Details wanted on film footage from 50s Remembrance parade in Picton
Administrator | Nov 04, 2012 | Comments 8
The video above is footage from a set of colour reels that the County’s Carl Wiens bought at Creighton Carr’s auction hall.
“The photographer took great care in these shots, the reels were processed at Macy’s New York,” said Wiens. The camera used was a Kodak brownie 8mm movie camera with a hand-cranked motor, Wiens said. “That’s why the shots are all around 10 seconds.”
The rest of the reel shows scenes of the local Girl Guides, featured at the end of the segment.
Wiens would love to learn anything he can about the footage, including the name of the camera operator.
Filed Under: Local News
Discussions at Br. 78 Legion on Remembrance day confirmed the Reg. Army stationed in Picton was the Artillery (AA)..Big Jim could not locate any ’50s model cars in the video and suspects it may be late 40’s after the war
I know they were still here in 1954/1955/1956 because I worked for them as a high school student (as did many other teenagers) at the Point Petre summer camp and anti-aircraft firing range. Great experiences and memories!
If one goes by the cars, it looks like late 40’s to early 50’s.
Carson Scott of Milford ( Cooperators insurance agent)shot film in and around 1957. I have a copy of a video he shot in Picton where he went to the different stores and had employees pose outside in front of the buildings. It also includes video of the Milford Fair. I gave Peter Lockyer a copy in case he wanted to use some of it for his “History Lives Here” series.
Could the soldiers be members of the Artillery (they pre-dated the Canadian Guards at Camp Picton)? My brother-in-law who was in the Artillery was stationed at Camp Picton and I recall that he marched in Remembrance Day parades in the late 1950’s.
I believe that is Mrs. MacArthur, Girl Guide Commissioner, marching with the Guides and her daughter, Mary Jane, is one of the girls (Rangers or whatever comes after Guides) at the Cenotaph. She is the blonde girl standing at the far right in front of the monument.
MHC
I’ll have to get my mother to watch this. My father was a member of the “Hasty P’s” and it looks a bit like him playing the glockenspiel at one point in the video.
Have run the film numerous times, stopping to attempt closer examination. On the south side of Main Street is Prince Edward Motors (GM?) and on the north side, where Tim Horton’s currently exists is Grindrod’s Motors (Chrysler).
The army units are dressed in ‘battledress’ uniforms and ‘putties’ and are marching smartly. At first I thought they were members of the Canadian Guards Regiment stationed at Picton Heights but I think the officers wore black forage caps..those in this are wearing kaki (sp?). They could be the famous Hastings and Prince Edward Regiment (then Militia) but difficult to recognize faces and no shoulder flashes detectable.
Notice the national flag at the cenotaph then was the Union Jack.\
Not sure if the girls are Guides or Naval Cadets..a couple of faces may have been Jean Duncan and Clarene Kennedy of Picton.
Hope more can be discovered as this is precious footage…thanks for sharing.
Hey Carl,
In speaking with some family members of mine, there was a thought that perhaps the footage was shot by the late Vic Lord, a photography and film aficionado of note in Picton. It’s a name anyway. Good luck!
Jason
What a great video!! I was impressed to see so many people and so many participating in the parade. Wow, they even had 2 big bands. Of course, it was too many years after the war that this film was made and many County people were personally touched by the war. I’ve participated in many Remembrance Day Parades as both an Air Cadet and a drummer in Picton Legion Pipe Band. Unfortunately, this year I will not be able to participate. Usually, in the past the weather hasn’t been the greatest but, the warm proud feeling you get when your part of it makes it all worth while. Cheers to all that participate and those who come out to honor our hero’s.