Sunday, 27 September 2020

National Guard Battalion ‘San Nicolas’

When reading through the Terry Hooker book on the Paraguayan War I spotted the description of the Argentine National Guard Battalion ‘San Nicolas’. The uniform consisted of a lead grey coat, with sky blue collar and cuffs, sky blue trousers with a white stripe, a blue blanket roll and a kepi with a white cover. This variant of an otherwise blue or khaki uniform was too tempting.





This represents the eighth Argentine battalion and the last of this current batch of Argentine units, although as new figures are released in this range I am sure the army will expand.

And speaking of expansions, just as the ground beneath of the lead pike was beginning to show through the first of three parcels of Paraguayan War cavalry (plus a box of Civil War plastic cavalry) appeared on the doorstep. It took a mere 15 days from placement of order to delivery which is pretty impressive in these crazy days of COVID disrupted supply lines.


There are another 15 little black boxes like those above are still to arrive, hopefully during this next week.



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14 comments:

  1. rross27 September 2020 at 09:22

    Very nice looking Argentinian unit Mark and good info about delivery times. My Reivers got here in about eight days, so I was starting to feel a bit nervous about the ten plus days since I ordered my other goodies....but hopefully they turn up next week!

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    1. Mark Strachan27 September 2020 at 11:41

      Thank Keith. I am not too worried about the other two parcels...they will arrive...I have enough to keep me going for another 20 plus days.

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  2. Lawrence H27 September 2020 at 10:38

    Nice work, and a very disticntive-looking unit Mark. Fifteen days does seem very good to NZ from the UK, and I have noticed a few of my deliveries from Europe have been quicker over the past month or so. The US seems to be more of an issue.

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    1. Mark Strachan27 September 2020 at 11:34

      Yes “vive la difference“! My best ever shipping time was five days, which considering the date line was truly impressive. Typical is 14 days. The issue at the moment is two fold: one, the reduced air traffic, two, the Air NZ service to London used to be a direct service - the same aircraft came all the way through - so the UK-NZ mail was not off loaded, but with the ending of that service mail is now offloaded at LA, Dubai, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur or Shanghai before it is put on the next available flight to NZ. It is those offloads that extends the delays. With the state that aviation is in at present it is going to be a long time, perhaps another two years, before those supply lines are fully reestablished.

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  3. Jonathan Freitag27 September 2020 at 12:10

    These Argentines know a stylish uniform supplier when they see one. This is such a colorful period. Great work!

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    1. Mark Strachan27 September 2020 at 12:36

      Thanks Jonathan. There are some interesting pieces to be made for this period - fortifications, gunboats, swamps and jungle...enough to keep me gainfully employed for a while yet.

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  4. Phil27 September 2020 at 19:34

    Splendid additions, love the faces, the officier...and the flag...

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    1. Mark Strachan27 September 2020 at 19:59

      Thank you Phil. I hope you and your family are safe and well.

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  5. Steve J.27 September 2020 at 20:22

    You've done a great job depicting the lead grey, which is very convincing. I forget how lucky we are with delivery times in the UK, as I ordered a new rulebook on a Friday afternoon and it arrived lunchtime the next day.

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    1. Mark Strachan27 September 2020 at 21:00

      Thanks Steve. The delivery times have dropped back perhaps 40 years...when time from placement of order to delivery Is around 4 weeks...mind you in those days orders had to be sent by post. Things will improve of course as we come out of this darkness.

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  6. caveadsum147128 September 2020 at 00:21

    Lovely looking national guard, I sent a package to Canada in June from the UK,it arrived at the beginning of September, so your post sounds pretty good!
    Best Iain

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    1. Mark Strachan28 September 2020 at 13:28

      Thanks Iain. I have heard similar stories of parcels sent here...

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  7. Aly Morrison1 October 2020 at 21:35

    Another lovely and colourful unit Mark...
    I sent a package to your part of the world last week... the post office said 5-7 working days... we shall see.😁

    All the best. Aly

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    1. Mark Strachan2 October 2020 at 19:47

      Thanks Aly. I am working on the first of the cavalry now, which are a little less colourful.

      The mail is very erratic. And itvis all to do with the reduce aviation activity. I received the first of three parcels sent by Michael and Alan in 15 days, but we are now at day 22 and the other two have not arrived. I am not too worried...they will arrive...I still have enough figures for 16 days of painting.

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