The Gentlemen Rankers - influences -1

I had wanted to write about the gentlemen rankers ever since I read Kipling's poem. My original plan was to set them in the late 19th century. It was only recently that I thought of combining them with the magical years 1904 / 05 which I had also wanted to write about for a while. To be candid, I still have not got a clear a picture of them in my mind as I should like. However, they must owe something to the three musketeers. O have been a fan of Dumas' story (which I confess I have never read) since I first saw a film.

I think these were my favourites. Oliver Reed & Co from the Richard Lester film.

But these, from the Man in the Iron Mask, come a close second.

and of course I mustn't neglect these from the latest steampunk version.

As you can see the Three Musketeers are a powerful meme indeed!

But they are not the only influence on my gentlemen rankers, as I shall show in my next post.