Battle of Barossa 1811

The Battle of Barossa 5^th March, 1811

RA: Maj. Duncan 10 guns

Wheatley’s Bde: 28^th Foot, 67^th Foot, 87^th Foot

Dilkes’ Bde: 1^st Foot Guards, Composite Battn 2^nd/3^rd Foot Guards, 2coys 95^th

Brown’s Light Battn: Light Companies of 9^th, 28^th, 82^nd   VS   

French Army

1eme Bde Ruffin                            2eme Bde Leval

9eme du Linge                              8emeX 2

24eme X 2,                                 54eme X 2                                

96eme                                     45eme

Les Grenadiers 1 battn                       Les Grenadiers 1 battn

3eme Bde Artillery: 3 guns

The refight 8/6/12

This was made into a video clip posted on youtube.

The battle began with the French drawing cards first to begin. Leval’s brigade quickly established themselves in the wood. The British began the game by advancing on Barrosa ridge. The Light Infantry brigade hit first but were unable to stand up to the French line’s volleys. The Royal Artillery was unable to make any headway during the game. The French guns amazingly destroyed the RA and the French took a gamble and charged a battery. They captured these guns. Wheatley's Brigade were unable to regain the momentum despite clearing Leval’s brigade from the woods but these were challenged by Ruffin sending in extra troops. As Dilke’s attempted to hit Barrosa ridge, the French charged down. The British morale collapsed and the line fled. The French won this battle.

Katsuura Beach

Leena and I inside the hotel.

Katsuura beach is a port on the eastern coast of the Boso Peninsula in Chiba prefecture, about a 3 hour drive from where we live.

Our hotel!

 

We could either swim in the pools, take baths in the bathhouses or go on the beach.

The best thing was the food! Dinner was all you could eat, there was fresh crab, sushi, STEAK, and various other foods popular with Japanese families. The cost was included in the final bill. A nice family vacation. The pictures below came from the week before when I was busy at work.

This is my Japanese father in law Mr. Sadao Saito. He's a retired pensioner. He drove my wife, and kids over to a beach while his oldest grandaughter took part in a Kendo tournament.

Leena enjoyed this beach better than Katsuura.

Ian also enjoyed digging for seashells.

Ian's Karate test

After four months, Ian was the only new student from his Dojo who was given the chance to try out for the next belt. All of the judges, parents, and other high level students felt he did a great job. For video clip please view youtube japanesehighlander Ian's Karate test

He was nervous but gave it his best shot, which meant that he passed.

The next week, he got his belt and certificate.

One proud little fella!

 

Still alive and kicking

Whoa! I just noticed that it's been nearly a month since I posted something here. Everytime I get the chance to try and put something up, I get distracted with family, work, etc.

I showed my wee lassie how to play bowling. We had to kneel down and then push it down!

This is what Leena wanted for her birthday. It's a Japanese girl hero costume. She enjoys dressing up and dancing like most little girls.

I have tried to upload video clips but have been unable to. My youtube channel of japanesehighlander does have some interesting clips of my activities.

These flyboys (and girls) are part of the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force Air units. Just on the edge of Kamagaya, Shiroi, Kashiwa, and Matsudo, is a large airbase. The base had an open house and I was able to take this one shot. When I went to enter, the guards asked me which country I was from, CANADA, so then they called their superiors and since CANADA is part of NATO they felt I was ok.

If I had answered Russian, I wonder what they would have said!

Canada Day in Japan

I haven't been able to update this blog for two weeks due to work commitments as well as life. I tried making a video clip highlighting  one of my battle last week, but I haven't figured out how to send a video clip to this.
However, this is the Canada Day weekend for those in my home country. Here in Japan, we made our own fun.

We first went out to a park to play in grass!
Some of the Canadian music I always listen to consists of

Avril Lavigne, Simple Plan, Nickelback, Great Big Sea, Gin Lane, Crash Test Dummies, The Irish Decendents, Laurena McKinnit, John McDermmet, Barenaked Ladies, Sarah McCloughan,

Battle of Long Island 1776

The American riflemen take aim at the advancing Crown forces. This summer, I plan on recreating the 1776 New York campaign. This game depicted the initial British landing on Long Island. The figures in the foreground represent various rifle companies including Knowlton's Connecticut Rangers. The Crown forces included British troops from Halifax, Nova Scotia, Hessian mercenaries, Loyalist refugees enlisted as Royal Provincial units. More pictures to follow.

photo courtsey of the 17th Regiments website

  

Ian's new karate gi

Ian was so pleased to get his first uniform. He was also told by his sensei that he could possibly go for his first belt test next month as he trains so hard and has such a good attitude.

Emi & I my 39th birthday

Ah, 39, makes 40 looks that much closer! The missus and I dropped our kids off to rehearse for their dance routine and then, we had a small date! WOOOHOOOO! I was able to pursuade her to go to Starbucks and get some coffee milkshakes, though the white chocolate pudding one had sold out the day before. Buggers! Anyway, I made do with a cookies and cream one. That and some scones. Emi went for chocolate chip, I went for blueberry. Funny part was we shared with each other. I gave my wife a nice bit with juicy blueberrys, she gave me a bit of hers sans choclate! We laughed and I then picked out one chip. The blueberry one was much better as it was moist. The chocolate chip one was dry. Emi's makes better ones with butter at home. I've influenced her with foods from Nova Scotia. Can't wait to go home someday to hit up Tim Hortons and every little B&B that makes good scoff in the morning.

This is Ian's karate group. He still is waiting for his uniform to arrive. This was actually taken on Friday night. He's a tough little fellow, but we forgot that feeding him too late just before bed makes him tummy upset. Can we say upchuck everyone?

On Sunday morning, my birthday, Ian and Leena had a dance display at the community hall that is used for dance practice. They did the same dance which was performed at their recital back in March. The kids do look cute dressed as devils.

It's always easy to spot my kids mixed in with Japanese ones as my kids do not look Japanese despite their mother being Japanese!

Leena centre stage, or floor I should say.

This was the group which performed. The kids did their routine, then it was the young adults doing a jazz routine, then it was finished off with a group of preteen and teenage girls in ballerina dresses doing a small ballet display. All in all, it was a fun little event.

After we had our pizza and ice-cream supper for my birthday (thank you hunny bunny for letting me get Dominos again) I wanted to take some shots of the kids and I in our kilts. We then went outside to walk in the neighborhood and play some kick ball. I had to go back inside to take in the laundry but Ian still wanted to play with his older sister. I took this shot from our bedroom balcony. I have some others my wife took on our digital camera which I will post once I upload them to my home computer system.

Duh, darn picture went sideways

I was going to send this to Sport Kilt, guess I should now then eh?

  

The Battle of the Cedars, May 1776

My weekend never feels fulfilled unless I can do a wargame. I had a solo game as Ian wanted to play with his Legos and with his older sister.

This scenario basically consists of an American collumn advancing towards Montreal in 1776. The force consisted of 8 companies British Light Infantry, 2 companies of 1st Battn Royal Highland Emigrants, 3 companies of Kings Royal Yorkers, a band of Mohawks, 2 companies of Jagers and 2 mounted companies of Queen's Rangers attacking a New England collumn consisting of Knowlton's Rangers, Dearborn Light Infantry, 1st Contential Regiment, and various militia companies.

I`m calm, I`m at peace, I`m enlightened

Following the Mohawk and Queen's Rangers deployment in a wood and meadow, the Jagers took post in an outcrop of rocks which bordered the small river the rebels would cross.

From their experience in the French and Indian War, the men who made up the riflemen companies of the Americans deployed in the forest to screen their advancing militia. The riflemen comprised companies from Knowlton's Rangers, 13th Pennsylvannia Rifles, and further back with some veterans of Dunn's Rangers and Partridge's Ranger companies.

The American militia collumn advancing towards the river unaware that in the wood to their front await the main British force sent to stop them.

The main British force waits inside a small wood waiting to pounce on the rebels. Most of the troops here are Light Infantry companies from the Quebec garrison, and some Loyalist provincial troops.

The Light Infantry charge out of the woods to fire into the rebels.

Surprisingly, the rebels did not flee with great amaze and wonder. Their morale held and their officers were able to form a line.

The initial militia companies stay on their side of the river, ready to take on the 1st Battn Royal Highland Emigrants (in their new Highland Uniforms). Just after this shot was taken, the British fired a devastating volley into the militia which then caused them to break and run!

On the American right, the rifles fired into the advancing Mohawks until only a small band was left. The mounted Queen's Rangers then rode along the river bank to flank what was left of the patriot rifles. The rebel ranger companies could see the writing on the wall and quickly covered the retreat of the militia. Canada was saved from another invasion.

  

Bike ride on a Sunday

It was such a nice day, that we all rode our bikes to a local park. My wife led the way for a bit.

I`m calm, I`m at peace, I`m enlightened

Ian then remembered where the park was so he was then in the lead.

Leena was definetly enjoying the ride.

Once we got to the park, we walked around and Emi and the kids rode the horses and other animals.

Then they were playing on this concrete slide.

Leena needed a little help going back up from Mummy. All went well until Leena slipped and scrapped her leg which made her howl as it began to bleed. Not matter, Mum and Dad had water to rinse and band aids to apply. Ian kept on tossing sand on the slide to continue his romp.

As I arrived I saw this sign and took this as a last shot. It's amazing to see that the warning sign now has more than just Japanese. This sign in English read "Operating Security Camera" to which the other languages used include Arabic, Chinese and Korean. Talk about racial profiling! It seems these language groups may be criminals in the minds of this neighborhood.