It looks like The Great War is going to be one of my major projects this year so I had better start to find out which figures I will use for the various armies I will be building. I'll be looking at 28mm figures only which are reasonably recent (hence no Foundry) and offer a good range of poses and troop types.
Uniforms and (particularly) equipment changed a great deal during The Great War and added to this are the variations for different climates in theatres such as Africa and the Middle East.
For simplicity's sake I am going to divide the war into three periods based on uniforms:
First I am going to look at the Western Front.
BEF troops in 1914
Early War Western Front
The initial invasion by the Germans and the initial battles with the French, Belgians and British Expeditionary Force from August-November 1914. British in peaked caps (Scots in Glengarries), French in Blue and Red with kepis and the Germans in pickelhauben.
Early colour photograph of French Troops in Horizon Bleu
Mid War Western Front
This covers the period of the first trench lines going up December 1914 to January 1916. British wearing the softer cap with flaps, the French moving to Horizon Bleu and the Adrian Helmet. The Germans removing the spikes on their helmets. The need for gasmasks.
German soldier at Verdun 1916
Late War Western Front
February 1916 to the end of the War. British adopt the Mark I Brodie helmet (October 1915 but not generally available until early to mid 1916), and the Germans introduce the Stahlhelm (for Verdun in February 1916)
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