British 35th (Royal Sussex) Infantry Regiment

The 35th (Royal Sussex) were garrisoned in Chichester, just along the coast from Worthing.

Nicknamed “The Orange Lillies”, at its formation in 1701 the regiment was given orange facings on its red coats. This colour was decided on because of the Duke of Donegal's earlier connections with King William's House of Orange. The orange distinctions were retained until 1832 when facings of royal blue were adopted. Silver epaulettes and braiding were worn by the officers until gold was adopted in 1830.

The regiment is represented by 2 units of 12 models each. With a wargaming scale of 12 figures per notional battalion, that there are two units suggests the regiment is fielding the UK depot battalion and an equivalent emergency scratch unit comprised of whomever else is available. 

The 24 minis are assembled from Perry Zulu War plastics using the Home Service Helmet heads.  They are pretty much all assembled ‘as is’, though the bugler/drummer and the runner are conversions. The drummer uses the Zulu War body with cartridge pouches shaved off, with the drum and left arm from the Sudan War set; note the addition of shoulder wings.

The finished figures portrayed as a scenario:

The church bells rang and then the cries rang out “Invasion! Invasion!”. With the news of the morning’s landings east along the coast at Worthing, men of the 35th (Royal Sussex) have assembled at their depot in Chichester. They will soon move out to the railway station, transiting by the coastal line to get straight into action. Morale is high and, as they carry out last minute equipment checks, they belt out their regimental song:

And if you go to Sussex, 

Sussex, Sussex by the sea, 

You can tell them all,

That we’ll stand or fall

For Sussex by the sea.