7 Years War – Suburban Militarism

“It’s Chriiiiiiiiisssssttttmaaasssssssss!”
Noddy Holder

It’s that time again. Once a year, here at Suburban Militarism, two regiments from my Army of Advent are selected to stand duty as Christmas decorations during the month of December. It’s a prestigious obligation, much like being the chosen battalion for the annual Trooping of the Colour ceremony.

My tradition started back in 2013, pre-dating this blog, beginning with the raising of the first Christmas-themed infantry; a platoon of the 1st Noel Regiment of Foot. My daughter, then in primary school, kindly designed their standard which was eventually bestowed on them with full ceremony and which they carry to this day.

**Ensign Crimbo** of the 1st Noel Regiment parades the Colour before the men.

Since them, the Army of Advent has expanded to include infantry and cavalry brigades, artillery, and a General Staff, with a ‘pioneer and sapper corps’ planned. In future years, God willing, once all the regiments have been raised, the plan is to continue to add a handful of men to regiments as a Christmas craft tradition. A selection of each, hand-picked ‘best men’, will be selected for the prestige of representing the regiment on the plinth.

The honour of taking this December-long parade has so far fallen to the following regiments:

Year	1st Regiment	2nd Regiment
2013	The 1st Noel Regiment of Foot	n/a
2014	The 1st Noel Regiment of Foot	n/a
2015	The Yule Grenadiers	n/a
2016	The 1st Noel Regiment of Foot	n/a
2017	The Christingle Dragoons	The Carolling Hussars
2018	The Carolling Hussars	Cracker Battery, Christmas Artillery
2019	The Midwinter Fuzileers	The Mistletoe Guards
2020	The Yule Grenadiers	The Eggnog Cuirassiers
2021	The 1st Noel Regiment of Foot	The Poinsettian Rifles

N.B. Prior to 2016, only one regiment was paraded.

As you can see, this year it is the turn of a company of selected men of the 1st Noel Regiment and a section of the newly-raised Poinsettian Rifles. The Poinsettian Rifles were established earlier this year using metal 1/72 scale figures from Hagen Miniatures. It’s been five years since The First Noel paraded. I thought that, as pleasant as the old figures are, I wanted the venerable 1st Noel to parade in a fashion that looked rather less like being in combat. So I’ve painted some new figures.

The old figures were Revell’s Austrian infantry of the 7 Years War:

The new figures are by HaT and are from their set of Seven Years War Austrians Marching. I’ve been spending odd occasions over the whole of 2021 adding paint to them and have finally got them Parade Ready in time for December. Only just this week, the men of the 1st Noel finally received their festive plumes (pieces of actual tinsel cut to size and glued on to their tricornes).

In a decadent move, the 1st Noel have also changed their hat lace from white to gold. They are based in ‘deep and crisp and even’ snow with a ring of red glitter around their penny bases, to add to their seasonal glamour.

So, on the 1st December, in a formal ceremony, a representative of both the Yule Grenadiers and the Eggnog Cuirassiers (last year’s display regiments), symbolically extended a Christmas cracker to the respective junior subalterns of the Poinsettian Rifles and the 1st Noel. This was all done in a highly ritualised manner, strictly to the beat of the drum, until the cracker was pulled and the subsequent ‘bang’ thereby inaugurated the 2021 Christmas duties. This solemn event is known as the ‘Trooping of the Cracker’. The intoning of the cracker’s enclosed joke by the subalterns is a particularly sombre and moving ritual.

Now, despite all these careful preparations, there are some problems. Firstly, tradition has it that the chosen regiments should stand guard on the mantelpiece over the season. Having moved house earlier this year, I now have no mantelpiece to place them on. I do, however, have a TV cabinet. With the television mounted on the wall, I am free to use this cabinet and so these Christmas dandies can take centre-stage in the lounge once more.

My other problem relates to command. Essentially, neither the Poinsettian Rifles nor the 1st Noel have any! Major Poinsettia of his eponymous rifles is, as yet, only a name on the payroll and not an actual, painted figure. With a ‘can-do attitude’ which is a feature of his regiment, Lieutenant Sylant-Knight of the 1st Noel Regiment has taken command of the Rifles in the interim, being rewarded with a brevet rank of Captain.

*Lieutenant and Brevet Captain Sylant-Knight of the 1st Noel with men of the Poinsettian Rifles.*

Brevet Captain Sylant-Knight’s regiment, however, is in turmoil. The 1st Noel are missing its overall commander – Colonel de Winter!

The currently missing-in-action Colonel de Winter seen here riding his trusty steed Tinsel through the streets of the town of Advent.

Colonel de Winter has led the regiment with distinction since 2013 but, during the recent house move, has gone AWOL. Now, I admit that I do have a history of losing individual figures. Colonel Giftrapp of the Yule Grenadiers, for example, went missing for a number of years and only surfaced to retake command of his regiment last year!

Colonel Giftrapp returns, finally reunited with his similarly errant Arabian stallion, Pandoro.

So until such time that Colonel de Winter returns from his sabbatical, Major-General Minns-Pye (hitherto serving as C-in-C General St. Nicholas‘ Chief of Staff) has kindly agreed to take command of his old regiment during this year’s tour of duty.

With another three weeks to go until Christmas, both regiments have plenty of time to enjoy their moment of glory…

My Eggnog Cuirassiers have been coming on steadily, thanks for asking. In a random change from the last cavalry painting I undertook, I’ve decided to paint the riders first and then the horses (previously I painted from hoof upwards).

These 20mm Hagen Miniatures are lovely figures and, although metal is never my best medium, I’ve enjoyed bringing out the crisply sculpted details.

The regiment’s colours are based on the Prinz von Preußen Cuirassiers, a regiment which I’ve painted before in their early Napoleonic guise as the Von Beeren Cuirassiers and using Italeri’s Prussian Cuirassier box. Their colour makes them one of the most distinctive cavalry regiments that I’ve painted and one of my favourites.

The Von Beeren Cuirassiers were wearing the same distinctive yellow tunic they had worn since at least the 7 Years War era and which had earned them the nickname “The Yellow Riders” (‘gelbe reiter’). I think I’ll retain that pleasing little moniker for Advent’s Eggnog Cuirassiers.

Previously, I used a lighter yellow for the Von Beeren boys but I wanted something bolder and – how can I put this – something altogether more yolky!

The Prinz von Preußen Cuirassiers had tricornes without any lace but, as these are actually Eggnog Cuirassiers, I’m thinking I might add some coloured lace trim. I’m undecided so what do you think? Feel free to influence my painting below:

There’s – as ever with me – little bits to attend to for the riders but I’ll be soon turning my attention on to mounts and horse furniture. The Eggnog’s horses seem particularly spirited!