Re-enactment Non-Combat Roles

[Dixie]

Hello everyone,

I wondered if people could give me some suggestions for non combat military roles, for members of my re-enactment group to consider if they do not wish/are unable to obtain a rifle/license? To cover roughly the period 1881-1895, though more towards 1881 is better.

[QSVC]

Hello James, how're you?

We've gone through a similar investigation and it can be interesting.

The 19th Century Volunteer was a socialable person, encampments and activities were widely reported in the newspapers of the time. We're fortunate that Australian newspapers are available online and for all districts, though if yours are available to you they're a great source. Most encampments or activities were also visited by any number of groups from the Salvation Army and Suffragette movements so thats possible.........and any form of civvy from magistrate to the local copper thats likely to have walked in and out of a volunteer activity as well if that appeals.

A number of volunteer groups were formed locally here in the form of VAD groups or St Johns Ambulance as well, life saving groups too equipped with forms of Hales rockets so the world is your oyster.

Signal & signalling equipment here was supplied through a private company which was a early form of Telstra, now the current Australian national carrier of telephone and communications.

Any number of sub military groups can be sourced such as submarine miners & engineers though for our own money, we're settling on a Staff Corps group. My own state, Queensland was divided into two military districts, north & south and at one stage north Queensland was looking to succeed from the rest of Queensland but my point is that two sets of staff corps oversaw the activities of the volunteer units of naval detachments, mounted infantry, cadets, bands, infantry of course, artillery, etc so there's a wealth of portrayals. Now I realise all this is peculiar to the colonial soldier though they attempted to base themselves along UK lines.

Good luck, I look forward to the photos.

Robert

[Dixie]

Hi Robert,

Thanks for the info, always nice to see what other groups are up to as well.

There a re a few roles there i had not considered, which shows the usefullness of putting a question like this on the forum!

One of the main roles we were considering was that of the medical branch, but St Johns Ambulance/Salvation Army could be a nice, interesting option. You don't see many Victorian versions around. I'll pass this info on to the chap in my group who was enquiring about alternative roles. Our (sort of) home ground is a Victorian fort, so possibly signals or artillery could work quite well as an attachment to us. We also have long term plans to aquire a gatling gun as well!

On a side note, what do you think about having the occasional 'non firer' mixed in on the field? Worthwhile? Does it get easily noticed by the public?

Cheers,

James

[QSVC]

Hello James,

Its a tough one, it does largely depend on what you what to portray and highlight. We were finding that riflemen numbers were dwindling yet the number of 'civvies' increasing so we would appear 20% military and 80% civilian and I'm sure that ratio would be appropriate from time to time but on a regular basis we were forced to re-think the whole rifle section idea and come around to a mixed group. So if you move away from portraying a rifle unit and think 19th Century social history instead, you're almost there.

And sure, there's some fabulous untold stories and a real mix of uniforms, equipment and props for want of a better word that can help tell a story.

I've set myself up with signals gear, its something I've an interest in so I take a few items with me like a Heliograph, some morse gear and set up a bell tent. Its been a fairly simple exercise to investigate what kind of signal gear was available at the time, Heliographs were copied from newspaper articles of the Afghan & Soudan campaigns by a couple of interested volunteers at the time and made here, so there's some latitude with the Heliographs appearance and use.

We're based within a 19th Century fort like you, at the Fort Lytton National Park at the mouth of the Brisbane river. It has quite an array of armament and options, two 64 pdr Armstrongs, 10 Barrel Nordenfelts, etc and has a mix of buildings and it is the actual grounds where the annual encampments were held so its thoroughly appropriate.

If only we could get numbers back up...... If you solve that one, let me know.

Robert

[Scona]

We're based within a 19th Century fort like you, at the Fort Lytton National Park at the mouth of the Brisbane river. It has quite an array of armament and options, two 64 pdr Armstrongs, 10 Barrel Nordenfelts, etc and has a mix of buildings and it is the actual grounds where the annual encampments were held so its thoroughly appropriate.

I'll be in Brisbane this April and will certainly have to have to visit Fort Lytton. Are there any other historic sites in the area?

[QSVC]

Hello,

Well the weather should be a lot cooler for you by April. We've been showing an interstate visitor about today and its been hot & humid and as I type, a thunder storm is rolling through....Summer in Queensland is an unstable time weather wise.

Fort Lytton National Park is certainly the pick of the 19th Century era sites. As it was in operation until WW2, there are components of the fort from the 1880's onwards.

If you have a chance to take a boat, St Helena island is also worth a visit for the convict ruins and history, also 19th Century...

There are a numbers of WW2 historic sites around the city and South East Queensland area..........Have a look through this site.

http://www.publicworks.qld.gov.au/sites ... /Home.aspx

How long do you have?

Robert

[Scona]

Hi QSVC,

My time there will be pretty flexible and is more dependant on how fast I'm going through money. Brisbane is on my priority list as I want to tour the HMAS Diamantina in the Queensland Maritime Museum. My late father served on the same class of ship, and being that this is the last one in the world... I plan to arrive around the 3rd week of April.
Thanks for the link. Seeing history motivates me to travel more than anything else.