About Us

The Great War SIG ("GWSIG") is a special interest group that is part of IPMS(UK). Its goal is to promote interest in, and understanding of, all aspects of the Great War through modelling-related activities and displays.

Membership is free and is open to anyone interested in making models of any WWI subject. We also include pre-1914 subjects that are relevant to the Great War and the regional conflicts that carried on after the Armistice in 1918 into the early 1920s.

Although the SIG is part of IPMS(UK), membership of IPMS is not a requirement for membership of the SIG. We welcome members from any part of the world, although most of our display activities happen in the UK.

The primary activities of the GWSIG are as follows:

• To share source information that will help modellers produce better representations of Great War subjects.
• To share modelling tips and techniques relevant to Great War subjects.
• To produce a Newsletter, Cher Ami, that showcases the activities of the SIG and its members, and provides news and information about Great War kits and accessories.
• To put on displays that allow members to display their models and represent the SIG at IPMS(UK) and other modelling events.

The GWSIG currently has over 140 members. If you want to join, please Contact Us.

Please note the GWSIG focuses entirely on model making, conversions and scratchbuilding. We do not cater for pre-painted "toy" soldiers or similar diecast/pre-built models and figures.

The GWSIG was born from the demise of the Great War International Cyber Chapter, an IPMS(USA) internet chapter closely tied to the World War I Modeling Page at http://www.wwi-models.org/. Nigel Rayner ran a small GWICC table at Scale ModelWorld in 2007, and Steve Cox then took up the baton and ran GWICC displays around the UK, with help from others. It was at Scale ModelWorld in 2011 that we collected names from those who visited the GWICC display and approached the IPMS committee about forming a SIG. Dave Hooper was our first SIG leader, and Steve Cox took up the baton once Dave decided to spend more time producing the Newsletter.