This is what a Canadian artillery crewmen looked like fully loaded, fighting in the Normandy campaign. The 13th CAR came ashore on D-Day, but this fellow is a replacement, who came ashore two days later. We know this, because only those Canadian troops who came ashore on Day one, were issued the new Canadian buckle-top assault boots and the Mark III turtle helmet. The "newbies" wore the old-fashioned gear, due to shortages. He wears the P1937 rifle cartridges, as did most Commonwealth troops who's primary job was not fighting in a rifle regiment, and would thus not be required to carry Bren Gun ammunition or mortar rounds. Since nobody has produced a pair of these pouches yet, I used an uber-rare DID WWI era, P-1908 5-pocket ammo-pouch which came with Albert Brown. I simply snipped the threads off holding the upper two pockets off, and scratch built the long equipment strap. Early Canadian manufacture rifle pouches did not have the crimped lower pouch that the British ones did. This is good, since I can't make a crimp worth a darn. All his gear has been repainted with a Vallejo's Khaki Grey/ Green Ocher mix, to get that new, dark un-Blanco-ed - natural webbing hue. I call him Gunner Howard Zermann (Joke: Howitzer Man). The rest of his equipment is the Dragon King and Country line.
It's hard to see in the photos, but the trousers were died greenish, while the tunic was not. The exposed-button tunic was the "economy" model jacket, made only by Britain, so it stayed brown. Canadian artillery regiments were given numbers, not names, so the CAR's had no regimental shoulder patches, as other service units didn't have any either. Therefore, he wears a 3rd Canadian Infantry patch (a simple blue-grey rectangle) and a rectangular "Canada" flash. There was a slip-on "13th CAR" patch that was worn on the epaulet, but I haven't made one yet. Replacements might have had to wait until the fighting cooled down to get a pair. But without it, Howie could be a truck driver, a clerk, a half-track mechanic, etc. The sculpt is a tried and true Dick Winters head.
The background cloth is a super-awesome replica British paratrooper Denison Jacket made by the outfitters "What Price Glory". I am not a re-enactor, but I just love having and wearing such a cool garment made in big boy sizes. It is the zip front officers's version with knit sleeves. It was only $135, and the colors are spot on.
0-6 by Stephen Duffy, on Flickr
0-7 by Stephen Duffy, on Flickr
0-5 by Stephen Duffy, on Flickr
0-4 by Stephen Duffy, on Flickr
0-3 by Stephen Duffy, on Flickr
Here's what's left of one of the DID 5-pocket pouches. They can be used to make another pair of 2-pocket pouches, but cutting the center pouch out and attaching the end pockets together. You can also see the difference in color between DID natural cloth and the painted altered pouches.
0-2 by Stephen Duffy, on Flickr
Helmet on, and don't drop it!
0-1 by Stephen Duffy, on Flickr
0 by Stephen Duffy, on Flickr
0-8 by Stephen Duffy, on Flickr
0-9 by Stephen Duffy, on Flickr
0-11 by Stephen Duffy, on Flickr
0-12 by Stephen Duffy, on Flickr
"Last round!" Empty shells are brass tubing with brass painted Canadian coins glued on the base. Thanks also Johnny Canuck Canada!!!
0-13 by Stephen Duffy, on Flickr
It's hard to see in the photos, but the trousers were died greenish, while the tunic was not. The exposed-button tunic was the "economy" model jacket, made only by Britain, so it stayed brown. Canadian artillery regiments were given numbers, not names, so the CAR's had no regimental shoulder patches, as other service units didn't have any either. Therefore, he wears a 3rd Canadian Infantry patch (a simple blue-grey rectangle) and a rectangular "Canada" flash. There was a slip-on "13th CAR" patch that was worn on the epaulet, but I haven't made one yet. Replacements might have had to wait until the fighting cooled down to get a pair. But without it, Howie could be a truck driver, a clerk, a half-track mechanic, etc. The sculpt is a tried and true Dick Winters head.
The background cloth is a super-awesome replica British paratrooper Denison Jacket made by the outfitters "What Price Glory". I am not a re-enactor, but I just love having and wearing such a cool garment made in big boy sizes. It is the zip front officers's version with knit sleeves. It was only $135, and the colors are spot on.
0-6 by Stephen Duffy, on Flickr0-7 by Stephen Duffy, on Flickr0-5 by Stephen Duffy, on Flickr0-4 by Stephen Duffy, on Flickr0-3 by Stephen Duffy, on FlickrHere's what's left of one of the DID 5-pocket pouches. They can be used to make another pair of 2-pocket pouches, but cutting the center pouch out and attaching the end pockets together. You can also see the difference in color between DID natural cloth and the painted altered pouches.
0-2 by Stephen Duffy, on FlickrHelmet on, and don't drop it!
0-1 by Stephen Duffy, on Flickr0 by Stephen Duffy, on Flickr0-8 by Stephen Duffy, on Flickr0-9 by Stephen Duffy, on Flickr0-11 by Stephen Duffy, on Flickr0-12 by Stephen Duffy, on Flickr"Last round!" Empty shells are brass tubing with brass painted Canadian coins glued on the base. Thanks also Johnny Canuck Canada!!!
0-13 by Stephen Duffy, on Flickr
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