Another day, and a bit more packing done ready for the move. My gaming table is now dismantled and shelving taken down and stacked ready to be carried to a new Man Cave - wherever that will be.
Through a rare flash of foresight, when I bought the board I had it cut into three sections, two 3' x 4', one 2' x 4', which are bolted together to make up the table. I usually game on the two 3' x 4' sections to make a 4' x 6' table, and the 2' x 4' section bolts onto one end to extend it out to 8' x 4' should I need it. It makes it much easier to transport than a single board.
My intention is to build a proper table framework for it when we reach our new home, and will probably have it set up as a full 8' x 4', space permitting. Up to now I've used an old table that possibly dates from the 1920s, which would look a treat should we ever get around to having it restored.
Speaking of the 1920s...
Another bout of research into Rutbah and the Iraqi conflicts, mentioned in my previous post, has turned up a couple of photos.
The first is of two Rolls-Royce armoured cars in the northern Iraqi desert. Beyond them sits a large aircraft with French roundels. (In black and white photos of the period the RAF roundel has a dark outer ring and lighter shaded centre. The French roundel has this in reverse, as shown). The aircraft looks like a Vickers Vernon, but can anyone identify it for sure? I wonder how many of these were in French service? France had the mandate for Syria after the Great War, and like Britain, had trouble from Arab and Kurdish uprisings as well as a resurgent Turkey attempting to regain lost territory. The situation in the Middle East today is all too depressingly similar...
Here's another Rolls-Royce undergoing repair and maintenance in the Iraqi desert, a constant requirement in such a harsh region. The chaps have sensibly erected an awning to give the vehicle some protection from the baking sun while they work. As usual, we have a bloke standing watching while others do the work: I think it may have been part of King's Regulations at the time.
This is likely to be my last post for a while as we wrap everything up here. Hopefully normal service will resume sometime next month.
