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Old 22-06-09, 23:32
Geoff Winnington-Ball (RIP)'s Avatar
Geoff Winnington-Ball (RIP) Geoff Winnington-Ball (RIP) is offline
former OC MLU, AKA 'Jif' - sadly no longer with us
 
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Posts: 5,400
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IMHO, I don't personally think doing up a perfectly good carrier then painting it as a "capture" serves our veterans honourably, never mind anyone else. Instead, it smacks of some sort of false adoration of the Wehrmacht, seen already in too many reenactors... and I've seen first-hand the impressions some of them have left with those who once faced them for real, so long ago.

If you'd found a carrier with German colours and markings under layers of post-war paint, then I could see that being reproduced; but to the best of my knowledge, there are none anywhere, let alone in Canada. And even if I did find same and restored it accordingly, I would never wear feldgrau to parade it.

As a matter of fact, I don't think I'd ever parade it - it would mock those who once fought the Nazi horde.

The fact is that there are precious few carriers left throughout the world as it is, and each one is a testament to the courage and tenacity of those who had to ride them into battle. Better to dress them as representatives of Canadian units which once served our nation but no longer exist!

I hope that one day we might once again see a full carrier platoon on parade here in Canada... but with Canadian carriers. And lord knows, there are so many field-expedient variations which could be explored for re-creation! Not every restoration has to be factory-perfect - by the time the originals got to the front they were everything but...

Do what you wish - it's your carrier - but bear my words in mind. Yes, there were "captures"... Jeeps, trucks, carriers, everything up to and including Sherman tanks; but what does re-creating these accomplish, other than 'wasting' an otherwise perfectly good Canadian restoration??

Geoff
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