Bad Squiddo Games has now released a set of their World War II Female Resistance Fighters for you to use in your 28mm scale tabletop wargames. Coming off the back of the Kickstarter, they are now available as a pre-release over on the webstore!

Hans & Sophie Scholl // Bad Squiddo Games

All of the miniatures here are based on real people who had real stories, making a mark in the fight against Fascism and the rise of the Nazis during World War II. For example, you have Hans and Sophie Scholl (above), who were members of the White Rose, spreading information to the German population to increase rebellion against the government and their ideas.

Their flyers contained information that had been censored by the Nazis and featured calls to action for people to rise up. They were eventually caught and executed but the RAF came across the flyers and airdropped them all over, spreading their message even after their deaths.

Maybe you'd rather pick up Anne Margrethe Bang & Eva Klovstad?

Anne Margre "The Bang" & Eva Klovstad // Bad Squiddo Games

Whilst these women never met, they both served as resistance fighters and operatives in Norway, hence their being bundled together. "The Band" was the only women defending the Hegra Fortress in Norway, one of the final holdouts against the Nazis. She served as a medic, running around saving soldiers and was called Joan of Arc by the German attackers.

She is also known as "Lotten fra Hegra". The Lotten is a Women's Home Defence organisation that still exists today.

You also have Eva Kløvstad led the District 25 Milorg with 1200 people under her command. When the leader, Christian Juell Sandberg, was shot, she rebuilt the entire network and kept it going under the code name of Jakob. She marched at the end of the war in her uniform, beret and pistol at the ready, but wasn't allowed to march in front of the royal family (boo!).

Maybe you're drawn to the unassuming Odette Samson?

Odette Samson // Bad Squiddo Games

Samson was an SOE agent, meaning that she worked for the British in occupied France. She was able to blend in being French herself and couriered for the Spindel Network. Her group were captured due to a double agent and dragged to Ravensbrück. However, unlike others, her story didn't end there.

Odette was able to convince them that Peter Churchill was the nephew of Winston and she, being his wife, knew nothing of what was going on! This meant she survived and was kept as a captive to bargain with. Ravensbrück eventually fell and the commandant drove her out, terrifying Samson until she realised they were driving to the Americans! She didn't take any of this nonsense, took his gun and just went home. Great.

Lastly, for my preview of the range, we have Simone Segouin.

Simone Segouin // Bad Squiddo Games

She is a legendary figure amongst the French Resistance, having been pictured in Life magazine, which ended up making her an iconic symbol of the struggle against Fascism. She started out as a messenger but moved up in the world to blowing up trains. She also joined the Francs-tireurs et partisans and was a dab hand with an SMG. She survived the war and lived a long life.

I have, in no way, done justice to the stories of these women and their service in World War II. Annie from Bad Squiddo has done such a good job researching this range and putting all of their stories together alongside the miniatures themselves. It would be frankly criminal if you're a World War II fan not to pick up some of these miniatures for your own collection. There are loads more for you to choose from on the webstore!

They would be perfect for games like Bolt Action and 02 Hundred Hours. They'd also be excellent as leaders for the new plastic miniatures by Wargames Atlantic, which would most likely not exist without the work of Annie to popularise these female fighters.

Make sure to pick some of these larger-than-life characters up for yourself!