WWII Reenacting Discussion Thread

[Stearmen]

No - I am certainly not a spring chicken (- more like an ol' cock.)

You look quite dapper there Air Vice-Marshal Spitfire!

 

[Spitfire]

Thanks, Stearmen. Always nice with a promotion

 

[kkelley]

Hi DaveP,
I am interested in the photos you posted of Walt Ehlers for a project at The National World War II Museum. KKelley

 

[Story]

Another vet who came out to a Field Reenactment - Leon "Jed" Jedziniak

Guy on the right looks like Private First Class Foley

 

[Story]

The New Oxford Area Historical Society will host a WWII reenactment around the town's center square. Spectators and WWII enthusiasts will find this event to be both educational and exciting! All are encouraged to dress in 1940’s era costumes. New Oxford will be transformed into a small French village occupied by the Germans during WWII. Spectators will be able to watch as a battle ensues when the Allied convoy arrives to liberate the town and capture the Germans. (Please note that all weapons discharged will only fire blank ammunition.) Once the town is secure, the church bells ring and the liberation celebration takes place. Local officials will conclude the event with a ceremony honoring WWII veterans from the local and surrounding area. Afterwards, plan to stop by the German encampment at the at the train station which includes the period vehicles used in the battle. They will be available to answer questions about the uniforms, equipment, and weaponry of the WWII soldier. - See more at: http://www.visitpa.com/pa-events/liberation-new-oxford-wwii-reenactment#sthash.6DQ9sLTe.dpuf

Friday, September 19, 2014

Afternoon:
Re-enactors begin setting up WW2 era camp at New Oxford train station: 206 Lincoln Way West

Friday night:
USO Dance, 7:30-10:30pm

Saturday, September 20, 2014
Liberation of New Oxford:

8 am - 11 am
(More specific times to be published)
Roads closed
Germans occupy town square and surrounding blocks
Allied convoy moves into town
Battle
Allies capture Germans

11 am
Jeep Bond Drive: Train Station , 206 Lincoln Way West, New Oxford, PA

Afternoon:
Living History Camp at the Train Station. Visit the German and Allied re-enactors, see how they lived in the field.
Learn how you can become involved in any aspect of re-enacting, both Allied and Axis.

Sunday, September 21, 2014
Morning:
Re-enactors break camp and depart
http://www.liberationofnewoxford.com/event-schedule.html

 

[p51]

http://www.liberationofnewoxford.com/photos.html
Man, I can't imagine an entire town blocking itself off for an event like this, I wish I lived anywhere nearby...

 

[rjb1]

I believe this sort of event is catching on in the east. We have a similar "in-town" event coming up in Linden, TN in a couple of weeks and another similar one later in Watertown, TN in November (near Veteran's Day). (The Watertown event has been going on for a number of years.)
Really small towns can block off the roads and generally control access fairly easily.

The Watertown event is held as part of a WWII-themed rail excursion trip from Nashville, about 35 miles away. The people (~600 persons) ride the train from Nashville to Watertown, see the WWII exhibits, and then watch the battle. They then ride the train back to Nashville.

 

[p51]

I've seen a lot of re-enacting things in my life, but I've never done a 'block off downtown' event. I live in WA state, where you can't bring automatic weapons due to state laws.
Re-enacting groups in neighboring states (all of which allow legal machine guns) will say that it's a coincidence that there's never been any large WW2 tactical re-enactment anywhere in this state but I'm convinced that there'll never be one here as long as you can't bring your machine guns (not that I blame anyone, if I owned a automatic weapon, I probably wouldn't go events where I can't bring it, either).

 

[rjb1]

Turning over the town for a day has some reenacting/historical motivations for the town, but more than that is that they get a big influx of customers for the town shops and restaurants on that day.
That's fine with us since both sides (reenactors and merchants) benefit from it.

I don't think the automatic-weapons issue has much to do with the willingness of people to participate or for the town to block things off in the town center. The same town that has the one WWII event per year also has two similar "Wild West" events per year. Only Winchesters, Colts, and such are used, so the full-auto-weapons issue doesn't come up for those. We have a train robbery of the excursion train so everyone has a great time. They have a *huge* turnout for those events.
Even for tactical events, full-auto firearms are legal here, but so few people have them that whether they are there or not for any particular event doesn't matter much.
It takes a *lot* of planning and coordination to make those type events work, so that may be the bigger obstacle to similar events in WA or anywhere else.

 

[rjb1]

I have been curious how the New Oxford (In-town) reenacting event went.

We had the similar Linden, TN event last weekend and it went great. They really do block off the main road through the town with WWII-style checkpoints and gates. "Real" traffic has to detour around the center part of the town.
We attacked right down the main street and took the town from the evil Germans. Since we have minimal political correctness here in TN, the Courthouse had a big Nazi banner (with swastika) on it, which the victorious GI's tore down and replaced with an American flag at the culmination of the battle.
(tactically speaking nothing we did made any sense, but the crowds loved it)

There were also a lot of home-front people and even a WWII Navy display with a number of sailors.

 

[Story]

Located in Rockford, Ill., Midway Village is an open air museum comprised of 26 Victorian buildings. Once a year, however, it becomes the pivot point of several reenacted WWII battles, as entusiasts from around the nation converge for the largest event of its kind in the Midwest.

Nearly 1,3000 reenactors from 40 states representing soldiers of the US, Great Britain, France, Russia, Ukraine, Poland, Germany, Italy, and China participated in this year’s event. In addition, about 50 original and recreated vehicles—everything from Jeeps and motorcycles to Kuebelwagens and Kettenkrads—rolled through the village and camps. Heavier vehicles included an M4 Sherman, M22 Locust, M5 Stuart, a Hetzer, Panhard armored car, and many half-tracks, trucks, and field guns.

WWII Days is much more than just a reenactment. A “Behind the Lines” tour on Friday evening guides visitors through the Village to preview the weekend activities. Reenactors labor intensely in the woods, constructing outposts, bunkers, and trench works. On Saturday, this area opened to the public. Skirmishes occurred in the late morning in the woods and the village.

- See more at: http://www.militarytrader.com/milit...mid=699444&rid=241878292#sthash.xhF4IOqw.dpuf

 

[skbellis]

I think that there were more female war correspondents at the Rockford event than there was during all of ww2.

 

[SIGGY]

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http://s1334.photobucket.com/user/EMBLEMHUNTER/library/Patches

 

[rjb1]

Since she is really good-looking I'd have to be careful how I phrased it if in person, but the blonde on the right is making an error: If she was a War Correspondent she would not have any military rank and should not have on the Lt.'s bars.

(There were quite a few female correspondents and photographers during WWII: Lee Miller, Margaret Bourke-White, Martha Gellhorn, Helen Kirkpatrick, Ruth Cowan, Sonia Tomara, Rosette Hargrove, Betty Knox, Iris Carpenter, Erica Mann, Lee Carson, Ann Stringer, Peggy Hull Deuell, and more.)

 

[Guttersnipe]

I know where you are coming from on that. I think the concept of REMF is a relatively new one. I never heard any WW-II vet every talk about fellow veterans of the era in those derogatory terms--regardless of what their billet was or where they had served. Of course, there was no love-loss for 4Fs.

I know this was posted 3 years ago, but I have to offer rebuttal. Front line GIs certainly had a notable disdain for what were termed "garrison soldiers." But don't take my word for it, ask Joe and Willie . . .

. . . and there are oh so many more.

 

[Stearmen]

I know this was posted 3 years ago, but I have to offer rebuttal. Front line GIs certainly had a notable disdain for what were termed "garrison soldiers." But don't take my word for it, ask Joe and Willie . . .

. . . and there are oh so many more.

That last one is funny! When my Dad got back stateside, he had three Battle Stars, the Captain, who had never been out of the country made him remove two before he would let my Dad go home! He just wanted to get out of there, so he obliged. When I looked up his record, he was entitled to five!

 

[1961MJS]

I think that there were more female war correspondents at the Rockford event than there was during all of ww2.

And this would be a problem because....

Later

 

[Monsoon]

And this would be a problem because....

I was thinking the same thing since I first read that post!

 

[Story]

I was thinking the same thing since I first read that post!

Ditto.

 

[pawineguy]

How the heck does this happen??

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/nat...live-ammo-battle-texas-park-article-1.2108330