In memory of George Gush - posted by Vince Cholewa, 30 October 2025

I was saddened to see on the DBA Facebook group that one of the people on whose work wargaming as we know it today is based, George Gush, has died.

George was best known as the author of the WRG Renaissance rules which were the "go-to" set in the 1970's. For me, my very first visit to the Wellington Warlords in 1979 had me hooked. I walked in and there on table tops were the ‘Gush rules’ and Polish winged hussars, Dutch pike and shot, English Civil War Royalists and Montrose Scots.

Besides his speciality area of the Renaissance, George also wrote many articles and guides on other periods and wargaming in general. All of the books and guides in the pic I have in my small collection of wargaming classics.

He was a professional historian and a lecturer at the West Kent College, and also a Life Chairman of the Pike and Shot Society and Chairman of the Tunbridge Wells Wargames Society.

Our hobby owes George a great deal and he will be sadly missed.

[I have taken the pic and much of the information in this post from the post on the DBA group.]

https://www.facebook.com/groups/824840264342234/posts/3093704574122447/

John van den Hoeven

Still got his book on Renaissance armies

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Dirk Heinsius

John van den Hoeven me too

Dave Madigan

I was lucky enough to get my rule book and lists signed by George. I have the books too.

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Vincent Cholewa

Dave Madigan how cool is that 

John Dods

I still have my rules and Renaissance armies.

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Cicerius Panderius

Yes, I still have my copy of Renaissance armies. That book set a positive benchmark in study of the period in my humble opinion. Sad loss.

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Ion A Dowman

Gush's Guide to Wargaming is probably the best such introductory volume I have ever read - and that's clearing a pretty high bar! I still have mine.

But his 19th Century warfare artillery grid could stand improvement!

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John Dods

Somewhere in the dark recesses of my garage dwells my 25mm Muscovite army of Ivan IV, including Dirk Heinsius painted Boyar ,Zaporozhian Cossacks, Streltsy and crim Tartars

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Vincent Cholewa

John Dods nice 

Michael Stonyer

Me Too; It's still the book I go to first when I want to look something up