Battered and Bruised at Heston and Ealing Wargamers Club

25 September 2018

We met some great people at the Heston and Ealing Wargamers Club when we visited a couple of Friday's ago. We were warmly welcomed into their club and joined in helping them to set the tables for their game.

They offered parts in their game of "Vietnam - Charlie Company" run by Club Secretary Rob Wingrave. David declined as he is a bit of a chatterbox and happily spent the evening talking to the club members who were observing and commenting on the game.

We really liked this club where everyone is welcome.  The Club has been going for 46 years and their longest serving member has been there for 30 years.

They all played the same themed game on the night, but players dipped in and out as it suited them or as their turn allowed. Members chatted away, disappearing occasionally to make tea and bring snacks and then re-focused on the game at critical points. We think this is a brilliant way to run a club and demonstrates the real community flavour to wargaming.


Rob Wingrave (left) and Peter with club stalwarts Noel, Brian, Phil and Mark


Dismount at the tree line 

Anyway, Peter joined in the game and was ordered to be the head of the spear, designed to flush out the Vietcong. He was thinking more Forlorn Hope, but those were his orders and he intended to follow them, come what may. After all, this wasn’t the movies, where he would probably have disobeyed orders, saved his men and single-handedly gone on to save the poor villagers too!

It started well with club members advising him on the best way forward. He quickly reached the tree line with his armoured personnel carriers (APC’s) and dismounted the first platoon into the tree line.

As the game warmed up, more members arrived from work and were quickly subsumed into the game. They were tasked with bringing in the Armoured support, Air Cavalry units and Helicopter supports.

Ambushed! 

As Peter approached the village, it suddenly all kicked off in the centre after Mal had taken it upon himself to use one of his helicopters to shoot at a hut in the middle of the village.

Suddenly, Peter’s troops were caught cold, in the middle of the clearing and in the open surrounding the village. The VC began firing from everywhere. RPG’s Heavy Machine Guns, Light Machine Guns and Rifles.

Six out of eight sections were pinned, suppressed and taking casualties. Two of the four M113’s were damaged and with no gunners or drivers the support melted away back to the tree line and Peter was left trying to re-establish a line and calling for the medics!

Battered and Bruised 

As soon as it started it was over for Peter - a classic hit and run attack. As luck had it the Air Cavalry, Armoured support and the left flank APC’s all decided to rock on up. The Air Cavalry drew off the attackers towards the Landing Zones (LZ’s) and the others were putting pressure on the VC from behind. This gave Peter the breathing space he needed to recover, re-organise and allowed the medics to the front line and treat his seriously wounded.


Peter (right) and Simon assess the damage. Mal and Richard look on apprehensively

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Meanwhile, two helicopters went down at the LZ. Luckily the Infantry had already disembarked and only the helicopters were lost. 

When we left the VC were hammering home their advantage, but no one was worried as it was more about taking part than winning. 

We had a great time and we would like to thank our hosts profusely for the:

  • Welcome
  • Refreshments
  • The Charlie Company Game 
  • Putting up with inept attack 
  • Our constant rules questions

But most all the fun, friendliness and openness to our attendance.

This was the most precious of things - a real community wargaming club with a proper community feel.

The roll call of our excellent hosts that night were: 

Rob Wingrave, Club Secretary and Vietnam - Charlie Company Game Organiser
Noel O'Neil
Phil Sibbald
Brian Sweetman
Mark Trowel
Richard Poynter
Jonathan Hobbs
Mal Ramsahoye
Patrick Lees
Tim Wilson
Simon Foster
Piotr Stolarski


Thank you all.