Jhamjarhistan: Chapter 4, A Daring Rescue

The sharp-eyed Honeysuckle Weeks, driving Genevieve had seen movement on a nearby hill and turned to investigate. Against all accepted military doctrine, the Kaiserlicher Stab (part of the Zeppelin Korps) have silhouetted themselves against the skyline. This can be excused on their part, as being staff officers and General rank, they can make their own minds up without being confused by the facts. One old military maxim has it, that the most dangerous combination a common soldier can experience is an officer with a map!

A far more lethal threat is still flying above the battlefield. The Gräfin von Stauffenberg is still threatening Snapforce in the vicinity of Djelibad market. Another Luftballon has also joined the fray. Piloted by Ernst Udet, the Great War ace, he seems to have chosen the Basmachi as a target. The Gentlemen's XV is now reduced to the Gentlemen's IX and they are heading to join up with the mortar platoon. The Jats are entering the market place and the Gurkhas are heading for the Emir's Palace in Djelibad. Bottom left, we can see Snapcase who has inched his painful way towards safety, with a sore arse, full of shrapnel. Chulmleigh, his faithful bulldog accompanies him.

The ever-resourceful LACW Weeks lines up the front-facing HMG in Genevieve, preparatory to potting a few Generals. The Zeppelin Korps troopers in the background are shouting a warning to the Kaiserlicher Stab, but to no avail. "Nimm deine verdammten Köpfe runter!"

In the meantime, our hero Vaggers has managed to reach the dig site. Ducking and weaving his way through a hail of lead, the intrepid Yorkshireman espies Bunty Hamster-Crust, hiding behind a Scythian pillar. "Bunty, uz beauty! Ah'm 'eear ta rescue theur. Gerr thy shapely arse ont' pillion, uz flower!" Perhaps the longest speech the reticent SIS agent has ever made to the alluring Bunty. Without further ado, the object of Vagger's passion is aboard his throbbing machine and ready to ride. Just in time too, as the Krasnyy Sotnya are entering the dig site from one side whilst the Basmachi are flooding in from the other.

The Basmachi have overrun the encampment around the dig site. Some of the dig members are fleeing for their lives. Professor Hilary de Spongepants (Rumpole College’s Chair of Archaeology), Lady Camilla Marsupial-Trout and Arabella Fotheringay-Featherstonhaugh were trapped on the roof of the building on the right. Hilary de Spongepants and Camilla Marsupial-Trout were executed in cold-blood by the vicious Basmachi horde, but for some reason Arabella has been spared this end. Trotsky will no doubt be cursing the fact that his daughter is a prisoner of the Basmachi, but grateful that she is at least, still alive.

Ernst Udet navigates his Luftballon acros the field of conflict, aiming to inflict as much damage as possible on the Basmachi.

Enver Pasha and his bodyguard of riders enter the dig site. We can see Carl Rossegger the archaeologist and Charlie Chan, a police detective on holiday from Honolulu. They are about to duck into that doorway behind them to try and avoid the inevitable carnage.

"The infidel camp is ours", cry the Basmachi as Ibrahim Bek leads them forward.

Ernst Udet is still struggling to aim his bombs, obviously somewhat lacking the skill of his Luftballon colleague, the Gräfin von Stauffenberg.

Speaking of the Gräfin von Stauffenberg, having seen the Gentleman's IX disperse to avoid the bombing, she makes anothe bombing run towards the Mooltan Battalion, not caring one iota for the traders and customers in Djelibad's busy market place. A few desultory rifle shots are fired at the Luftballon, but to no effect. The She-Wolf of the Zeppelin Korps scores another hit and five Jats are down out of an original force of eleven. No problem with the morale of this elite regiment though. "Jat Balwan, Jai Bhagwan!" they shout their battle-cry.

In the intervening period, the small vodka-fuelled unit of P'yanyy Kazaks are now busy looting the campsite area of the girls of Hilda Rumpole College Archaeological Society. Rifling through the scattered luggage, it was inescapable that they would discover many items of women's unmentionables. Even the Cheka pass by, registering their disgust at their Cossack compatriots dancing around a wrecked camp site with frilly knickers on their head, consuming even more vodka as they dance the Troika!

To be continued...

Jhamjarhistan: Chapter 3, Even More of a Surprise for Snapcase!

Traders and clientele at the Djelibad Market seem still to be unaware of impending doom. Mustapha's rugs are selling like hot cakes (well, hot rugs really, I suppose).

In the top right, we can just make out the Emir's court still questioning Chippy on the location of the Golden Jhamjarh of the Sticky Gods. Chippy has not the slightest clue as to the whereabouts of this bally Jhamjarh thing they keep harping on about.

Those shadowy figures in the background could be the elite members of the Zeppelin Korps, making good use of the terrain to carry out a reconnaissance in force.

Meanwhile, to the south of Gummibad, the Zhlobinski Penal Battalion advance towards the Mission Station under the command of Mikhail Borodin, Trotsky's second-in-command.

The warrior nuns of the Ordo de quod Crucis Gladio perceive danger from the advance of the Bolos. They open fire but take serious casualties in return.

Seeing the frightening sight of the nuns taking fire from the advancing Bolshevik hordes, Father Ted starts to think about how best to make a run for it.

With the only steps to the courtyard leading directly into the murderous rifle fire of the Penal Battalion, Father Ted elects to make a jump for safety from the first floor of the Mission. Bishop Len Brennan follows his lead but unfortunately lands badly and breaks his leg. Father Ted hesitates for a second and then shouts "feck it" and runs for his life, leaving the Bishop to his fate.

Back in the environs of Djelibad a strange sight appears in the sky above. "Stap me vitals" ejaculates Snapcase. "There's some sort of balloon coming our way, open order chaps!" he shouts to the Gentleman's XV. It is of course, Gräfin von Zeppelin's secret weapon, the Luftballon. Flown by Nina Schenk Gräfin von Stauffenberg, who has the full complement of 6 light bombs to drop on the assembled foes below.

With cold and cunning ruthlessness, Gräfin von Stauffenberg selects her target.

Honeysuckle floors the accelerator of the Rolls and heads away from the path of the Luftballon. Vaggers follows suit with the throttle of his Royal Enfield wide open. He doesn't deviate from his path towards the dig site and the lovely Bunty.

Unfortunately the Gentlemen who are on foot cannot escape the path of the oncoming aerial threat. They fire wildly into the sky but the Gräfin drops her bombs with precision and there is a explosion in the centre of the XV! Snapcase goes down with a large lump of shrapnel embedded in his buttocks. A nasty business and a wound that will prevent him from carrying on. Others are also hit, D. M. D'Emfore is down, along with Blowers, Tuffers and several other Gentlemen. This is a bad moment for Snapforce.

Meanwhile, so far uncontested, the advance of the Basmachi continues. The outriders of Enver Pasha's bodyguard along with Enver himself, are entering the outskirts of the dig. Undeterred, Vaggers weaves the Enfield through the villager's crops, searching desperately for Bunty Hamster-Crust.

As Vaggers turns his machine westwards, Honeysuckle in Genevieve wrenches the steering wheel hard over and heads for the patch of gourds. Her sharp eyes have seen movement in a nearby wadi and she intends to line up the HMG in the front of the Rolls with any threats to Snapforce.

As the players break for lunch (a lovely treat provided by Hu Rhu) and head in to the pavilion, we get an overall picture of the momentous events so far, unfolding on the plains of Jhamjarhistan.

To be continued...

Commander's Briefing for Jhamjarhistan

I am using 'Setting the East Ablaze' by Steve Langan and Cameron Thomson as the rule set for the game.

This was my first game using these rules and I was very impressed. Very easy to use and very little referring to the rulebook. I had printed out the QRS for use by the players, but I had also printed out unit cards, which contained the stats for each unit. An example here:

Each Commander was issued with a briefing folder containing some useful information and some photos etc. just for atmosphere. Some examples here.

Some atmospheric photos for individual folders.

Enver Pasha:

Hella von Zeppelin:

Trotsky:

...and Snapcase (There was a slight wardrobe malfunction during Bunty's photoshoot, an unfortunate gust of wind exposed more than intended. Luckily, the censor has stepped in to protect viewers of a sensitive disposition):

Jhamjarhistan: Objectives

Each player was given a secret briefing order before the game began.

This is Trotsky's brief:

BACKGROUND

You are Lev Davidovich Bronstein, better known to the world as Leon Trotsky. You are one of the seven members of the first Bolshevik Politburo. You are also head of the Red Army as People's Commissar for Military and Naval Affairs. However, your ally Vladimir Lenin is ill and your influence and power is waning as your rival Joseph Stalin, works his devious machinations against you.

During your sojourn in London (before the Great War), you met and had an affair with Lady Persephone Fotheringay-Featherstonhaugh, the wife of Sir Frobisher Fotheringay-Featherstonhaugh, the then Home Secretary. Lady Persephone fell pregnant and to avoid scandal, was taken away to the Swiss Alps where she gave birth to Arabella. Later returning to her position in society, her daughter was accepted as a family member and grew up in the family home, Grey Gables in Ambridge, Borsetshire.

You have made secret enquiries about your daughter during the Civil War and discover she is being educated at Hilda Rumpole College, Oxford studying archaeology.

Your agents in Tashkent have delivered the startling news that your daughter is in Jhamjaristan on an archaeological dig with her college.

Also, contained within this information are the rumours that the Golden Jhamjarh of Sticky Gods may be discovered in the vicinity. You rapidly come to the conclusion that possession of the Golden Jhamjarh of Sticky Gods would restore the balance of power between yourself and Joe Stalin. Indeed, perhaps put you ahead of him in the race to control the Comintern, should Lenin become too ill to fulfil his duties.

Accordingly, you set out for Djelibad forthwith, with two aims in mind. You will reunite with your estranged daughter and also take the Jhamjarh for yourself. As C-in-C Red Army, you have your own personal armoured train. Ordering steam up, your train departs Moscow’s Oktyabrsky Terminal for Tashkent. On board are yourself, the fearsome members of your personal train guard, plus one or two surprises, should you meet any opposition along the way.

OBJECTIVES

Main objective – Obtain the Jhamjarh of Sticky Gods, location unknown but in the vicinity of the archaeological dig at Djelibad.

Secondary objective - Reunite with your estranged daughter, Arabella Fotheringay-Featherstonhaugh, located somewhere at the dig site outside Djelibad.

...and for Hella von Zeppelin:

BACKGROUND

You are Helene Amalie Gräfin von Brandenstein-Zeppelin, daughter of the Zeppelin inventor, Ferdinand Adolf Heinrich August Graf von Zeppelin and Isabella Freiin von Wolff. Known to all as Hella, you married Graf Alexander von Brandenstein-Zeppelin in 1909. The marriage is not a happy one, as you find his dilletante, philandering ways, not to your taste. You have formed a very close relationship with one Marlene Spanckwürst.

Marlene is currently your second in command in Der Zeppelin Korps. You formed the Korps in 1915 in secret and Marlene was of great assistance to you.

Der Zeppelin Korps were originally part of Die Fliegertruppen des Deutschen Kaiserreiches (Imperial German Flying Corps), abbreviated to Die Fliegertruppe. In 1916 the Kaiser gave you permission for your Zeppelin Korps to break away from the Fliegertruppe and become a secret autonomous arm of the German military. Only the elite were selected for service in the Korps after a rigorous selection process. Details of your missions during World War I are secret, and the British suppressed details of your raids behind Allied lines to avoid panic. The Korps took part in the raid on Britain by LZ 36. This raid was intended to destroy British historical documents, including the copy of Magna Carta held in Balcoven Castle in Scotland. This raid was only defeated at the last minute by a British spy, Lieutenant Geoffrey Richter-Douglas.

Recently, in the Zeppelin base at Cologne, matters had been moving at a very rapid rate, indeed. LZ36 was making ready to take to the air. It was announced as a record-breaking flight to Persia for the general public. In actual fact LZ36 was to undertake a top secret mission to central Asia. You are one of the few people who know the real purpose of the mission and you are engaged in embarking your clandestine corps of soldiers onto LZ36.

As you make your last preparations for LZ36’s departure to central Asia, your mind harks back to an interview two weeks before. You had been summoned to the Neudeck estate in East Prussia, home of the retired Chief of the Great General Staff, Paul Ludwig Hans Anton von Beneckendorff und von Hindenburg.

You had been seated in von Hindenburg’s library by his wizened valet, Hoden. In a trice, von Hindenburg had entered the room and furnished you with a large schnapps and a cigar.

Paul von Hindenburg was in a talkative mood and entertained you with scurrilous anecdotes about his political rivals. Then, with a frown he began to come to the point. In his eastern command in 1917 was the Ulanen-Regiment von Katzler Nr.2, defending Cireșoaia peak during the Battle of Oituz against the Romanian Army. Facing overwhelming odds against the Romanian Mountain Troops, the Ulans wished to withdraw to a better position and the commanding officer dispatched a young Rittmeister, Dietrich von Strepsil to carry the message back to the German Command. When von Hindenburg refused to allow the withdrawal, matters became heated between the General and the young Rittmeister. Returning to the Cireșoaia peak, von Strepsil was seriously wounded and the rest of his regiment were wiped out, to a man. After the war finished, von Strepsil swore to return to Germany one day and challenge the General to a duel. Since that day, von Hindenburg has lived in mortal fear that the Rittmeister would one day return and confront him on the field of honour. Dietrich is known for his skill with sword and pistol and von Hindenburg, for all his military prowess, is a duffer with weapons.

Your mission is to travel to Jhamjarhistan and obtain the Jhamjarh of the Sticky Gods for von Hindenburg and Germany, but secretly you are to ensure that Dietrich von Strepsil is to suffer an unfortunate but fatal ‘accident’ during the Zeppelin Korps’ raid on Djelibad. You feel this to be a dishonourable task but are compelled to obey.

OBJECTIVES

Main objective – Obtain the Jhamjarh of Sticky Gods, location unknown but in the vicinity of the archaeological dig at Djelibad.

Secondary objective – Eliminate Baron Dietrich von Strepsil, Hindenburg’s nemesis, located somewhere at the dig site outside Djelibad.

...and for Enver Pasha:

BACKGROUND

You are İsmail Enver, better known to the world as Enver Pasha. After the 1913 Ottoman coup d’état you became the Minister of War and were a part of the ‘Three Pashas’ who held de facto rule over the Ottoman Empire from 1913 until the defeat of Turkey and the end of the Great War in 1918. Following that defeat, you, along with other leading Unionists, escaped the Ottoman Empire.

In July 1921, you travel to Moscow where you manage to win the trust of the Soviet authorities. In November 1921 you are sent by Lenin to Bukhara City in the Bukharan People's Soviet Republic to help suppress the Basmachi Revolt against the local pro-Moscow Bolshevik regime. Instead, however, you make secret contacts with some of the rebellion's leaders and, along with a small number of followers, defect to the Basmachi side. Your aim is to unite the numerous Basmachi groups under your own command and mount a co-ordinated offensive against the Bolsheviks, in order to realise your pan-Turkic dreams. After a number of successful military operations, you manage to establish yourself as the rebels’ supreme commander and turn their disorganized forces into a small but well-drilled army. Your command structure is built along German lines and your staff includes a number of experienced Turkish officers.

Your burning passion to assert yourself as a great pan-Turkic leader may in part, have stemmed from your harsh treatment as a boy. At only seven years of age, you were dispatched to a Catholic school in Drumshanbo, County Leitrim, Ireland.

A very vicious teacher known only as Father Jack, was your Housemaster. Father Jack was a surly, rude, alcoholic, lecherous, senile, foul-mouthed and violent priest, who frequently lapsed into aggressive behaviour, particularly when his fellow clergy denied him alcohol. He would beat his students with a hurley stick and tell them they would burn for all eternity in Hell.

A very unpleasant time for you. After you had returned to Turkey at the age of fourteen, there was a lot of gossip about the Drumshanbo massacre, but you never heard the full details.

The Basmachi, like all inhabitants of that region had heard the rumours of the possible discovery of the location of the Golden Jhamjarh of Sticky Gods and sought the power of this legendary artefact for themselves. You have also heard rumours of a new missionary arrived in Gummibad in Jhamjarhistan. An aging white-haired alcoholic who could hardly get out of his armchair, name of Father Jack you have been told. Is there now a chance for retribution?

You have ordered a golden seal to use in stamping official documents, that describe you as ‘Commander-in-Chief of all the Armies of Islam, Son-in-Law of the Caliph and Representative of the Prophet.’ Very soon after that you started calling yourself the Emir of Turkestan, a practice not conducive to good relations with the Emir whose cause you are supposedly serving. Recently the Emir of Bukhara had broken off relations with you and this is one of the motivating factors in your desire to possess the Golden Jhamjarh and usurp the Emir in a coup.

OBJECTIVES

Main objective – Obtain the Jhamjarh of Sticky Gods, location unknown but in the vicinity of the archaeological dig at Djelibad.

Secondary objective – Revenge yourself on Father Jack by either kidnapping him or killing him outright. Believed to be at Gummibad.

...and for Snapcase:

BACKGROUND

You are 10th Earl of Snapcase, Bertram Willard Cornelius Waterloo Clarence Snapcase.

After the Great War, you had returned to your ancestral home after a long absence. Relations with your pater, the 9th Earl of Snapcase had been somewhat strained when you had left home years ago to attend Balliol. As the first-born son you had then been Lord Willard but had now returned to Snapcase Hall as Lord Snapcase, the 10th Earl of Snapcase. The 9th Earl’s liver had finally given up in disgust after years of alcoholic abuse and the old Earl had dropped dead at a cream tea given by the ladies of Much-Piddling Women’s Institute. It was considered by all concerned that it was a particularly apt moment to shuffle off this mortal coil as it happened during the traditional rendition of Jerusalem at the conclusion of the Darjeeling, scones, cream (which of course was added to the scone first) and homemade jam bean-feast in Much-Piddling Village Hall.

After putting your affairs in order, you have been posted to India along with your regiment, the 17th Lancers. On arrival in Peshawar, you have been put under the command of Major-General Kenwood-Chef, an old comrade of yours from the trenches on the Somme.

“It’s all kicked off in Jhamjarhistan” ejaculated Major-General Kenwood-Chef. A British officer on shooting leave by the name of ‘Chippy’ Minton has been imprisoned in Djelibad. “That roguish rapscallion, Faqir Al Djelibeybi, the Emir of Jhamjarhistan will be behind it all!”. This is how the adventure into Jhamjarhistan started. Kenwood-Chef proceeded to brief you.

“Now then Snappers, we need you to get to Kashgar with a mixed force by yesterday!” “Stap me, Kenners, that’s a rather tall order!” you riposte. “Now look here, I’ve spoken to that transport johnny of yours, Agnew is that his name?” growled Kenwood-Chef. “Aggers, yes that’s right sir”. “Well, he and that QM chappie Johnston reckon they can cobble together enough motorised transport to get your advance column to Kashgar in a week or so. The heavy baggage and follow-up column can damn well use Shank’s pony and a mule train. Oh, and by the by, there’s a rumour of a strange artefact in the vicinity, the Golden Jhamjarh of the Sticky Gods. Be a good chap and pick that up as well. It would look rather nice in the trophy case in the Officer’s Mess”. “If that’s the case then I’ll get my adjutant, Major Bovril onto the detailed planning straight away, General”, you come to the salute, about face and march off to cantonments to look for Bovvers, Aggers and Johnners.

When questioned, Bovvers and Aggers were adamant that they would need a team of expert mechanics to keep the motorised section running all the way to Kashgar. Aggers felt that if they could get a chap called Tuffnell from the Royal Engineers on board, then he could bring a choice selection of oily rags with him on the beano. Aggers went off to see if he could sweeten the deal with Tuffers with an all-expenses paid visit to Madame Kharrsi’s.

OBJECTIVES

Main objective – Obtain the Jhamjarh of Sticky Gods, location unknown but in the vicinity of the archaeological dig at Djelibad.

Secondary objective – Rescue Chippy Minton from the clutches of the Emir, Faqir al Djelibeybi. Location, Djelibad.

Tertiary objective – Ensure Vaggers rescues Bunty Hamster-Crust from the dig site outside Djelibad.

Jhamjarhistan: Chapter 2, A Surprise for Father Jack

The Basmachi have armed themselves with a mountain gun. A small calibre piece, but surprisingly long range. Although muzzle-loaded, it has a rifled barrel and fires a 7 pound shell up to 3,000 yards.

Keen readers will have noticed that Enver Pasha's secondary objective was to abduct or kill Father Jack Hackett. Not being one much given to vacillation, Enver gives the order to open fire immediately on deployment. The very first shot of the game is from the Basmachi mountain gun.

A match is applied to the touch-hole and with a tremendous bang, the gun fires. As the smoke clears from around the gun, the crew are as surprised as anyone to see an explosion at the Mission Station.

As previously seen, Mrs. Doyle was at that moment serving tea to the assembled Fathers on the roof. Seconds later, an explosion and tragedy. A direct hit on Father Jack, who manages to utter his dying words, "Feck, girl's knickers" as he shuffles off this mortal coil. The tragedy lies more in the demise of Mrs. Doyle and Father Dougal as collateral damage.

Father Ted and Bishop Len Brennan can only look on in horror. "That money was just resting in my account" mumbles Father Ted, as if expecting Divine Retribution to come his way next!

Over to the south-east, Vaggers has opened the throttle on his Enfield and roared across the plain, heading for the dig site, with only one thought on his mind, Bunty!

Honeysuckle Weeks has the Roller at top speed, trying to keep up with Vaggers.

The Gurkhas advance towards the Royal Palace in Djelibad, the Jats appear to be heading for the market and the Gentlemen's XV, along with the mortar platoon are heading for the dig.

To the north-east the Zeppelin Korps seem to be advancing in three directions, with Marlene Spanckwürst remaining at the deployment zone.

In the south-west, the Zhlobinski Penal Battalion advance towards the Mission Station after hearing a loud explosion from that direction. The Tachanka covers their right flank. The Krasnyy Sotnya lead the advance towards the dig, followed by the Cheka and the Traktor HMG. Trotsky himself brings up the rear accompanied by the P'yanyy Kazaks.

It has to said at this point that Trotsky began to sing. His favourite tune? The Cheka Song and he gave a lovely rendition of it as the Cheka swaggered pompously along, in the wake of the Krasnyy Sotnya.

Meet the Cheka ’cause the boys are here — 

The boys to persecute you.

With torture and slaughter to help you on your way — 

To raising the rafters with a hey-hey-hey!

With knives and skewers and whips old and new — 

With us about you won’t feel blue!

So, meet the Cheka ’cause the boys are here — 

The boys to persecute you!

B – O, B – O – Y – S, boys to persecute you!

With Bolsheviks advancing from the south-west and motorised troops advancing from the south-east, the ad hoc dig-site guards were getting twitchy. Fingering their triggers, they prepared to sell their lives dearly. As it transpired, the HMG in Genevieve and rifle fire from the Krasnyy Sotnya, disposed of them before they fired a shot.

Now, if you have been paying attention, you will know that the German's secondary objective was to eliminate Dietrich von Strepsil. Hella von Zeppelin was loathe to carry out this villainous order, but felt she had no choice. Now, the terrible deed had been done for her, although she is yet to gain the dig site entrance and find the truth for herself.

Undeterred by the opening of hostilities, the elite Krasnyy Sotnya advance in good order. They do however, realise that they have low supplies of ammunition (a poor dice roll). Bunty Hamster-Crust appears to be in mortal danger and needs to relocate swiftish!

To be continued...

Jhamjarhistan: Chapter 1, The Debouch

 ...and so finally, the long awaited encounter begins. With a stellar cast, the shenanigans, capers and malarkey surrounding the Golden Jhamjarh of the Sticky Gods are enacted under the blazing skies of Central Asia.

We began proceedings at around 10.00am (after bacon and egg banjoes had been issued to the troops) and unbeknownst to us at that time, the game would not conclude until 02.00am on the following day. It takes great stamina to be a Gentleman of Much-Piddling! Owing to the length of the game and my numerous photos, I think I will have to produce the AAR in a series of chapters.

Chapter 1: The Debouch

The sun was like a ball of fire as the various factions came in sight of the dig site near Djelibad in Jhamjarhistan.

Below we see the ruins of an ancient Scythian temple and the entrance to Lord Creosote's dig. In the foreground stands an old watch tower, used in the past to give warning of the marauding bands of lawless Basmachi. To the left is the missionary station at Gummibad and the tents which make up the accommodation for the young ladies known as the Rumpole Scholars.

Below we can see Snapforce collecting supplies from the Royal Navy on the edge of the Caspian Sea. Just ahead of them is Djelibad, the capital of Jhamjarhistan. It's market day in the capital and traders have come from far and wide to display their wares.

A view of the Great Plain of Jhamjarhistan with Gummibad in the far distance.

In the Royal Palace at Djelibad, we see the court of the Emir of Jhamjarhistan, Faqir al Djelibeybi. Lakshmibai Al Djelibeybi, Emira of Jhamjarh is there along with her son Gunga Al Djelibeybi, the Emirzade of Jhamjarh. Appah Rao, the huge Jetti from Mysore is visible, along with Mrs. Goggins from Greendale. Mrs. Goggins you will recall, answered an advert in Postmistress Weekly, to assist the Emir to set up a postal service in Djelibad. However, on arrival she found it was a terrible scam to recruit British Postmistresses as Nautch Dancers in the Emir’s court. On the right in the white robe is Chippy Minton, currently the Emir's prisoner.

Snapforce assembles and prepares for the drive on Djelibad by loading the essential 'three B's', beans, bullets and bandages.

Red-tabbed staff officers swap notes on their accommodation and check their stores of medicinal whiskey and champagne.

The WRAF mechanics and drivers are very confident that every vehicle is mechanically sound and ready to go. So much so, that they are taking their leisure at the mobile pasty unit.

The inhabitants of Djelibad are busy at the market, unaware of the dark and dangerous forces mustering in the vicinity. Abdul Eu Lalie, the purveyor of ladies unmentionables has a special offer on pink bloomers today, BOGOF!

Snappers decides to send a smaller force forwards to reconnoitre. In the foreground are the 5th Royal Gurkha Rifles, Frontier Force under the command of Major B. A. Johnston MC. To their left are the 2nd Bn/9th Jat Regiment, Mooltan Battalion, commanded by Major L. T. J. Arlott. To their left are the scratch force of odd bods from Peshawar cantonments, under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Snapcase and named the Gentlemen's XV for the purposes of this mission. To their left is the mortar platoon, Privates Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy under the redoubtable Sergeant Major Finlayson, led by Major Hector McSnapcase (a distant cousin on the distaff side of the Snapcase family). Genevieve (Snapcase's Rolls) driven by Honeysuckle Weeks is on the left flank, along with Vaggers on his his trusty Royal Enfield.

To the south-west of the dig, Trotsky and his Bolshevik forces make their appearance and start to scout the scene.

At the dig site, Bunty Hamster-Crust (blue shemagh, bottom left) is directing a digging party of native labourers. Cecil de Leominster and Dietrich von Strepsil guard the entrance to the dig. Rumours of the Golden Jhamjarh of the Sticky Gods are bound to draw bandits and other nefarious ne'er-do-wells!

Here we see the camp site where the girls of Hilda Rumpole College are billeted.

In Gummibad, the nuns of the Ordo de quod Crucis Gladio prepare the defences of the Mission Station. On the roof, Father Jack Hackett, Father Ted Crilly and Father Dougal McGuire are served tea by the redoubtable Mrs Doyle. Bishop Len Brennan looks on in disgust.

To the north-west, Enver Pasha and his hordes of Basmachi take to the field.

Whilst to the north-east, the troops of the Zeppelin Korps are so far, unobserved. The Gräfin von Zeppelin wanting to keep a low profile, owing to her force being somewhat outnumbered (or so it seems).

This then, is not the beginning of the end, but it may well be the end of the beginning.

To be continued...