Carter RILA (WebCat)

[craig_pickrall]

I am sorry to report that I have just received word that Carter RILA (WebCat) passed away this morning, around 7:00am. Many members here will remember Webcat from other forums. He was an author, knowledgable military historian, collector and friend. He had just joined this forum in early April as he had been in declining health for some time and was unable to access the web. He seemed to be improving and was back on the web again. He took a sudden and unexpected turn for the worse. I know I will miss him as will many others here that knew him.

 

Rest In Peace Webcat!

[bayonetman]

I never met Carter in person, but we corresponded by emails for some time. He was very helpful to me with information on bolos, machetes and the like. He was kind enough to send me rough drafts of some chapters of a book he was working on. I hope that someone is prepared to finish his book in his memory. He will be sorely missed by many.

 

Requiem in Pacem, my friend.

[craig_pickrall]

Unfortunately I think the book idea died a few years ago. He had a friend that he researched and co-wrote with. The friend died several years earlier and I think the book was just a dream after that.

 

Carter was back to researching his beloved early 1900's border skirmishes so he was researching right to the end.

 

I think for Carter most of the fun was in the research and not the writting.

[gunbarrel]

Oh, no... I sure hate to hear that. He was always very helpful when he was in good health. Craig, thanks for letting us know. For those who are not familiar with CR, here is a link to his Commentaries in Frank Trzaska's website:

 

http://www.usmilitaryknives.com/cr_commentaries.htm

[New Romantic]

I just read this last night. Carter Rila ( Webcat) will be greatly missed.

 

I need to go back to MCF and see what other passages he wrote can be preserved. I think there was one for cartridge belt suspenders from 1903-1918 and a passage on the blanket roll of the early 1900's.

[Charlie Flick]

This is sad news indeed. I never met him in person but got to know Carter through the old Gunboards Militaria Forum where he quickly established himself as one of the most knowledgeable web gear/edged weapon/personal equipment guys around. He had a tremendous breadth of knowledge gained from many, many years of study and pondering on this subject. I remember how he used to reflect on the old time surplus dealers like Stokes Kirk and Bannermans. He lamented their passing and reminded us of their importance to collectors today. While he did some writing (his article in the Journal of the Company of Military Historians comes to mind) his death is another regretable example of the loss of a lifetime of knowledge and experience that was never properly committed to paper for the future. Carter was urged many times to "write the book" but, unfortunately for him and future collectors, it just never got done.

 

Over the years I exchanged a lot of information and photos with him and I am certain that I gained more than I gave in my communications with Carter. His passing must be regarded as a sad day for all collectors of US Militaria.

 

Regards,

Charlie Flick

[Johan Willaert]

Sorry to hear this sad news...., I knew him from the old MCF Board...

 

Does anyone know he old he was?

[craig_pickrall]

This is Carter's obituary that is released to the different forums and web sites that he participated on.

 

 

Our fellow collector Carter Rila (WebCat) passed away the morning of 30 Apr 09.

 

Carter was a cartographer by trade, pursued his craft with a passion, and took great satisfaction from these contributions to the National Defense. By avocation, he covered just about everything else. He was a historian, researcher, teacher, collector, Scouter, singer, mentor and friend.

 

His early years in Franklin, PA, on the banks of the Allegheny River, generated his interest in railroading and bridge engineering. Relocation to New Mexico stirred an interest in Mexico and the history of the Mexican Revolutions and the era of Pancho Villa and the US Punitive Expedition of 1914. Scouting and service as an adult Scout Leader fostered an interest in camping and outdoor skills and a passion for campfire and folk songs. His wanderings around the Southwest opened an interest in the lore and skills of the Cowboy and the lore of the Old West.

 

Carter was a Cold War soldier, serving as a U.S. Army Nike Missile technician on the East Coast and near Washington DC. He found access to the National Archives and immersed himself in the documentary treasures to be found there.

 

We knew Carter as an expert and teacher of things military - U.S. web and leather field and individual equipments; canteens and mess gear; first aid and Hospital Corps equipment and materials; aircrew survival gear, uniforms, intelligence and espionage activities, and in blacksmithing and metalwork. His interest in knives and other blades was as tools – Scout and other pocket knives, aircrew escape and survival knives, machetes and bolos, axes and entrenching tools – and he was a skilled axman. He tallied up years as a tireless researcher and reader, and gleaned countless personal histories of the common soldier of all wars for accounts and descriptions of the soldier’s experiences with the tools of the trade.

 

Carter was a member of the Company of Military Historians with many contributions to the Journal. His articles, and contributions to the works of other authors, have been published in magazines and books, and he currently has a collection of monographs on military blades available on the web.

 

During his last illness, he was still actively researching the works of reporters covering the activities of Pancho Villa and the U.S. / Mexican Border problems.

 

Carter was my mentor, collecting competitor and friend. He left us a rich legacy in historical research and documentation and in friendship. I, and the community, will miss him.

 

Carter, Rest In Peace.

 

Day is done, gone the sun

From the lakes, from the hills, from the sky

All is well, safely rest;

God is nigh.

 

GerryRA

[earlymb]

That is very sad news. He often helped me with answers on the old MCN forum. He will be greatly missed.

 

Greetz

 

David

[J_Andrews]

I believe Carter was 70 years old. His birthday would have been in May -- perhaps the 18th?

[artu44]

A great teacher for us beginners since Gunboards time.

[Greg Robinson]

He was very helpful to me on several occasions. But one thing I learned early on when dealing with "webcat" was he could get grouchy if you questioned his opinions. Granted, his opinions were correct about 99% of the time and the rest of the time I conceded to his experience and knowledge. He'll be missed.

 

Greg

[craig_pickrall]

Carter’s funeral service will be this Sunday night 3 May, 6 to 8, at the Devol Funeral Home, 10 E Deer Park Dr., Gaithersburg. 301-948-6800. Several of his friends and neighbors and a bunch of his former work colleagues visited him at the hospice and will be on hand Sunday.

 

He was not quite 71, as his birthday is 16 May, 1938.

 

The above info is from the person handling Carter's estate. He also reports that it will be several months before the estate is settled so anyone wanting to pursue any part of his collection will have to wait for the legal part of the settlement.