I am a member of a re-enacting group called la société d’histoire In Memoriam in Quebec. In 2014 we decided to participate as soldiers of the Régiment de la Chaudière at the annual D day event in Conneaut, Ohio, USA. This event has taken place every year since 1999. During the event we represent military camps in England before D-day and at the end of the weekend, we recreate the landing of allied troops on the beaches of Normandie. It was an amazing experience with more than 2000 re-enactors from all over North America.
For the 2015 event I wanted to do something different.
I started to read everything I could find about the Film and Photo Unit and looked at all the pictures. At that time I already had all I needed for the uniform and camp. I found someone in Ontario who could recreate the Unit shoulder flash, which is so nice, by the way. Then, I started to look for the equipment and cameras. A few months later we had a Bell and Howell 35 mm movie camera and a tripod, a Speed Graphic, and a Rolleiflex plus some smaller pieces.
I posed as a Lieutenant still photographer, my brother a Sergeant with the Bell & Howell Eyemo movie camera and my sister-in-law posed as a CWAC that worked at the Film & Photo Unit Headquarters. Unfortunately, the Bell & Howell Eyemo movie camera was not working as it was modified to work only using an external motor. We took pictures with the Rolleiflex. It was our first experience with that camera.
In the near future I expect to be able to take picture with the Speed Graphic and to use the movie camera. We now have a Contax 35 mm camera and I have found a small typewriter to write up the dope sheet. I want to recreate everything we need to do our work at the camp. In my craziest dreams, I would have a Jeep and the driver for the unit. It is only a beginning.
