The RCMP in Pullman City Harz
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police on a visit in Pullman City in the Harz Mountains
Monday, October 26, 2020
From the 16th to 18th of October the regular autumn rendezvous took place in Pullman City Harz. The Two Rivers Privity was also on site - with a small unit of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.
Together with our host Sam Endres, the owner of the General Trading Company, we took some great photos, which we do not want to withhold from you!
Previously known as the "North West Mounted Police", the unit was created in 1873 by the Canadian government to deal with all the outlaws, illegal distilleries and "troubled Indians" - as it was called at the time - along the Canadian border. With a target strength of 300 men on a border length of about 5525 miles, this was certainly an almost impossible task.
This was also stated in an edition of the Toronto Mail in 1874:
Sharp may be the steel, concise the blow and short the pain,
which they must endure.
And yet the red uniform of the "Mounties" became a symbol of trustworthiness for many indigenous tribes near the border. The troops earned a name for themselves, especially in the early days, because many of the conflicts could be settled without violence and bloodshed.
Sam Endres, Pullman City (left) and Chet McCay, Two Rivers Privity (right)
Die Darstellung der NWMP erweist sich als kompliziert
However, our representation (unfortunately) does not go back to the time of the North West Mounted Police. Although the clothing of the RCMP has hardly changed since about 1900, we are wearing uniforms in these photos that date back to about 1980. Originals from the time of the former law enforcement officers are very hard to get and are quite expensive.
Colton White, Sam Endres & ChetMcCay (left to right)
The red of the uniform was already the identifying feature of the unit back in the days of the North West Mounted Police. The RCMP's dress uniform of today is brown.
Since we have been asked several times: Alone with these original uniforms the acquisition costs are in the four-digit dollar range. Another problem, which is especially apparent for reenactors outside of Canada, is the continuing export stop of the uniform.
We would like to thank Gill McCay very much for the great photos and will be there again in 2021 to present "living history" in Pullman City Harz.
Of course we are also looking forward to the opportunity to bring our hobby closer to others. Don't be afraid to contact us or leave a comment below the post!
Get in contact with the RCMP of the Two Rivers Privity
Further reading
For those who are interested in the subject, we can highly recommend the book "The Canadians" from the TIME LIFE series "The Wild West"! Among other things, the book deals with the development of the North West Mounted Police and the challenges the aspiring police officers had to face.
Here are three more books, which offer a very good insight into the North West Mounted Police, as well as the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. Happy Reading!
- Forty Years in Canada: North-West Mounted Police (2001)
- Pictorial History of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (1973)
- RCMP: The March West (1999)
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See you next time!
Colton White & Chet McCay – Beaver Creek Pioneer