Quote:
Originally Posted by Niteshade
I
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
|
Brad,
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...