(“René is amazing,” recalls St. Lawrence Bicentennial Manager Alicia Wanless. “I sent him a picture of my ancestor with very few details to go by, and René pinpointed his exact regiment, location and likely circumstances. He is phenomenal.”
And for one evening, Prescott will have the chance to share in René’s vast knowledge on the War of 1812 and period uniforms. The 1812 Dinner Series, held monthly at the Red George Pub, will host René Sunday, Oct. 21 beginning at 5:30 p.m.((Educated at the University of Montreal, Rene Chartrand joined the National Historic Sites Service of Parks Canada in the late 1968 as a curator and, by the time of his retirement in 1998, was the chief curator of that organization. ((
A specialist in military uniforms, accoutrements and flags, Chartrand is the author of nearly one hundred books and monographs on those subjects including two of the three volumes of Canadian Military Heritage, a DND publication, and Military Uniforms in Canada, 1665-1970, produced by the Canadian War Museum.
RECENT BOOKS
René’s two most recent books, A Most Warlike Appearance, concerned with the uniforms and flags of the United States forces during the War of 1812, and A Scarlet Coat, concerned with British and Canadian uniforms and flags, are generally regarded as being the definitive treatment of their subjects.
Rene Chartrand is a member and former president of the Company of Military Historians and was active for many years in Scouts Canada. He resides with his historian wife, Dr. Luce Vermette-Chartrand, in Gatineau, Que.(Reserve your space at the 1812 Dinner Series by calling 613-925-8800.
1812 News 