THE WAR CORRESPONDENT PROJECT
I have always enjoyed telling stories and writing. My comics featuring 1:6th figures are in fact the reason that this website even exists. I have also enjoyed taking part in living history events as a way of honoring the sacrifices of our military, while providing an educational event for the general public. It suddenly occurred to me that perhaps I should try to put all of this together somehow... all in one place... you know, perhaps on a website or something... duh!!
Ultimately my goal is to tell all the stories on this website as if they were events being covered by War Correspondents. That means adding a CORRESPONDENT to my VIETNAM STORY series and having my new series COMBAT PATROL covered by a WAR CORRESPONDENT as well. Also I am creating a living history impression
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that I can use at SSCC shows, based on a WWII Correspondent and then tying it in to my website. Lately, I've been working on that 1:1 impression and what follows are some pictures of what I have put together so far -
Above is what I have put together so far to help create my War Correspondent part of my WWII impression, which I break down a bit below.
1. 1940 Kodak camera with box and paperwork
2. Bellows camera (not dated yet) 3. Royal Portable typewriter with case, 1939 4. Field telephone 5. M-1 Helmet with stencil for war correspondent 6. Canteen, canteen cup and cover, web belt, 1945 7. Service Writing Tablets (computer generated artwork) 8. Parker Quink ink boxes (Computer generated artwork) and actual Parker Quink bottle (needs ink) 9. Four mint condition copies of YANK Magazine all dated 1944 (one right after D-DAY) |
10. Box of MODERN Paper Clips (computer generated artwork)
11. MANUALS - War Correspondent's Manual (computer generated artwork) and Soldier's Field Manual 12. MARKWELL STAPLE CO. Staple box (computer generated artwork) 13. EMPIRE Brand Rubber Band Box (computer generated artwork) 14. DITTO Brand Pencil band (wrapping modern pencils) 15. War Correspondent shoulder patch (repro) |
Right now this collection of items all sit on a period correct reproduction of a folding table made by SSCC Club member and reenactor, Eric Barrows. But I have contracted to have a company field desk made to sit on that desk as shown to the right.
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The M-1 steel pot is an original helmet with new repro straps and liner. The War Correspondent stencil was made by a company in England and is accurate in design and size.
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When the field desk is completed, I will be able to load it up with my War Correspondent "reporting" items. I plan to do a second impression, that of Company Clerk. And have been collecting computer files of the documents that a Company Clerk could have had in his field desk. Below is the other half of my impression so far.
1. Footlocker, Dated 1943
2. M-1 Helmet, original with repro straps (for Co.Clerk) 3. Canteen Cup, sitting on Original Musset Bag w/strap 4. Pictures and pinup for inside lid of footlocker 5. M-1 Garand (Reproduction) 6. Original mess kit with fork, knife and spoon 7. Leather short boots (roughout) 8. Enlisted wool short and pants, belt (repro) 9. Wool Jeep Cap 10. Serviceman's reading material, original books 11. Smoking Supplies; Prince Albert, Pipe and Zippo |
12. Shaving Supplies; razor, brush, shaving soap and
blades (all original) 13. Dog Tags and Paper items; New Testament 1943, French Francs, Serviceman's Post Cards, French Phrase Book, Guide to Service Rank, Serviceman's Map, Writing supplies in cloth cover, Letter envelopes and Yank Magazine 14. M-41 Field Jacket (one of two) 15. Cartridge Belt M-1, suspenders, canteen, cup and cover and First Aid Pouch |
There are a lot of Footlocker displays to be seen on the internet and pretty much every American reenactor has one. All have one thing in common, a pretty girl pinup and old photographs on the inside lid. I wanted mine to be unique, so I chose a Vargas Girl with a black cat (one of my cats is black). I also thought my old pictures should be of war correspondents.
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I have some additional paper items that I have purchased from an internet company called WWII SUPPLY ROOM. They make really nice reproduction period boxes; Rations, Smoking and Toiletry products.
And that is where I am with the impressions at this point. I have also picked up a really nice Army cot that is in excellent shape and now I am thinking about a Small Wall Tent for outdoor setups. Somehow, I want to work all of this into the general concept of telling my stories from the War Correspondent's view point and I am kicking around a lot of ideas as to how I can do that. More to come as it comes together - PM |
UPDATE 12/21/17
The idea to create a living history impression of a Correspondent came from my 1:6th scale versions of a war photographer and reporter. I created the characters to follow the exploits of my 37th Tank Battalion (once they actually have some exploits). I wanted to create not only a couple of figures to be the correspondents, but I wanted to model all of the personal gear as well. It all started with one of those Ernie Pyle typewriters actually.
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Here are a couple of pictures from one of our SSCC Club meetings. Here are my AP Reporters with their reworked and repainted Hasbro Jeep and all of their gear. I am hoping to eventually make them an officer's small wall tent, but I haven't gotten there yet. I did make them a working company field desk, just like the 1:1 scale one I'm having made.
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My newest graphics project is making a half size YANK magazine for SSCC Club members. If it all works out, it will be a 12 page magazine filled with club news that club members would get at our 2018 Entertrainment Junction show. I have the pages planned out and a lot of the graphics already done, I just have to write the articles... but hey that is what correspondents do, right? The big rub will be if I can get it printed at a decent cost and not break the bank, we'll see.
Point Man out! |
UPDATE 1/4/2018
Here is a more in-depth look at the 1:1 scale items I have been making or collecting for my living history display. This may be way too much detail for some folks, but it's interesting to me or I wouldn't be doing it. Again...duh!
UPDATE 1/9/2018
MADE a few new items (1:1 Scale) for my correspondent's display. For me the big "modeling" takeaway was the technique of "scoring" the fold lines before actually bending. I had never tried that before and I was very pleased to find out that it made the folding process a lot easier. Wish someone had given me that little tip a few boxes ago. Anyway, below is what I put together today.
1/14/2018 UPDATE
Been spending a lot of time on the 1:1 stuff lately, thought I would work just a bit on the 1:6th stuff today -
These are the first pictures I have taken in a long, long time of any of my 1:6th stuff. Three Figures, a Jeep, some fake grass and a little photoshop. From the photos (done on the phone by the way) to the final pages... about two hours. My take away... well, I guess you really can make some progress on those projects if you just get in and do it. - PM
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Stay tuned for more - PM