Correspondance from the front! *new pics on page 3*
- Thread starter archerynut
- Start date
archerynut
Regular
- Location
- Calgary, Alberta
yes this is being filmed on the reserve lands right off 37th st, on your way to north glenmore park. some WW1 lee enfields would be great, they're also still looking for wounded soldiers.
- Location
- Tucson, Arizona
Minor point. the entrenching tool handle was attached to the bayonet scabbard. No indication of one in any of the photos.
But it's better than "the Blue Max" where they used the Irish army for both sides, only changing HELMETS. Or the "experimental german fighter in the last scene which turned out to be a 1930's FRENCH Morane?
Klunk, you have to realise that most of us would be no fun watching war movies, with wives or girlfriends, because we are ALL quite adept at spotting the wrong kit.
Remember "Zulu Dawn"? With the infantry using ME carbines? Or the troops marching in column with CROOKED bayonets on the rifles?
For that matter, ZULU, which portrayed Pte. Hook as a malingerer which he WAS NOT. Or Chard loading a Mk6 Webley which didn't appear until 1915?
Best of all, was the troops singing Men Of Harlech, a bit off ,since there were only EIGHT Welshmen there, and in any case they would have been singing it in Welsh, which is about as understandable as high Martian!
Allowing for all that , it was a GREAT movie.
I won't even go into the last remake of the "four feathers" with its INDIAN director who made a balls up of the whole thing.
But it's better than "the Blue Max" where they used the Irish army for both sides, only changing HELMETS. Or the "experimental german fighter in the last scene which turned out to be a 1930's FRENCH Morane?
Klunk, you have to realise that most of us would be no fun watching war movies, with wives or girlfriends, because we are ALL quite adept at spotting the wrong kit.
Remember "Zulu Dawn"? With the infantry using ME carbines? Or the troops marching in column with CROOKED bayonets on the rifles?
For that matter, ZULU, which portrayed Pte. Hook as a malingerer which he WAS NOT. Or Chard loading a Mk6 Webley which didn't appear until 1915?
Best of all, was the troops singing Men Of Harlech, a bit off ,since there were only EIGHT Welshmen there, and in any case they would have been singing it in Welsh, which is about as understandable as high Martian!
Allowing for all that , it was a GREAT movie.
I won't even go into the last remake of the "four feathers" with its INDIAN director who made a balls up of the whole thing.
Guy left with all the blanks for the movie on Saturday, he'll be in the armourer's tent. Say "Hi" when you see him. And be polite, he's old and crusty, like me. - dan
archerynut
Regular
- Location
- Calgary, Alberta
heres a fresh set of pictures from the set. these are of the dead forest and if you look close, you may see a group forlorn soldiers trying to pick their way through the quagmire that was Passhendale. i'll try to get a few shots of the slope towards the german trenches and pillboxes. enjoy!
- Location
- Tucson, Arizona
If you are 24 that's getting up there! The youngest soldier who served on the Somme was 12 years old!! 14 and 15 year olds were not unusual. The recruiting sgt got 2 shillings for each warm body. Not much by today's standard but quite a lot back then. "Tell you what lad, you look pretty big, go around the corner and come back agin an you'll be 18!" this in spite of the legal age for being sent overseas was 19.
the stink got so bad that the bounty was reduced to one shilling. Underage soldiers were NOT discharged, but rather sent out of the line until they reached their 18th birthday. At first, when discovered, the army said the youngsters had to WANT to be released. Many had already been promoted and were sorely needed at the front.
There were also 17 yr old officers.
the stink got so bad that the bounty was reduced to one shilling. Underage soldiers were NOT discharged, but rather sent out of the line until they reached their 18th birthday. At first, when discovered, the army said the youngsters had to WANT to be released. Many had already been promoted and were sorely needed at the front.
There were also 17 yr old officers.
archerynut
Regular
- Location
- Calgary, Alberta
they were looking for a british 18 pounder that was rumoured to be in shiloh. they wanted to film scenes of artillery firing at night and they planned to build a library of shots and angles of the muzzle flash at night. they planned to use CFB suffield for this but i don't know if they ever found the gun. i think they brought a few peices in from india(the rifles are supposed to be from tibet)so there should be some awesome shots of nighttime artillery fire.
My Great Uncle was 16 years old (Canadian Bugle Corps), my Grandfather was 21 years old (US Army), and my Great Great Uncle was 58 years old (Canadian Army) when they enlisted and all three served in France. Another Great Uncle was 23 years old (US Artillery, but beause of a Spanish Flue outbreak at their training camp his unit never left the USA).
What great history it is. My great great uncle, and namesake was around 17 when he was killed at 3rd Ypres in 1917. His father was at the Somme, and one of my relations still has letters he sent home which include pressed leaves from near the front! Sadly, it all sits, rather casually tossed in a drawer...
If you want things like that conserved properly, local archives are always willing to take people's stories and add any artifacts they have to their collections. This makes sure it will always be available to anyone wanting to learn about someone's experience, and also ensures it will not get lost in a move, misplaced, destroyed etc.
Just a thought
Many archives, like the one I worked at this summer, will also take photocopies of the items for their files if people aren't yet ready to donate it.my grandad (moms side)was 16 and a sargent(sp) won the MM with Bar 1 in Galipoli we think he got the bar in France the records were bombed in ww2 and he talk about it much.my other grandad got the MM I have both lots of medals.P.S. if you ever saw the CBC mini series Dieppe I helped build the rifles I assembled 40ish and if you look close you'll see most don't have bolts
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I can't wait for this movie. BTW the battle was know as 3rd Yrpes. It was only called Passchendale after the Great War. Why 3rd? Because it was the third in a series of battles around the Yrpes salient which started during the race to the sea in 1914. The second battle was a german attack, which also first introduced gas, in 1915. It was the battle which destroyed the British Regular Army units.
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Also, 4th Yrpes was the german push in 1918. The british simply with drew to better ground and stoped the germans there. They then truned around in september and pushed the germans back to the line where the fighting stoped.
That was part of the "100 days". The final period of virtually continuous fighting all along the front which brought the german army to it's knees.
That was part of the "100 days". The final period of virtually continuous fighting all along the front which brought the german army to it's knees.
