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#1
24-10-08, 01:43
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Help oversize uniform
We are a re-enactment group called: the ‘3rd (Montreal) Field Battery of Artillery.
We owned a 25 Pdr howitzer a caisson and a C15A as a gun tractor. One of our members needs an oversize uniform. His sizes are: chest 66 inches and the waist of 52 inches. Does any one know where we could get him a uniform: summer 1943, Battle dress 1943, or a Canadian green olive combat that has been replaced recently? Gilles UBIQUE 
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#2
24-10-08, 17:19
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Quote:
Try... Ohmar,The Tent Maker.. LOL     
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Alex Blair :remember :support :drunk:
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#3
24-10-08, 18:57
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Wow!
I didn't know that the oxen pulling the caissons also wore Battle Dress. Sorry, bad joke. I'm afraid your friend may be out of luck if he (I assume it's a he!) wants an original uniform. Canada produced oversize uniforms during the war...the Brits stopped at size 18 whereas the Canadians carried on from 19 to size 32 although I must admit I don't know what measurements that translates into. I can tell you I've had trouble finding original Battle Dress for my 6' 2" 205lb. frame. What Price Glory in California makes KD (Khaki Drill) uniforms in oversize. Also, they have contracted with Dorothea Mills (I believe) to make repro WWII Canadian berets. I've seen them and the material would be suitable for Canadian Battle Dress. Your friend might be able to acquire enough material and /or contract with WPG for a tailor to make a custom fitting BD. Don't know if that helps or not.
Derek.
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Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?
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#4
24-10-08, 19:44
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Battle dress
I want to thank all does that give me some good tips and at the same ignore does that made silly comments.
L'ignorance n'a pas d'âge. Gilles Aubé UBIQUE
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#5
24-10-08, 21:01
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Relax, GIlles.... I think what they're trying to say is that as much as they admire your friend's spirit, the fact is that there were very few people in this society in 1943 who carried that kind of weight - and thus, very hard to find period clothing for them, especially uniforms. Regardless of the jokes about just needing a pulse to get into the army (and even then some would doubt that
 ), there were standards of fitness and health which I frankly doubt someone with a 66" chest and 52" waist could pass - hence the humour. I'm sorry if that offended you, but the fact is, I daresay the average Canadian soldier in WW2 would stand about 5'8" and be about 140 lbs (if that), which translates to about a 36" chest and 30" waist (if that). Cheers, Geoff
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SUNRAY SENDS AND ENDS :remember :support
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#6
25-10-08, 03:30
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Repro Battledress
Hi,
You may want to try a website from a fellow named Sanjiy Suri in India, his prices are very low, he custom makes the garments for you, and will ship them within a couple of months, he has WWII British battledress in Khaki color, not any Canadian green yet. I have ordered mess kit, battle dress and parts of uniforms from him before and all have been in good quality and the service hasn't let me down yet. His website is, http://www.replicaters.com/ Cheers, Rob
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#7
25-10-08, 18:00
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Quote:
 (sorry-couldn't resist)
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#8
26-10-08, 02:06
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I am going to have to concur to some degree. As much as it pleases me that he is wanting to be a re-enactor (and these folk are hard to come by), he is grossly obese and never would have been allowed entry into the forces back in the war.
Do you really want someone so obese representing 3rd (Montreal) Field Battery of Artillery? Would the representation you put forward reflect accurately that unit during WW2? I would say not. I don't think they let 300+ lb people in their unit then. There are a number of reproduction companies in the world who fabricate new repro items. Use google/yahoo and search "ww2 uniform reproduction" and you will find many suppliers. Maybe one can custom tailor a uniform for your friend. Good luck. Nites
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#9
26-10-08, 05:07
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Volunteers
Quote:
I am not sure where you live, but in most of Canada, what we do today does not always reflect the way we were in the past. Take the Citadel at Halifax - some members of the period reinactors summer program are black and in all likelyhood, blacks would not have served in a line infantry unit nor worn that type uniform. As you mentioned, volunteers are very hard to come by. The private museum with which I associate takes one and all and are grateful for it. In most federally sponsored historcial venues, volunteering for a uniformed re-enactment is open to all Canadians - and is only limited by physical ability and age. In a perfect world, re-enactors would look the part from boot polish to brass cleaner, but they are not. The unfortunate thing is that most Canadian wouldn't have a clue whether or not an "obese" individual would have served. Besides, what's the harm? Your general statement about hard to come by volunteers and suggestion to use Google are helpful and I hope this thread stays that way. Keep in mind that the fellow in question just might be a member of this forum or at least a visitor thinking of making a contribution (financial or informational?) to it. We should be congratulating those folks who take the time to keep our military heritage alive - any way we can. There are plenty of "purists" who will point out errors, but the bottom line is volunteering must be fun, otherwise the interest will die. So, let's all have fun - get out there and volunteer! And to those who do volunteer - well done. At least you are doing something and not just sitting on your butts pointing out errors or inconsistencies. The soap box is yours...
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RHC Why is it that when you have the $$, you don't have the time, and when you have the time you don't have the $$?
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#10
26-10-08, 15:18
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I can see how the people who put in all the work on their vehicles are keeping history alive, (as long as they are accurate). But are re-enactors really representing the original soldiers, or just playing soldiers and showing off. I've always said, that I would much sooner see one original uniform on a dummy (that I could see properly) than a battalion worth of uniforms running around a field playing soldiers. The men and women who wore (and still wear) these uniforms for real went through a lot to earn the right.
A friend of mine was at beltring for the first time, and although he quiet enjoyed the experience, he found the re-enactors very unsettling. He could see why the old(ish) men might want to dress up (if they regretted not joining up, and wanted to get what they considered a similar experience. But he couldn't understand why the young ones didn't join up for real, and do something usefull, rather than playing around in a field for a week. There's a section in spike milligans memoirs where he explains how one batman saluted the officers best uniform every morning, regardless of whether the officer was wearing it or not. It was the uniform of the king and what it represented was his excuse. It might be taking it to an extreme, but It does represent the way soldiers feel about other people wearing uniform and insignia. Rant over (and I didn't even mention the health risks of being that size) 
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#11
26-10-08, 16:38
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Reenactors and authenticity.
For a sec Gentlemen, I thought I was reading posts to a Texas Reenactors forum. It appears the issue of authenticity straddles the globe. We in Texas have recently gone through a very divisive issue that threatened to split the Reenactor community in twain. The issue was facial hair on any reenactor in general and GebirgsJagers in particular. Despite many period photos to the contrary, the organizers of a popular annual event forbade the wearing of facial hair on any Axis reenactor. The 5th Gebirgs are one of Texas' largest German units and they boycotted the event along with many of their friends, myself included. The next annual event was a dismal failure, unfortunately. This display of solidarity convinced the organizers to relent and authenticity standards are now set by the Unit Commanders of the various reenactment groups. At a recent event I authorized my unit to cease shaving one week before the event in order to present the most authentic impression of the Canadian fighting soldier a la the picture taken on Aug. 11, 1943 of Sgt. H.E. Cooper of the 48th Highlanders of Canada. We looked great! No spit and polish during a hard fought battle and I dared any REMF to complain. No one did.
I feel the important thing in all this is missed. We should be doing this to honour the veterans and to keep the memory of their sacrifice alive for future generations. That is my overarching purpose when I go to reenactments. Not every reenactor's impression is perfect as it is extremely difficult to both know and then acquire what is correct. Counting eyelets in Ammo boots doesn't accomplish a thing (the reenactor's equivalent of picking fly shit out of pepper) and only serves to alienate people. Do I dishonour Vets by taking a No4 MkII to the field inplace of a No4 MkI? No, of course not but some Stitch Nazi might try to exclude someone who did. So Gilles, I applaud your friend's desire to join the reenactor community, tell him "Bonne chance!" from me. The soap box is now available.
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Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?
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#12
27-10-08, 02:58
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Nuts and Bolts of the Matter
Quote:
The point is, no matter what you do to replicate the past as a young/middle aged WWII re-enactor, it won't be original. You were not there. But having fun in a way that makes a positive contribution to the memory of our troops, no matter what you look like, should be embraced and applauded. Stitch and "bolt" nazis are welcome to criticize my truck, but be prepared to contribute to correcting the "problem" (i.e. money or parts), or just keep on walking by. I hate smilies, but today I will make an exception. I salute all re-enactors for their willingness to try when others chose to sit back and bitch.
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RHC Why is it that when you have the $$, you don't have the time, and when you have the time you don't have the $$?
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#13
28-10-08, 00:33
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What we do, How we do and Why we do...
Educate, Perpetuate, Commemorate and Remember.
Anything less is all for naught. We all do it in our own unique way. Mike Timoshyk in Windsor Ontario
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#14
28-10-08, 01:21
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Having served.....
To our two friends in the UK- question: have either of you served?
My point is that only those who have served may judge... all others may hold their tongues. Gilles' group is made up of retired artillery non-commissioned officers (you may have noticed that Gilles signs in as "CWO"... RSM to most of us) He has done the time and earned the t-shirt. I would suspect that the same goes for his large friend. Gilles' group are not civilian re-enactors... they are old sweats who are affiliated to their old unit and are restoring and presenting one of the Regiments' old guns to keep alive the story of the 25 pounder (manufactured in Montreal by the way) for the unit, for the Forces and for the general public. They do this out of a love for the Gunner Colours- The Guns! This is a forum for old truck collectors and Canadian made vehicle enthusiasts; one of our brothers, one who has a chest full of real medals, asked for help; how did some of us respond- with derision or criticism or both- FOR SHAME! I am not given to long rants on this net as I feel that its better to educate, support and offer what meagre knowledge I can after 33 years of service and many more as a collector (Dad started me young!). Those that know me personally know that I'm an opinionated and overweight old so and so who has his own chestful of medals and still passes the Battle Fitness Test every year. I take personal umbrage to some of the comments I've read here. Lets get back to useful discussions about CMPs and helpful hints to friends. Giff- if this barrage is off target you have my permission to delete it. Gunner out!
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Mike Calnan Ubique! ("Everywhere", the sole Battle Honour of the Royal Regiment of Canadian Artillery) www.calnan.com/swords Last edited by Gunner; 28-10-08 at 01:29.
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#15
28-10-08, 01:44
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Well said Gunner, Rob and Mike. As an overweight but not obese member of this forum I would ask if it is appropriate if I take my truck to the Remembrance Day services coming up in a couple of weeks. There were not many men my age or weight driving trucks or serving in WW2. Rob I didn't know your feelings on smilies so I will try to use them more.
Cheers, Barry
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Every twenty minute job is one broken bolt away from a three day ordeal.
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#16
28-10-08, 02:31
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No I haven't served. But if I had, I know I wouldn't be happy to see a bunch of posers running around and showing off and pretending to be real soldiers.
I don't think any of the re-enactors I've seen show real soldiers in a good light. If you want to dress up and make yourselves the centre of attention-choose another subject. Reading a British army site (WWW.arrse.com) the general consensus seems to be that any real ex solders doing it should know better! I know that I'm massively outnumbered in my opinions, but quiet frankly, I don't care. The general excuse used by re-enactors is that when they meet the old guys who they are pretending to be, they say it's fine. I've seen a few of these incredibly modest and brave men as well, and I think they are just very polite-yeah I know-unlike me, but re-enactors really annoy me. Please feel free to delete this ASAP.
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#17
28-10-08, 03:38
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Posers
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I don't think your last missive should be deleted, it reflects your opinion, which you think is defensible, tho' one can debate whether or not AARSE is an authority on this issue - they tend to spend more time slamming those who do serve (Walts, etc... in your service support, RAF and Cadet Force). We need open discourse like this to allow others to decide their way forward with regard to re-enacting. Who knows, it may inspire those who do re-enact (myself included) to improve their "poserability". I have just a few questions for you: What are you doing to improve the situation? Are you just venting for the sake of venting?
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RHC Why is it that when you have the $$, you don't have the time, and when you have the time you don't have the $$?
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#18
28-10-08, 22:19
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Quote:
I know the argument goes, that it's the re-enactors who draw in the crowds at shows etc, but personally, I think it would be better to get a smaller number of people, who are really interested in learning about the history, that lots who want to see the tanks (and this will probably be anything armoured in their eyes) and guns. Sorry, I'm going on a bit. To sum it up, I think there's better ways of showing our forces respect than dressing up and playing soldiers. (I'd say like buying them a pint, but there might be a stampede  )
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