Dios, patria, rey ...

... Carlists finished. Well, nearly, I still have to base the Hotchkiss and crew, but otherwise, the traditionalists are ready for the Godless Marxists:

Remarkable chaps, quite unlike anything in England in recent centuries. Perhaps the nearest thing I can think of would be the Covenanters in 17th Century Scotland - but, obviously, without the priests and the iconography. But still with the same degree of certainty, and masses of courage. The Carlists in the Spanish Civil War also highlight one of the rarely commented upon factors in European history in the 20th Century, particularly in the period from the Bolshevik Revolution until the expansion of Nazi Germany. That is religious feeling, affiliation, and belief as a major motivating factor in the adherence of hundreds of thousands to anti-Communist forces, which, as the 1930s and early 1940s  progressed, often meant being in alliance with some very unpleasant politics, not least Nazism. 

Of course, the Carlists didn't get what they wanted, as the odious Franco managed to outmanoeuvre all his allies, except the military, the Roman Catholic church's establishment, and key landowners - all of which were quite happy with him. 

As for the figures, well, these Anglian (now Empress) figures paint up very nicely. But the flag ! The flag! The flags I had for this (see previous post) were by 'Little Big Man', and I had not used them before. I bought the flag sheet from Empress Miniatures at the same time as I bought the figures. One would, therefore, reasonably assume that the Carlist flags would fit the Carlist standard bearer, with his neatly topped out flagstaff depicting Christ on the cross. Er, no. All three flag offerings are too big, and require trimming that involves cutting off some details. Ok, that's fine. But then there's using the decal. This is where I made a complete pig's ear of things. Firstly, one side of the decal is sticky and self-adhesive. I assumed that meant it folded around the flagstaff and stuck onto itself, especially as the sticky side boasted lettering in reverse. Did that, then tried to peel off backing before (ok, I'm on medication!) realising it had to be soaked off. Did that ... and found that the flag I was using was totally transparent, and what I had took to be a white ground was nothing of the sort. Aaaaargh! Does this mean that the flag has to be stuck to paper first ? Before all the sticking together, then soaking is carried out?  I have no idea. In the end, I used another one from the sheet, and left it semi-opaque, rationalising it as being a fine, silk flag, hand-embroided by aristocratic Navarrese virgins.

And, here's what they are after:

A T26 that can't wait to have the Cross of St. Andrew painted on its turret.

Meanwhile, in the real world, I continue to eat apples from my trees:

A delight.