"Lost But Not Forgotten" Trench warfare Diorama -DKoK vs DG

[Alby the Slayer]

The idea came when my father researched about his family tree and I started to know about my great-grandfather who was an Alpino (Italian mountain infantry) who fought on WWI as artillery man.

He died in 1957 so I never knew him, I know him only through photos and some things he left behind.

In my youth everyone was always talking about WWII, which my grandfather did, and you can see many movies about it and books and such. Not so much about WWI. 

In recent years something changed but some years ago I studied the conflict and decided to do a diorama about 4ok trench warfare, to remember those who fought in WWI(it always sad for me that no one is still alive)and died in one of the worst type of warfare imaginable.

It took me almost seven months to complete.

 

I apologise for the bad photos. The diorama is pretty big and I'm pretty bad to take photos with the right light :)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Mazer Rackham]

Simply magnificent.

 

For what it's worth, I researched a little Italian WW1 history for a project of mine, so seeing something like this and reading about your family history makes all of it 'come alive' so to speak.

 

The photos are great - with the lighting I can see what is really going on with your terrain effects and paintjobs, there's a lot of nice storytelling here, which captures the relentlessness and desperation.

 

Excellent work, I can tell a great deal of passion and sentiment went into this, and it was all worth it.

[Firedrake Cordova]

Very nice work, @Alby the Slayer.  The mud looks pretty disgusting (i.e. a good representation of the cloying mud that is common to many battles of that type) ...

[N1SB]

I am in awe.

[ranulf the revenant]

As a German, I always thought there was something suspicious going on with Austrians, all this corruption and morbid humor. No wonder our mountain dwelling cousins follow the plague god...

Silly jokes aside, great work!

 

Edited January 10, 2023 by ranulf the revenant
wording, spelling

[Brother Clavero]

Absolutely fantastic 

[Slave to Darkness]

I had a great-grandpappy who fought in WW1 as well, I dont know much about it as I was a kid when I found out and Transformers were more interesting at the time, and I dont talk to that side of the family any more. Anyhoo thats not important, your diorama is, and damn that is a FINE looking diorama, possibly one of the best I have ever seen, for sure the best trench diorama I have seen and I have seen loads over the years. Bloody good job frater. 

[Magos Takatus]

I only recently learned more about the WW1 mountain battles through the Metal Band Sabaton of all things.

Spoiler

 

 

 

I learned how dangerous it was even without considering the actual fighting taking place. That must have been awful. I hope the fact that the stories from the First World War are becoming more widely known is satisfying. I'd hate to think these stories were becoming lost.

 

Anyway, back to the diorama, it is fantastic. I love both the grim trench conditions and the very businesslike livery of the Mechanicus Knight standing over the conflict. Stellar work.

 

 

[Urauloth]

Wow, that mud looks even more disgusting than the plague zombies, that's amazing work. There's a stunning amount of detail here, and the conversions really enhance it (I love the zombie with the lasgun in particular).

[Naryn]

Love this diorama! My great grandfather was on the same front, as a cavalryman. You really captured the horror of the whole thing. Excellent hobby work!

[Alby the Slayer]

22 hours ago, Mazer Rackham said:

Simply magnificent.

 

For what it's worth, I researched a little Italian WW1 history for a project of mine, so seeing something like this and reading about your family history makes all of it 'come alive' so to speak.

 

The photos are great - with the lighting I can see what is really going on with your terrain effects and paintjobs, there's a lot of nice storytelling here, which captures the relentlessness and desperation.

 

Excellent work, I can tell a great deal of passion and sentiment went into this, and it was all worth it.

 

Thank you kindly @Mazer Rackham. In my research I was struck by how futile the war was, especially in our front, and the insane conditions of the soldier in the trenches. I was trying to convey that in my diorama, seeing the DG as a manifestation of the absurd, of the unimaginable horrors of trench warfare.

 

Thank you for your words again, I'm glad I was able to convey what this diorama is.

 

21 hours ago, Firedrake Cordova said:

Very nice work, @Alby the Slayer.  The mud looks pretty disgusting (i.e. a good representation of the cloying mud that is common to many battles of that type) ...

 

Thanks @Firedrake Cordova! 

Yes in the books I read about WWI, often the soldiers talk about how after days and day of bombardments and rains, you will get a mud that was very plastic and crazy. It never dried and stank horribly because of bodies and chemicals in the water...

I used real dirt, various glues and resin to achieve that effect of a wet mud, I like the result.

 

15 hours ago, ranulf the revenant said:

As a German, I always thought there was something suspicious going on with Austrians, all this corruption and morbid humor. No wonder our mountain dwelling cousins follow the plague god...

Silly jokes aside, great work!

 

 

Thank you my teutonic friend .

 

13 hours ago, Slave to Darkness said:

I had a great-grandpappy who fought in WW1 as well, I dont know much about it as I was a kid when I found out and Transformers were more interesting at the time, and I dont talk to that side of the family any more. Anyhoo thats not important, your diorama is, and damn that is a FINE looking diorama, possibly one of the best I have ever seen, for sure the best trench diorama I have seen and I have seen loads over the years. Bloody good job frater. 

 

Thank you very much, really. You are too kind @Slave to Darkness .  Yeah, my grandfather kept most of his father belongings, and my father found most of it for his research. I even have a commendation for my great-grandfather made by Mussolini , as Prime Minister of War of that time. Crazy times indeed.

I have a cigar holder of his too, made of wood and handcarved by him with the number of his regiment and the year(1917). Another crazy thing is that I like to smoke cigars just like him...

 

10 hours ago, Magos Takatus said:

I only recently learned more about the WW1 mountain battles through the Metal Band Sabaton of all things.

  Reveal hidden contents

 

 

 

I learned how dangerous it was even without considering the actual fighting taking place. That must have been awful. I hope the fact that the stories from the First World War are becoming more widely known is satisfying. I'd hate to think these stories were becoming lost.

 

Anyway, back to the diorama, it is fantastic. I love both the grim trench conditions and the very businesslike livery of the Mechanicus Knight standing over the conflict. Stellar work.

 

 

Yep, it was hell. Rats, diseases, the cold and the constast loud sound of artillery. Thank you @Magos Takatus, and yes I wanted the knight to be more astra militarum as possible :).

 

12 hours ago, Urauloth said:

Wow, that mud looks even more disgusting than the plague zombies, that's amazing work. There's a stunning amount of detail here, and the conversions really enhance it (I love the zombie with the lasgun in particular).

 

Thank you @Urauloth. I love conversions

 

7 hours ago, Naryn said:

Love this diorama! My great grandfather was on the same front, as a cavalryman. You really captured the horror of the whole thing. Excellent hobby work!

 

Which country if I may ask ? Thank you @Naryn

[Firedrake Cordova]

3 hours ago, Alby the Slayer said:

I used real dirt, various glues and resin to achieve that effect of a wet mud, I like the result.

That's interesting! I assumed you'd used something like AK Interactive's "Muddy Ground" or Vallejo Diorama Effects mud.

[Alby the Slayer]

4 hours ago, Firedrake Cordova said:

That's interesting! I assumed you'd used something like AK Interactive's "Muddy Ground" or Vallejo Diorama Effects mud.

 

@Firedrake CordovaThe base was stucco, I glued over some australian red dirt (found near a tennis ground) and then used Vallejo Thick mud and various resins for water pools and shiny mud effects.