JJD: Special Announcement

John Jenkins

New Arriving In January JJ DESIGNS COLLECTORS' CLUB 2014, MEMBERSHIP FIGURES This coming year, there will be a choice of 3 Membership figures. Each Membership set also includes the following; THE 2013 COLLECTORS CLUB ANNUAL, PRODUCT LIST SUPPLEMENT AND THE 2014 CALENDAR JJCLUB-2014A -- Battle of Fort Carillon 1758, British Light Infantry, 55th Foot Regiment, Private Jenkins The 55th Foot Regiment, was Lord Howe's regiment, and these soldiers displayed the field modifications introduced by that energetic and gifted commander. The main goals of which were to improve functionality in the American wilderness. Hats were cropped, and coats were docked short with the lace removed, so as not to encumber the men in the thick forest. The hair was also cropped short for ease and comfort, a measure Lord Howe was also to follow. Hatchets were carried instead of swords, and an extra cartridge box at the waist brought the total ammunition carried by each man up to 36 rounds. Each man would also carry in his knapsack a large supply of meal, which he was expected to cook for himself. JJCLUB-2014B -- Peninsular War 1807-1814, British Royal Engineers, Lt. D.P Jenkins There were never more than 30 engineers at any time serving with Wellington's army in the Peninsular. They were all officers and came under the board of Ordnance. Their main function was to organize and oversee the sieges. The Duke was to write in a letter to Lord Liverpool after the costly siege and assault of Badajoz "...our engineers, though well-educated and brave, have never turned their minds to the mode of conducting a regular siege, as it is useless to think of that which it is impossible in our service, to perform." The main problem stemmed from a lack of proper grounding in siege operations and having only unwilling and unskilled working parties of infantry to work with. It was this lack of trained subordinates which hindered their work. When released from the pressure associated with a siege, allowed time and given unlimited labour, the engineers demonstrated remarkable resourcefulness. The supervision of the construction of the Lines of Torres Vedras is an example of what they were capable of. JJCLUB-2014C -- Great War 1914-1918, Army Service Corps, 9th Divisional Train ASC, 104th Company, Private Benjamin Davies. Each Division of the army had a certain amount of transport under its command, known as the Divisional Train. It was the "workhorse" of the division in terms of carrying stores and supplies. It mainly composed of 26 officers and 402 men of other ranks, who looked after 378 horses, 17 carts, 125 wagons and 30 bicycles. Therefore although the British army was probably the most mechanized of all the Great War armies, it still relied heavily on horse power for the transportation of supplies, guns, ammunition and men. Because roads were so completely broken up by alternate frost, snow and rain, the only way to get ammunition to the forward batteries was to carry it up in panniers slung on horses and mules. These "warhorses" shifted millions of tons of rations and ammunition up to the front line. The statistics show that 900,000 British men died in France between 1914, and 1918, which was 1 in 8 of those who went to war. A million horses were also sent overseas, only 62,000 were to return. John Jenkins Collectors Club  Happy Hunting!