The Men Who Would Be Kings

During the spring and summer I will go to Aftica...not I, but my wargaming efforts, at leas part of my wargaming time will be spent on playtest of new set of wargaming rules by Dan Mersey´s (Dux Bellorum and Lion Rampant) in the Osprey Wargames serie "The Men Who Would Be Kings" It's due to publish late in 2016.

It is a set of colonial 'big skirmish' rules that revolvs around the colonial era 1850-1900, and the basics are the Lion Rampant engine but with some major changes to work better for a gunpowder era, probably some more changes when I get the playtesting up and going;)

Mock-up cover designed by me:) 

I´m sure the real stuff will be much better but this will do for now...

Anyway at the moment I looking for the Swedish connection to the Colonioal warfare as I want all my wargaming project to have at least some Swedish connection as you surely know by now.

For Colonial wargaming the only real Swedish connection I at the moment have found was that around 10 or so Swedish officer that enlisted for the Congo Free State in 1883, they apparently did well and one of them was commander at Stanly Falls.

Some google translate texts below, sorry for the strange english...

Arvid Wester

He was hired in October 1883 along with a dozen other Swedish officers of King Leopold II of Belgium to assist in the Congo State's foundation . In this position , he made himself a noted particularly by the creditable manner in which he in August 1884 - February 1886 contested the responsible post as head of the Stanley Falls, on the Atlantic coast 's most remote and most important in the company's along the Congo River landscaped stations. Through his great personal courage witnessing fixed behavior - notwithstanding his entire military force consisted of only about twenty hausamän - and sitting at the same time hoof same way against natives, with whom he initially must fight serious battles, he managed to gradually overcome their respectful esteem and trust. As was also the case with the increasingly intrusive, against the former hostile Arabs , whose chief, the mighty Tippu Tip , wanted to encourage Wester to the transmit station. With Tippu Tip , he closed even a friendship covenant, which was of great importance both for the station's maintenance during the time Wester was its director , who lieutenant Edde Gleerups ( Wester's closest man ) trip across Africa . Since Westerville been relieved as station manager of a British colonial officer, attacked the Arabs ( in September 1886) station, which completely destroyed.

Edde Gleerup

He entered 1883 in Congo government service and became chief in 1884 Kimpoko at Stanley Pool. Since there he built a new station , he and Lieutenant Arvid Wester in November of the same year ordered to superintend the farthest station , Stanley Falls. Arab chief and slave trader Tippu Tip wanted However reign undisturbed in these parts , and demanded the station's evacuation . Westerville managed to finally get on good terms with Tippu Tip , and the station was developed increasingly over the Swedes lead. After the service the end received Gleerup arabhövdingens tender that under his patronage take the way back east to Zanzibar, and thus became Gleerup the eighth Europeans and the so far only Swedish , who crossed Africa. Gleerup left the station in late 1885 and came to Zanzibar in late June in 1886.

Suppouse this will be some good wargaming background that have to be done... BUT I also have one more Swedish african connection... more about that in a later post...