To say that the uniforms of the dozen or so members of the 95th Rifles who gathered in Campbelltown for one of their re-enactments stand out would be the understatement of the week.
Even the two women who represented the “peasants’’ were in garb that many of us would these days describe as quite smart, maybe even elegant.
It’s true that they were not short in style and finesse, even in military uniforms during the nineteenth century.
And the last thing we’d like to do is glorify firearms, but I have to confess that even the reproduction Baker Rifle carried by the “soldiers’’ was a beautiful combination of wood and metal.
For the record, and any purists reading this, the Baker is a .60 calibre, muzzle-loading, flintlock igniting firearm.
Safety is the number one priority when it comes to the rifles and all aspects of shooting, and that includes not letting anyone without a gun licence shoot a Baker rifle.
But back to the re-enactment crew of the 95th Rifles, who were in the home of the Campbelltown Liverpool District Pistol club, located in a bushland area, last Sunday morning.
The 95th Rifles (Australia) is a Napoleonic re-enactment group focusing on the Peninsula campaign being led by General Wellington – yes, that General Wellington, the one of Waterloo fame, the battle that finished Napoleon Bonaparte as the top dog in France.
The 95th Rifles were the elite light troops of the British Army using rifled firearms, superior tactics, training and teamwork and was pivotal to the Allies’ success in driving the French out of Portugal and Spain.
The re-enactment group focuses on shooting, field tactics and drill of the time period to have a greater understanding of the requirements and trials of the original Riflemen.
In a way it’s a hobby about living an era in history instead of reading about it.
Observing them as they prepared for the re-enactment, they all seemed to be pretty happy with their choice as a hobby.
