Foxwood Figures
Active Member
WW1 British Tommy - Private D Jordan Grenadier Guards 1914
Dennis Jordan joined the 2nd Battalion Grenadier Guards in 1911 straight from an orphanage, along with his brother Frederick. Both signed “for life”.
In 1913, as part of the review of the whole Guards Division in Hyde Park, they would most likely have paraded in front of the King George V.
Following the outbreak of war, the 2nd Battalion marched from Wellington barracks on 12th August 1914, passing Buckingham Palace on the way through London to board trains at Nine Elms for France.
This is a picture of the 2nd Battalion leaving their barracks. Somewhere in that colum are Dennis and Frederick Jordan.
The battalion landed at Le Havre and the picture below is of them leaving Le Havre. Again, Dennis and Frederick are in there somewhere.
The battalion went by train to Flasigny some miles south east of Cambrai and then marched forward to the outskirts of Mons……and into history.
Both Dennis and Frederick Jordan marched with the 2nd battalion and became part of what later became known as “the Old Contemptible”.
Dennis Jordan was wounded twice and suffered from trench foot. He was promoted to Corporal – and then lost his stripes with an excess of alcohol on what we believe to be the birth of his first son.
He returned to the war after each wound and was promoted to Sergeant.
Dennis Jordan survived the war (as did Frederick!) and later rose to become RSM of the Grenadier Guards, before retiring to become a Policeman in Bristol where he was awarded a bravery medal for saving a man from drowning in Bristol Docks.
Dennis was a large, “bull chested” man and carried a full and long moustache until his death in 1969. He had large full eyes that sometimes carried a little sadness. How do I know this? Because Dennis Jordan was my Granddad and I can recall sitting often on his lap and looking into those eyes and playing with his moustache.
So here he is, my Granddad. Dennis Jordan in kit form. Unfortunately, no pictures survive of him so the face is more generic than we would like...but it is typical of that time!
This is a fantastic conversion by Mike Wilkinson of an original Pete Morton figure showing Granddad on the march to Mons.
Mike has also created a super CSM on the same march and the two complement each other superbly.
The two together look good too!
Mike has also converted Granddad into a 1916 figure. Other figures may follow.
The figures will be available in limited numbers until Christmas but should be more widely available in the New Year.
As a footnote, the rank of Guardsman replaced that of Private in all Guards Regiments in 1919, an honour awarded by the King in recognition of their great effort during the War.
Jackie
Foxwood Figures
Dennis Jordan joined the 2nd Battalion Grenadier Guards in 1911 straight from an orphanage, along with his brother Frederick. Both signed “for life”.
In 1913, as part of the review of the whole Guards Division in Hyde Park, they would most likely have paraded in front of the King George V.
Following the outbreak of war, the 2nd Battalion marched from Wellington barracks on 12th August 1914, passing Buckingham Palace on the way through London to board trains at Nine Elms for France.
This is a picture of the 2nd Battalion leaving their barracks. Somewhere in that colum are Dennis and Frederick Jordan.
The battalion landed at Le Havre and the picture below is of them leaving Le Havre. Again, Dennis and Frederick are in there somewhere.
The battalion went by train to Flasigny some miles south east of Cambrai and then marched forward to the outskirts of Mons……and into history.
Both Dennis and Frederick Jordan marched with the 2nd battalion and became part of what later became known as “the Old Contemptible”.
Dennis Jordan was wounded twice and suffered from trench foot. He was promoted to Corporal – and then lost his stripes with an excess of alcohol on what we believe to be the birth of his first son.
He returned to the war after each wound and was promoted to Sergeant.
Dennis Jordan survived the war (as did Frederick!) and later rose to become RSM of the Grenadier Guards, before retiring to become a Policeman in Bristol where he was awarded a bravery medal for saving a man from drowning in Bristol Docks.
Dennis was a large, “bull chested” man and carried a full and long moustache until his death in 1969. He had large full eyes that sometimes carried a little sadness. How do I know this? Because Dennis Jordan was my Granddad and I can recall sitting often on his lap and looking into those eyes and playing with his moustache.
So here he is, my Granddad. Dennis Jordan in kit form. Unfortunately, no pictures survive of him so the face is more generic than we would like...but it is typical of that time!
This is a fantastic conversion by Mike Wilkinson of an original Pete Morton figure showing Granddad on the march to Mons.
Mike has also created a super CSM on the same march and the two complement each other superbly.
The two together look good too!
Mike has also converted Granddad into a 1916 figure. Other figures may follow.
The figures will be available in limited numbers until Christmas but should be more widely available in the New Year.
As a footnote, the rank of Guardsman replaced that of Private in all Guards Regiments in 1919, an honour awarded by the King in recognition of their great effort during the War.
Jackie
Foxwood Figures
