Inside the outhouse
July 20, 2007.
By Sander van Straeten (the Netherlands).
In January of this year I attended to a big modelling fair in Lingen, Germany. It was there that the new addition of Hougomont, for Mr Hans Slaagers Waterloo diorama, was on display for the audience. While not finished completely we all were awstruck by the ingenious detail of the piece (I especially loving the inner courtyard with the well). While looking at it we dwelled on a bombed-out corner of the building and were wondering how it would be for any allied soldier answering the call of nature around...oh let's say 12.30 in the afternoon. He might be unpleasantly surprised to find himself in the spotlight after a section of wall disappearing curtesy of the French Artillery. So I started working on a simple guy answering the call of nature... The figure is of course from the Revell English Arty set which I modified with green-stuff to have trousers on his ankles and gave a tin-foil gazette. Quite simple really!"
Many thanks to Mr. Sander van Straeten.
(Webmaster's notes: Mr. van Straeten speaks for himself. While looking at the bombed-out corner of the building I might wonder about the epic of the escape of Napoleon from Corsica which led to unparalled effort of 7 nations to capture the former Emperor which led to this historic battle, the name of which would be on men's lips for ever more when they thought of Napoleon, whereas Mr. van Straeten ...... wonders how any allied soldier could drop a log?)