wargamer Alex Sotheran about his journey in battlefield archaeology and the evolution of wargaming. They discuss the significance of battlefield archaeology in understanding the human experience of war, the challenges faced in recovering human remains, and the impact of television on the field. Transitioning to wargaming, they explore its historical roots, modern developments in rules, and its potential as a therapeutic tool for veterans. The discussion highlights the social aspects of wargaming and the importance of community in this hobby.
You can follow Alex on Storm of Steel YouTube Channel and Bluesky.
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4 Comments on “From The Battlefield to the Tabletop”
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Thanks for this Paul. Interesting to read how a busman’s holiday can turn into a career. In 2023 while walking from Mailley-Maillet to Albert I stopped off at Ocean Villas and had an enjoyable chat with Avril who told me some interesting stories about the time when Andrew Robertshaw was excavating there.
As a fully paid up member of the Airfix generation I really enjoyed the section on wargaming. My Great War collection (amongst many others) has come a long way since I bought my first Airfix set in 1967, WW1 French.One thing that I have found is the dichotomy between early war figures (SD caps etc) and late war (helmets). Early War, from what I have seen is usually confined to the 1914, with nothing for 1915, when the uniforms got quite scruffy and early gas masks were used. This was remedied about 15 years by a firm called Renegade Miniatures who made some excellent models. My particular favourites were of the British troops wearing those hooded gasmasks with big eye pieces at Loos. Sadly Renegade Miniatures are no longer trading, but hopefully may be found on eBay.
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Thanks, Stephen. A company called HaT also makes WW1 figures with helmets etc to make up for the lack of these by Airfix.
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Yes Paul I have those as well, plus others from Miniature Figurines, Peter Pig, QRF, Flames of War, Britannia miniatures, Irregular Miniatures, Wargames Foundry, Revell, Caesar, North Star and Renegade Miniatures. I’ve now got my eye on some early war miniatures from Empress Miniatures.
It’s not just books that you can never have enough of!!
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Absolutely!
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