SS reenactment

To add a little lightness to this thread, I am reminded of a re-enactor at Belrting in 1993-1994 who had seemingly lost his way in this world, and appeared to of bought affordable bits of kit from the stalls and turned up to the beer tent in the evening wearing it all, sandals,suit socks, kilt, appropriate black jacket, sporran, flying helmet and goggles, he wandered through the crowds outside the tent and drew the attention of everybody, I actually felt quite sorry for him, He then decided to go a look at the Tilling Stevens searchlight lorry in the arena (near the road in those days). As he wandered off watched by most of the crowd, he pulled two cords running from his belt over his shoulders and inside his kilt to the hem, up went his kilt to his waist exposing a completely bare arse . LOST he was not, he had got got the jump on everybody, absolutely my kind of dresser up,

Hope I am not in trouble for posting this here, its way of topic sort off
regards lofty

 

Ah, but you are overlooking the crème de la crème of waltism:

YouTube - ‪LAH Waffen-SS Reenactor team from Japan(WWII) Schwarz image video‬‏

YouTube - ‪Cross of Iron Korean ww2 German reenactors‬‏

 

I don't have a problem with this at all so long as the reenactors truely understand just who and what there representing. Infact, I think it"s a good idea that there be SS reenacteer's amungst the reenactment groups so that future generations can remember the horrors and atrosities committed by the SS in vivid realism. The holocust must never be forgotten or the millions who died in it will have died in vain. And that..... I do have a problem with!

 

The different thoughts posted here will keep the thread bubbling along.

As I stated before the ss uniform does not sit well for many people the world over.
As for keeping history alive by wearing it ,the volume of folk attending these shows is quite small.Perhaps the people wearing it have the best intentions.
Everyday there are news items in the media relating to WW2, whether they sit at the frontal part of peoples thoughts or are taken on at the subliminal level the victims and the perpetrators are still remembered for different reasons.

 

The holocust must never be forgotten or the millions who died in it will have died in vain. And that..... I do have a problem with!

Now that's interesting - so their deaths actually served a purpose?!

 

Sounds a lot like you're agreeing with me that there is a need
for the striped pyjama posse to be present....

that's why I dont understand your problem with the concept.

striped pyjama's are just another uniform, no?


As distasteful as the uniform may be, we must never forget it or what it represented. How many of today's youth know what the holocaust is? We need someone to be in that uniform. We need that person to tell what that uniform represented. As painful as it may be, in my opinion it should be a reminder of what can still happan again.

 

Well I probably won't win any points here but I don't see anything wrong with anybody wanting to re-enact as a Waffen SS soldier. Somebody has to do it. If we don't remember than we are more than likely to repeat past mistakes. .........


Could somebody with more insight into reenactment than I have, please explain the above.

Does somebody have to do it ??
Is reenactment the only way to portray certain aspects of history ?
Is reenactment not a rather vulnerable discipline, especially prone to misinterpretation by the performing individual ?


Stormy

 

.......... We need someone to be in that uniform...

Do we ?
Do we, really, in order to remember history ??

 

Which makes me reflect on the differences that may arise between on one side one who to put an uniform on had to swear an oath to some entity to fulfill a purpose, and on the other side those who do so for a variety of private reasons...

 

.... Infact, I think it"s a good idea that there be SS reenacteer's amungst the reenactment groups so that future generations can remember the horrors and atrosities committed by the SS in vivid realism.....

What documentation is there to suggest that the average spectator, when confronted with a reenactor, will understand the terrors of war and of crimes against
humanity ?
How will you insert the vivid realism ?

 

I must say I found much of the previous hard going, My uncle, John Miller was with the Norfolks and a prisoner of the Japs,
I still remember a Sunday teatime when I would have been 7 or 8 years old and uncle John started talking about being a prisoner and where they lived, "in chicken huts" and being short of food and how they were offered extra if they volunteered to be castrated, father intervened at this point and took uncle outside. I remember his bulging eyes, as if he himself couldn't believe what he was telling us. Young I may have been, but being in a farming family I knew what castration meant! Thankfully this thread did not go that way.
I did see a Jap at War and Peace last year, with a dish cloth on his head. I was so shocked I said nothing.
I am sure many re-enactors are influenced by Hollywood. I once chatted to a lad dressed as a Scot, my father served in the 15th Scottish Division so I was interested in his portrayal.
When I asked which unit? he said, "The Black Watch" I said "which Battalion"? he said "the Black Watch", I said, "in which Division”? he said "the Black Watch". I think next time I will ask which film they are re-enacting.
My advice to anyone looking for a unit to portray, would be to search their own family history, someone amongst their family, perhaps distant, must have served in a unit at some time, learn about them and your own roots at the sametime, they paid the price for us today, be proud of them, whatever they did.
I have had some wonderful times re-enacting, many in our group are trying to discover about their relatives service, so we benefit from our ex-service members knowledge. It has been interesting to try to discover how the military mind works, being in a group has taught me about camaraderie which I think my father missed very much after the war.
As I suffer from Rheumatoid Arthritis, leaping from a gun tractor is a bit risky, so I try to find something to do sitting down. I have found the cook-house and peeling spuds to be quite entertaining and also a Veteran trap. Very few Veterans can pass a man in uniform, peeling spuds, without asking him if he is on a charge, I have had some wonderful conversations this way. I have found a photo of me in action on flickr, here is a link.

Spud Bashing! | Flickr - Photo Sharing!

 

I don't buy the "Sun " newspaper but I have friends who do and they kindly pass on to me items that have been published in that paper that they think might be of interest to me.

Like the article shown below.

For starters, I am all too aware that my attitude towards re-enactment is considered antiquated so to cut out a lot of argument I am prepared to accept that anything I write is very much coloured by my background (anyone new to the forum see my ww2 bio below)

Having shown all my cards, now look at the article and answer me one simple question.

Can anyone with even a passing knowledge of the events leading up to ww2 and the subsequent carnage look at these “wannabee” characters and not feel nauseous?

Puzzled old man, long time resident in Cockfosters


Ron

 

Perhaps criminologists might like to dress up as Jack the Ripper - purely out of historical interest you understand! Personally I get a tad annoyed at people looking like a bundle of khaki rags and claiming to be wearing battle dress- often by those looking as if they had served in the cookhouse for three square meals a day. 14 years old and in I walked with battle dress, greatcoat,webbing and ammo boots -just joined ACF. My father phoned a pal (ex Grenadier) and you would have thought I had bought them Christmas presents a few hours later and much instruction on 'box pleats' and bulling boots. The life of the Guardsman's dress code instilled in me in advance! My father kept muttering about khaki and how in 1935 he had cotton shirts and tie in blue. My first foray out into the world in uniform was after I had been tugged here and there -do that up properly - mother looking on with a wry smile! Later as a Lsgt I was put 'on report' for being improperly dressed outside the Guildhall Londonderry in the middle of a 'problem' - quite right too! Fined £2.

 

Ron

I no it must seem really odd to you, a whole lot of pot belled men dressed up and dribbling.

WW2 Reenactment I find it a bit silly 2 MG42s, Mp38 some Mp44s and Mausers blazing away, 10 meters away a couple of Bren guns a Vickers, Thompsons ,303s a stuart of the Valentine, nobody dying, everyone just wanting to blaze away, all a bit Ridicules.

The truth is most of those guys would be honored to meet you and the other veterans.

I do 1860s Reenactment 65th Regiment of foot, once a month at a Historical village, bayonet drill , Marching a Skirmish in pairs as a display.
We use 1853 pattern Enfield muskets.
Some of our members are ex army or TF, we do a display at the best of out knowledge.
Of course no one is alive from this time to educate the public of this time in History.
It gives the men and boys something to watch and learn the history of, while the mothers and girls are watching butter being made in one of the Historical houses....


On here you can let them no what you think, they should improve.
People will always reenact ,maybe you could give them some advice to make it not seem so naff..

And by the way, I am not a pot belled dribbler.

As for the SS thing people dont do it, "are you nuts"....

 

Sigcollector

I do 1860s Reenactment 65th Regiment of foot, once a month at a Historical village, bayonet drill , Marching a Skirmish in pairs as a display.
We use 1853 pattern Enfield muskets.
Some of our members are ex army or TF, we do a display at the best of out knowledge.

No problem at all, so more power to your elbow !

Just for the record, as an ex 78 Div man, I was proud to serve with the Kiwis at Cassino

Best regards

Ron

 

A lot of re-enactment groups have Christmas parties and dress accordingly...a French Resistance group I know recently had a do, dressed to the nines in Prezzo of all places.

However, despite me not having issues with German re-enactment at events, dressing up as SS for a Christmas party is a step too far in my opinion.

 

i have just spent time reading the above mentioned threads.i cant believe a person can find joy in play acting as a menber of a regiment whos sol purpose was to murder unarmed civilians men women and children.this included(babys)and if you look at pictures of them buchering and haging people, you will notice there happy smiles,what crap she spouts about the evil japanees.she is all for nuking japs.but holds high admiration for the german atrosetis what a poser,she does not know if shes artha or martha.and she keeps making excusis for her behavieur.freedom of speech is one thing,but you abuse the privelig,apart from your heroes beeig responsable for 50000000 deaths.it could be more?if it was not for the vets ww2 you would not be here today.and say a word of thanks for those who did not make back.bernard85

 

I only read the first page of comments and I am surprised this thread is kept alive.
The original poster is a fööl. If he hasn't been educated properly, there is no chance he will get it here.
At first I thought he was an asian (filipion?indonesian? vietnamese?), then it looks like he's american (example of the United Stupid of America ). Maybe he's both.

However, reading even about fierce opposition to SS reenactors I like to point out that each year there is a War and Peace show in ENGLAND (!) where you'll see the likes of Himmler and Gestapo officers parading.
How's that for insensitivity ?

Anyway, WaffenSS is usually the group these reenactors want to portray. And that is fine with me (as they carried better equipment, uniforms and better tanks).
Though there are enough accounts of atrocities perpetrated by those guys as well (killing POWs) they are different ranks and organisation than the Kamp-SS and SD who fully acted against the jewish/russian/ukrainian/polish/partisan/etc. civilians behind the frontline.

my 2 cents..
(PS i'd vote for taking away this whole thread)

 

(example of the United Stupid of America ).)

What a clever play words. You're quite a wit!