From MikeP - Two Sinister Old Generals From The Great War (10 Points)

One of my favourite World War One poems to set the mood - "The General" by British poet Siegfried Sassoon:

“Good-morning, good-morning!” the General said

When we met him last week on our way to the line.

Now the soldiers he smiled at are most of 'em dead,

And we're cursing his staff for incompetent swine.

“He's a cheery old card,” grunted Harry to Jack

As they slogged up to Arras with rifle and pack.

But he did them both by his plan of attack.

These two figures are both from Artizan's French Foreign Legion range of figures.  They are both going in the mail shortly as prizes for two players in a recent PBEM game of Diplomacy hosted on my blog last fall.   

The fellow on the left is the prize for best role play, which easily went to fellow Challenge participant Edwin King, who played Italy in the game and invented a character called Count Di Graspi.  Di Graspi was a successful general (known in the Italian press as "The Lion of Trieste" and was a lady's man, who vainly pursued the beautiful young Amelia Roosevelt (America's Favourite Girl Reporter).  Later he became a crazed mystic visionary and dictator.  If you want to read some of Edwin's very funny and clever writing, look for the story by "Ernest Harrington" (another brilliant creation of Edwin's) here.  I've painted him in a rather imaginative uniform, Italian green with some French influences and some self-awarded medals.

The other prize goes to Australia's Mark Haughey, who was leading as England when the game ended.   Mark has a cracking good wargames blog here.  The fellow on the right is painted as per Mark's specifications - sort of French, sort of English - he looks like a cranky and grandiose old fellow.

Either fellow could be the general in Sassoon's poem, a grumpy, hard-bitten old soldier who's sent more men to their deaths in battle than he's had hot breakfasts.

It was fun to include these fellows in the Challenge.  Ten points for the two, I believe.