25mm Nap French - The Ambulance

Of course, anyone who is reading this blog knows that wargaming and miniature collecting isn't just a barebones affair with no regard to asthetics or complete-ness. In fact, in my not-so-humble opinion, an army is not truly complete until the cannon have limbers and the men have a few wagons to carry their stuff! I also believe that armies often benefit from having centerpieces, not only because then there is some neat, historically accurate ancillary project for the army-creator to enjoy working on, but also because then you have a nice natural piece to put in the center of the army when they are displayed!

For my 25mm Napoleonic French army, I have two centerpieces. This is the first; a surgeon and his ambulance.

The piece has a number of elements. Most importantly, of course, is the surgeon himself. He is operating on a fellow who is strapped down to the table with a piece of wood firmly gripped between his teeth. Clearly he has been injured and is in the process of losing a foot. The surgeon is exhausted from hours of work, and in his carelessness he has even wiped the sweat from his brow, leaving himself with an interesting momento of his work.

There are, of course, a number of other figures sharing the movement tray (or in this case display tray) with the surgeon and his ambulance. There are a pair of orderlies bringing a wounded soldier in on a blood soaked stretcher. Beside them hobbles another injured Frenchman... maybe a friend of the wounded man in the stretcher? On the ground are two injured men, twisting horribly in pain, waiting their turn on the table. And finally you can see the dumped body of a man who did not survive his injuries a few meters from the table; I doubt he will keep his shoes and jacket for long.

The surgeon and wagon and a few of the injured are from Old Glory; the rest of the injured are Perry Miniatures.