If someone offers you a nice set of WW1 kit....

[Bruce Parker (RIP)]

....beware:

Great War film items go AWOL
Producers, supplier pleading for return of stolen rare artifacts
GAYLE MACDONALD
From Wednesday's Globe and Mail (Sept. 20, 2006)
What began as a noble artistic endeavour wrapped on a sour -- and ignoble -- note.
Soon after the ambitious TV movie The Great War finished shooting in Quebec last summer, the Montreal producers, Galafilm Inc., made a disheartening discovery -- more than 1,000 items of largely irreplaceable First World War insignia, uniforms and equipment had walked off the set, they suspect, with some of the 150 descendents who had been hired to re-enact their great-grandfather's bloody battles in the trenches.
And retired Major Ian Newby, whose company, International Movie Services, provided the filmmakers with the authentic military paraphernalia, is none too pleased.
"The list is enormous," Newby clipped briskly into the phone from his home base in Aldergrove, B.C. "It's more than five pages. It's taken a quarter of a century to amass the World War I Canadian Expeditionary Force items. And at one blow, we are severely impaired in our ability to put something like this together again.
"I've contacted everyone I know in the industry to see what we can do, but unfortunately some of the items are going to be irreplaceable," he seethed. "It's either a group of people who decided this was a good opportunity to outfit themselves for a future re-enactment, or they didn't realize the significance of taking a souvenir. When one or two take souvenirs, it's a burden that can be borne. This is a real loss not only to the motion-picture industry but to Canadian history."
Galafilm's The Great War by award-winning director Brian McKenna, starring Justin Trudeau, is a four-hour epic to mark the 90th anniversary of Canada's involvement in the First World War.
It's slated to broadcast in two episodes on CBC and Radio-Canada during spring, 2007.
Galafilm producer Natalie Dubois said her company feels sick about the theft, and has sent two e-mail messages since mid-August asking for the return of the items. Dubois says the first letter was sent to the descendents Aug. 10. "We did not get many answers. In the following week, we received one package, then a few days later, two or three other items were sent back to us."
The next letter went out Sept. 15. "This time [it] mentioned that IMS wanted us to call the police. Three days later, more than one-third of the descendants had already written back, and most of them wrote that they did not take anything. And we have no reason not to believe them.
"We are expecting the rest of them to answer by the end of the week," Dubois added. "At this point, we are not considering calling the police, but if we do not recover most of the missing items, IMS or our insurance company might force us to. A certain amount of loss is perfectly normal with this kind of project: buttons fall off, people lose things in the field, stuff breaks, etc. But in this case, it was more than that."
The descendants were chosen through an open call last year, with ads placed on radio, on the Internet and in local newspapers.
Newby hesitated to put a dollar figure on the theft, adding that "at present I'll keep that between CBC and Galafilm." However, he did offer some insight into the inherent worth of some of the missing things. "The Canadian army extensively used British-made webbing that was patented in 1908. We're missing 28 sets of PO8 webbing, which is worth $2,000 apiece.
"As for the real Canadian World War I insignia?" the major adds. "Well, it's heartbreaking when you consider that this stuff isn't available in any kind of volume any more. A single cap badge or a shoulder title can be worth $25 to $50 apiece. And we're missing over 400."
In the past decade, Newby's Fraser Valley-based company has provided uniforms and equipment for more than 5,000 productions, including present-day thrillers such as 16 Blocks and Paul Gross's yet-to-be-made Passchendaele, about the great battle of 1917. Slated to being shooting in Alberta this autumn, Newby said he's "grateful" Gross's production has been pushed back. "We're going to have to spend the winter trying to recover the items, or source new ones."
Yesterday, the former major said IMS did get a box from Galafilm with seven or eight items they had recovered. And one descendent from Vancouver called him to say he is be bringing back one of the First World War grey-back shirts.
He said he would like the chaps who walked off with complete uniforms for a Black Watch and German soldier to use Galafilm's offer to pay for shipment by FedEx.
"The sheer volume indicates it's a group," Newby said. "I can't comment on the command and control system [that was in place during the shoot] because I wasn't there. But what I can say is that in the future Canadian productions should definitely hire a real soldier, a bloody-minded individual who will make everybody sign for each button and hang them up by their thumbs if it doesn't come back!"
A partial list of purloined items
Uniform
Collarless shirt x 21
Officer pants x 1
Black Watch hose tops x 5
Sporrans x 3
Kilt pins x 4
Kilt apron x 3
Pr. puttees x 36
Pr. navy puttees x 19
Canadian helmets x 9
Canadian soft caps x 6
Canadian tunics x 21
Trench caps x 55
Ponchos x 12
German gas mask tins x 3
Badges
Canadian lapel badge x 19
Canada cap badge x 53
Canada shoulder badge x 5
Set of captain badges x 2
Royal Van Doos cap badge x 19
Black Watch shoulder badge x 14
Black Watch lapel badge x 18
PPCLI shoulder badge x 20
Dragoons collar badge x 2
Nfld. regiment badge x 30

[Tony Smith]

What a sad loss of irreplaceable militaria. With respect to Mr Newby though, wasn't it a little silly to use genuine gear to equip 150 extra's for a film? Not in the expectation that the stuff will be souvenired, but knowing that there will be wear and tear, knowing that they will be covered in mud and movie blood? Sure, for a close-up of a particular character an original badge or uniform might be required, but for the bulk of the actors reproduction gear such as that made by Lawrance Ordnance would have been better than risking damaging a $2000 original.

[sapper740]

Originally posted by Tony Smith
What a sad loss of irreplaceable militaria. With respect to Mr Newby though, wasn't it a little silly to use genuine gear to equip 150 extra's for a film? Not in the expectation that the stuff will be souvenired, but knowing that there will be wear and tear, knowing that they will be covered in mud and movie blood? Sure, for a close-up of a particular character an original badge or uniform might be required, but for the bulk of the actors reproduction gear such as that made by Lawrance Ordnance would have been better than risking damaging a $2000 original.

It is indeed sad news. I know Ian well and have visited his farm in Aldergrove many times. I bought my 1976 Chev 5/4 ton from him. Ian was a gracious host, when he wasn't busy and let me wander through his buildings looking at his SUBSTANTIAL collection of vehicles and uniforms. Ian estimated that he had over 10,000 uniforms of various vintages!
I understand your sentiments Tony. I know a few people involved in supplying kit and weapons to the movie industry in and around Vancouver. The movie industry in B.C. has grown to tremendous proportions in recent years, surmounting one billion dollars annually years ago. One of the reasons for the exponential growth of the movie industry in B.C. is that people like Ian Newby, Tom Bongalis, et al can provide whatever is required to kit out the actors. Of course, the items are insured, but that is small relief for the loss of some of the rarest items. When the movie industry asked for something, the suppliers of B.C. responded. That kind of cooperation has allowed B.C. to become "Hollywood North." Unfortunately, theft is one of the prices we've had to pay. Many will remember that during the filming of "Rambo" the production moved to the Capilano river canyon in North Vancouver. Many of the M16's were stolen from a lock up on the movie set creating a huge furor. I don't remember if any of the rifles were ever recovered. Hopefully the actors involved will feel some level of shame and return the kit to Ian. In the future, I'm sure there will be some level of financial responsibility attached to the actors when kit is issued.


CHIMO!

[Bob Potter]

When will this series air? This is the first I have heard of this, and although I certainly find it disgraceful that so much historical property disappeared, I am not entirtely convincd that the TV people knew what they had.

Anyway, I am REALLY interested to know more about this series.

Bob Potter

[peter simundson]

Bruce. Do you really think he had or lost 28 original sets of webbing?? I've been at it for a while and only have three sets. At the Etobicoke show (where were you??) I bought a helve holder for $100, which I thought was cheap. Likely his webbing was What price Glory. $300 a set. How would he buy 28 original sets? No one could. Also what happens each night. Does everyone just take everything home?? Who was in charge?
Most equipment on a set is insured by whoever is renting it.
Some lessons are more expensive than others.
A local equipment supplier delivers and sets up the material, gets signatures and when it comes back he bills shortages. Works for him.

[rob love]

If you go over to M Dorosh's site, there is a parrallel discussion about this story. One of the contributors there saw some of the P-08 webbing first hand and saw a mix of P-08 with P-37 and 50s webbing mixed together.
The quote of $2000 per set seems to be a bit high, given this. But of course, insurance prices are always a tad higher.

[Bruce Parker (RIP)]

Three sets of Pattern 08'? You have three sets? Hearing that, disadvantaged collectors out there will recoil into a fetal position when they realize that if you, you with more years of collecting experience than 3 average collectors combined, can only come up with three sets, their chances of obtaining a set are, well, rather dismal....

(Cheap shot. Had to do it. Sorry Peter. Get me back at you leasure)

I read the Globe article and heard Ian on the CBC, both of which left the audience with the impression that the loss was of irreplaceable Great War artifacts. Information on Dorosh's site confirms what you suggest...that the items were a combination of originals, reproductions and alterations (I half wondered if the stuff was so scarce because this guy had been acquiring every bit that became available over the last 30 years). $2000 for a set of '08 sounded pretty good even if it was original. My single set. My lonely, one off set is now being re-assessed.

[peter simundson]

My my...you still have that set. Now what could I come up with?????

[Bruce Parker (RIP)]

:

[peter simundson]

Sorry ..... didn't realize it was on a highlander uniform (gag..barf). However with proper care and attention that ratty set of webbing may yet survive to go on my 3rd Toronto uniform where it belongs. Ooops it already has three sets on it.
I've got to ask...where did your helve holder come from and how much..or did you get it with the set?? Need a decent WW1 brodie helmet??

[Bruce Parker (RIP)]

I had to buy a whole other set of webbing just to get the helve holder. Worse....there was a Canadian-made 5 button tunic, floppy cap and tin lid attached as well. I've since sold the surplus web. I felt...rather guilty...having more that one set.

[peter simundson]

Ooooh...I feel guilty. Yeh right!
Got a lever and pin for a Stokes??
When I add up what this c..p (stuff) is worth I feel less guilty.