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History of Re-enactment
Military
Re-enactment
The first
military re-enactments probably took place in excess of 2000 years ago;
re-enactments were a common entertainment staple found in Roman coliseums.
They differ from current re-enactments in that they were purely for
spectacle; little attention was likely paid to details of uniform, and
given the small and enclosed nature of their venues, these recreations
probably did not boast realistic tactics. Most significantly, however, the
participants fought these recreated battles to the death.
Military
displays continued to be a form of entertainment throughout history, the
most famous example perhaps being medieval jousting. Education through
battle recreation seems to be a fairly new innovation, however. The first
"modern" battle re-enactment may have occurred in the years following the
Civil War, when former combatants came together to recreate their acts on
the battlefield.
It is not known
exactly when battle recreations came to have an outward, educational,
focus. It is probable that Living History came to being first. Living
History is the use of costumed or uniformed persons in a realistic setting
to convey to viewers an impression of life in a particular time. The
Halifax Citadel, for example, is an example of Living History. Young men
dressed in the 18th Century uniform of the 78th Highlanders occupy the
Citadel (a fully restored fort) and perform 18th Century drills for
spectators, giving a sense of what life would have been like at that time.
There are examples of Living History sites across Canada, both military
and civilian themed, such as Fort Rodd-Hill in BC or Heritage Park in
Calgary.
The most famous
re-enactors have been American Civil War enthusiasts. Civil War
re-enactment began to take off in the1960's, as the Civil War reached its
centennial. By 1998, a re-enactment honouring the 135th anniversary of the
Battle of Gettysburg could boast 34,000 uniformed participants. More than
just camp displays or living history, Civil War events came to include
battle re-enactments - two opposing sides simulating combat. Even in
Australia, American Civil War re-enactment groups have existed since the
mid 1960's.
In recent
years, other time periods have gained popularity in North America and
Europe, including the American Revolutionary War and the Napoleonic Wars.
Reenactors recreate the Battle of
Chancellorsville in May 2008. (Wikipedia
Commons photo)
Second World
War Re-enactment
Second World
War re-enactment in the United States came to being between 1975 and 1978,
in the wake of the growing popularity of Civil War re-enactment. Several
key organizations were formed in this period from smaller groups of
military vehicle and uniform collectors coming together in the hopes of
putting their collections to practical use. The American WWII Living
History Association and the WW II Historical Re-enactment Society (HRS)
were two of these. The staging of the first large scale battle display in
the United Kingdom brought forwards a large number of similarly minded
enthusiasts and thus WWII re-enactment soon became firmly established
alongside other military re-enactments in the United States. These groups
have proliferated over the years, and there are now several different
organizations across the United States that specialize in World War Two
re-enactment.
 The Origins of
Second World War Re-enactment in Canada
In 1965, an
organization called Service Rifle was created by five men; Gavin K. Watt,
Don Burke, Don G. Smith, John Robertson and Alex Smith.1 Photo
at right comes from Gavin Watt's website.2 This group's
activities expanded to putting on active and static displays at Canadian
Forces Bases, and the group eventually created two Second War elements
representing both Canadian and German Infantry. Their repertoire of
"impressions" came to include the War of 1812, the Fenian Raids, the
North-West Rebellion, the Great War, Korea and US troops in Indochina/Viet
Nam. These elements were raised ad hoc from within the membership when the
specific need arose.
The group
enjoyed much success and concluded that they should recreate a specific
regiment with a solid identity and history. Having experienced difficulty
obtaining uniforms, accoutrements and firearms from hardcore collectors,
it was decided that members of the new group would own all of their own
kit. If a member damaged or lost anything, it would be his own
responsibility.
After a great
deal of debate, the first recreated regiment came into existence in 1975.
In anticipation of the upcoming American Bicentennial, a United Empire
Loyalist unit - the King's Royal Yorkers - was selected. The choice seemed
to be a natural; British Regulars were already frequently represented at
the various historic forts, and the Loyalists had been the group that
founded Ontario. This unit still exists, today represented by a three-pounder
brass battalion gun and Cohorn mortar; a set of Colours; Fifes & Drums and
three infantry companies. In original terms, the unit has a platoon of
Grenadiers, a platoon of Light Infantry, a Company of Hat or standard
troops and a camp full of Refugees and followers, and boasts a paper
strength of one hundred equipped and trained men, though the unit rarely
fields more than 60 troops at any given time. Record attendance was 93 in
1992 and 92 in 1993.
Museum of
Applied Military History
By 1977, the
group obtained an Ontario charter as the Museum of Applied Military
History. The word 'living' in relation to re-enacting wasn't in use at that
time, hence the appellation 'applied.' The intent of this organization was
to be a confederation of re-enactment units of different eras rather than
being a traditional museum. A government consultant advised the group that
'museum' was the closest classification to what the group intended to do,
and so the term stuck. The MAMH now includes 32 different units from five
eras of Canada's military history, with an overall membership of 550
persons from both genders and of all ages.
Maple Leaf Up
While formal
energies were directed to the Royal Yorkers, attention was still paid by
the MAMH to the World Wars. Representations of those eras were still in
demand at Armed Forces Days at Borden and Trenton and at Parks Canada
sites and in New York State at old Fort Niagara. The structure of the two
Second War units was formalized in 1985 for a mock battle at CFB Trenton's
Armed Forces Day (later known as the Quinte International Airshow). The
group was christened Maple Leaf Up, named after the ubiquitous road signs
seen in Northwest Europe during the Second World War. The Canadian
contingent wore CANADA flashes and General List Cap Badges in order to
represent generic infantry, while the Germans wore a variety of uniforms
from several different branches and took the name Kampfgruppe Norden,
indicating a "battle group" combining elements from several different
formations. Maple Leaf Up continued for five years with a membership on
the order of 25-plus men. Kampfgruppe
Norden thus has claim to the oldest Second World War re-enactment group in
Canada, with the oldest Canadian group being the Perths. KG Norden was
founded by Sylvester Haase and Gary Dare, and when Syl Haase passed away
the unit was re-named Kampgruppe Haase in his honour. Steve Lehman, Pat
McKeeman and Guy Despatie subsequently led the group.3
The Athene
Section
At the same
time, female participation grew in response to the need to mount
meaningful static exhibits. Clad in uniforms and clothing representing all
aspects of female involvement during the Second World War - the three
services and home front workers and volunteers - the unit became known as
the Athene Section.
The Perth
Regiment
Having enjoyed
the experience of representing an actual regiment of the American
Revolutionary War period, the membership of Maple Leaf Up decided that it
should seek permission to represent a Second World War battalion. After
much research and effort, permission was granted by the Perth Regiment
Veterans' Association and NDHQ to recreate elements of the Perths. A
committee sat to decide how to approach the new challenge, consisting of.
Ed Anderson, Rob Grieve, Brian Cox, Doug Lawrence and Gavin Watt. The
project was launched at the Canadian War Museum in 1990 with 27 members
appearing. The group currently fields a Headquarters and two rifle
platoons of three Rifle Sections each, plus small Scout and Sniper
sections. Total active membership is just in excess of 80, supported by a
Provost Section; a Signals Section and an RCAMC aidman.
20th (Central
Ontario) Battalion, CEF
In about 1986,
members of the MAMH including Bob Anglin, Dan Moreau and Len Skinner, all
from the Ottawa area and all Royal Yorkers and Perths, went to work on a
Great War representation. Their spirit animated a number of other members
such as Brian Cox and Ed Anderson and by 1988, a solid section of infantry
was able to march in Toronto at the Queen's Birthday Parade on the May
long weekend. By 1990, the interest had grown to where it was decided to
obtain permission to perpetuate a C.E.F. battalion. The 20th Central
Ontario was chosen and permission was obtained from the Queen's York
Rangers regimental council and NDHQ. For the 75th anniversary of the end
of the Great War, twelve uniformed men took part in ceremonies at Vimy
Ridge, The Menin Gate and at Mons as the clock struck 11 am on the 11th of
November. Currently the 20th fields about 30 men.
Photo from Gavin Watt's website.4
Other Units
A variety of
other re-enactment groups have existed in Canada since the advent of the
hobby here, mostly small in nature and very localized, but social media
and the greater availability of replica uniforms, equipment and weapons
is having an impact. A number of Facebook groups that facilitate
discussion and information sharing:
Those in
Alberta may be interested in the First Special Service Force Living
History Association, their public page is:
In addition
to portraying the Canadian-American FSSF, the unit also portrays
Canadian, German, Italian and Japanese soldiers, with the main Axis
portrayal being 65. Infanterie Division.
FSSF LHA reenactors depicting Canadian
soldiers for a film shoot at
The Military Museums in Calgary in November 2020.
Notes
-
Thanks to Gavin K. Watt
of the Museum of Applied Military History for providing the information
in this section. A more extensive survey can be found at his site at
https://royalyorkers.ca/history_of_reenacting.php
-
http://gavinwatt.ca/about-20c-reenacting.php
-
royalyorkers.ca, Ibid
-
Gavinwatt.ca, Ibid
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