Female WWII Reenactors?

[PADDY]

WoW Dixon...get me a medic NOW..!!!

With a Red Cross lady like that Dixon, there must be plenty of willing patients with various injuries from just tripping over themselves!!! Great uniforms by the way (May I add this one to the WW2 Member's Gallery please?). Keep holding the torch guys.

 

[Dixon Cannon]

Okie Dokey, Paddy!...

With a Red Cross lady like that Dixon, there must be plenty of willing patients with various injuries from just tripping over themselves!!! Great uniforms by the way (May I add this one to the WW2 Member's Gallery please?). Keep holding the torch guys.

I'll dig out a photie of the little lady in her nursey get-up and post it. She's proud that I'm proud her! Get your wounds lined up! -dixon cannon

 

[ShanghaiJack]

I do

I portay A.V.G., C.A.T.F., R.A.F. Eagle Squadrons, and 4th Fighter Group.

http://www.eaglesquadrons.com

 

[Warden]

As I am now in my 40s I have had to join the ranks of the Home Guard. Just to old to be a regular these days.

You can see what we get up to as Home Guard here

Harry

 

[Lil' Miss A]

Hi there!

I started re-enacting this year, and currently represent the British Women's Land Army.

I am also looking at Women's SOE, and ATS.

 

[Sweet Leilani]

I would LOVE to get involved in something like this!! I've had uniform patterns forever and have yet to use them! I've been digging around online for quite some time, but haven't managed to dig up anything on women's units around Philadelphia. Apparently I'm not searching correctly!

any suggestions?

Ladies, look into joining The Paper Dolls: http://www.angelfire.com/ma3/PaperDolls/

They do Reading and the Battle of the Bulge re-enactment at Fort Indiantown Gap (Harrisburg area) among other things. I'm a member of the online group but have not gotten a specific impression together yet. I'm not (yet!) into the military side of re-enacting; I prefer to do civilian stuff since I have all the clothing already, but I know it's something I would enjoy if I had the time & the $.

 

[Alan Eardley]

As I am now in my 40s I have had to join the ranks of the Home Guard. Just to old to be a regular these days.

Harry

I was 'asked' to give up re-enacting when I reached 50 (that's a long while ago) and my erstwhile colleagues suggested that I should find a 'Home Guard' unit (which, at the time, I couldn't). That started me thinking and doing some research (which is my day job). I found that there were more men over 50 on active service in the British Army in WW2 then most people think.

This is quite well documented - particularly in units such as the Pioneer Corps. Private Bill Krepper, for instance. was 'demobbed' just after VE day at the age of 55. He had served four years in WW1 and five in WW2. I have photographs that show him with some of his colleagues - most of whom don't look much younger than him - and being fitted for his 'demob' suit at the Olympia Clothing Centre.

Alan

 

[Cobden]

It certainly wasn't uncommon, especially in the interwar and pre WWI periods, to have soldiers in their 40's and 50's, many of them just privates. The majority of those, I would add, would have had armfulls of GC stripes (the most I've heard of is 15 - that's 45 years service and means he had to be at least 63!), as one couldn't really afford to be in the army for that period of time with the additional pay benefits brought by GC stripes...

 

[Annandamide]

I'm doing my first re enactment this weekend. It should be fun, I'm ww2 red cross italian nurse.... I've even got my dog involved, he's a rescue dog, making his 'costume' right now!

 

[Fletch]

It certainly wasn't uncommon, especially in the interwar and pre WWI periods, to have soldiers in their 40's and 50's, many of them just privates.

The US Marines had a surprising number of 40-something "lifers" between the wars who had risen in the ranks but been busted back to Pfc. or even private for one infraction or another – some of them more than once! Yet they stayed on, presumably because the old Corps valued such hell-raisers, and because most would never have adjusted to civilian life. I don't know what they did in WWII - probably desk duty, which is often a reward for long-serving Marines no longer up to combat readiness.

 

[Story]

For the UK folk

http://www.cotswoldjournal.co.uk/display.var.1533375.0.plan_to_restore_ww2_pillbox.php

Restoration of a WWII Home Defense pillbox.

 

[Warden]

Private Bill Krepper, for instance. was 'demobbed' just after VE day at the age of 55. He had served four years in WW1 and five in WW2. I have photographs that show him with some of his colleagues - most of whom don't look much younger than him - and being fitted for his 'demob' suit at the Olympia Clothing Centre.

Agreed, but as you said not in front line roles, I could do pay corps and re-enact typing through D-Day. Mind you the Home Guard was not an army of old aged pensioners. Average age has been quoted as 38.

I did portray a regular solider a couple of years ago. I portayed the part of a young officers 'batman'. While the rest of the group ate in fox holes, I put up a table a chair for sir to have lunch. As we were close to the crowd line and both Jeeves and Wooster fans he where able to engage in good banter for the benefit of the public. "Would sir, perfer luncheon or breakfast", "Ho breakfast I think, can't let standards drop".

When asked by a member of the public if I was too old to be in the front line, Graham (The person portarying the officer) replied "I know, but he is awfully good at finding things, so I keep him on".

Harry

 

[leaette]

I've been reenacting for 7 yrs now. I have 3 main impressions: ANC, woman war worker, and German DRK (Red Cross nurse). I have US and German civilian impressions too, and I have a German Luft Helferin impression too (but doesn't fit anymore ). I collect women war worker things and I have a little traveling museum of sorts that I set up at living histories. My husband has been reenacting for 13 years. And my 2 1/2 month old son just started last weekend. We took him to an airshow in a cute 40s baby outfit. He was a big hit!

 

[Alan Eardley]

Agreed, but as you said not in front line roles, I could do pay corps and re-enact typing through D-Day.

Harry

Harry

The Pioneer Corps (to which my example referred) weren't exactly 'front line' ITIO fighting but they certainly weren't restricted to the sort of duties you decribe. It was they who dug the trenches in Flanders in WW1 (often under heavy artillery fire) and they who cleared the beaches of mines on D-Day. Here is a selection of quotes from the official website:

It is true to say that there was no British theatre of war in the world where Pioneers were not to be found. In November 1942 Pioneers made their first amphibious landing in North Africa with the First Army and earned a great name during the six months campaign. One Company went into the line as infantry for three weeks and acquitted itself with great credit.

From the early hours of the Normandy Beaches, through all the main engagements in France, the Lowlands and Germany, up to the final assault over the Elbe, the Pioneer was there. He was ready and eager to tackle any job. The range of his activities was wider than the majority of other soldiers. He was airborne to Arnhem, he was an important element in the chemical warfare force whose task it was to obscure our tactics from the enemy with smoke screens; with the Engineers he built bridges, repaired railways, maintained roads; with the Service Corps he brought up vital supplies and stores; with the Ordnance Corps he helped to keep up the flow of guns and ammunition; he could be found working in hospitals or acting as stretcher bearer with front-line troops.

On D-day of the invasion of the Continent, 6 June 1944, 13 Pioneer companies landed with the first tide and a further ten companies with the second tide, making a total of about 6,700 men ashore by the end of the day. By the end of D + 2, three Pioneer Group HQ and 42 companies were ashore (about 12,000 men) and by D + 5, when Second Army took over command from the Corps, the totals had increased to 10 Pioneer Groups and 63 companies, representing approximately 19,000 men.

The build-up of the force was rapid and by D + 25, all the Pioneer units allotted to Second Army, amounting to 14 Pioneer Group HQs and 115 Companies (33,500 men) were in Normandy. By D + 79, the complete Pioneer Order of Battle consisting of over 68,000 officers and men, had been brought to France. A force which was built up to 34 Group Headquarters, 231 Companies and 23 Pioneer Civil Labour Units (PCLUs).

As far is known, the first Pioneer party landed 20 minutes after Operation Overlord had started, their task being to assist in mine clearance and to dig a Command Post in preparation for the arrival of the Beach Group Commander. Other parties soon followed them and set to work establishing beach exists, laying Sommerfield track and repairing the roads from the shore ready for the tanks and Armoured Fighting Vehicles to advance. Bridging equipment was unloaded and assembled, road blocks demolished, beach store depots built up.

The Pioneers who arrived with the assault troops landed 'wetshod', which often meant a long wade ashore in full equipment. Some had to swim ashore from grounded craft. Pioneers working in the water laying flexible causeway off the ramps of the landing craft, were engaged on particularly hazardous work in rough seas. Many of the men came under heavy artillery and small-arms fire in the early stages, but casualties were surprisingly light. Parties took part in fighting operations to clear strong points. The two most notable of many incidents were the capture of 86 German Marines by a fighting patrol of 120 Pioneer Company, and of one officer and 26 men by another patrol of 225 Pioneer Company'.

I'm sure you will want to join with me in paying these guys the respect they deserve - their role is certainly worth remembering, if not re-enacting.

Alan

 

[Story]

"Shtrafbat"

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0425715/

That'd be a novel reenactment group.

Anyone seen the series?

 

[Miss Sis]

When I do 40s which is not so often these days, I do civilian mainly. I do a bit of Women's Land Army (WLA) here and there but mostly Womens Voluntary Service (WVS) with our chum Mike's trusty Tea Van.

I have done WAAF but the original skirt I have is VERY tight (a 25 - 26" waist ), so it's a case of can I get into it? My BF had a collection of militaria including lots of ATS stuff when we met so that was handy for me!

One of my favourite impressions is an emergency washing post for bomb victims where I have zinc tubs, washboards, scrubbing brushes and carbolic soap. Children love to come and have a turn - I always ask their parents if they'd like me to give the kids a dip at the same time.

 

[Warden]

You can bath my two, anytime. Mind you its hard to get them into the bath, then even harder to get them out once they are in.

Harry

 

[Miss Sis]

Ha ha Warden! lol

I have yet to meet Jack but remembering my last encounter with Maisie, I can well imagine she'd tell me whether she wanted a bath or not!

We'll be at Northchapel Steam Fair this month (can't remember date - I just go where I'm told!) They can get a bath there.

 

[Warden]

She can be a proper little Madam if she wants to be. Shock horror at some events she says "I don't want to dress up Daddy, I want to wear Thomas the Tank engine top".

What can you do?

Our next gig is Festival of History, then I think it is Twinwoods, with Mrs W at IWM on the bank holiday monday.

Harry

 

[Miss Sis]

We are at Twinwoods on the Saturday, doing the Fashion Show.

Swing by and say hello - we've missed coming to Stowe Gardens.