The German love us after all
Discussion
Why?.....many people do the 're-enactment' thing......(it's not my bag admittedly).....but a lot of people are interested in military history i.e. the sealed knot groups etc......all range of people dress up as American GIs/Russian army/British Infantry/German SS etc as hobbies and carry out displays at a variety of functions & events.
Incidentally,in case readers of this are wondering, the German SS group my colleague is part of do NOT have ANY connection with Nazi symathisers and state this on thier websites......they do not want them in thier ranks and have no connection with them whatsoever. They see the German SS for what they were at the time a crack military outfit
Before you tell me what attrocities they carried out......yes i know.....the very point i made to my oppo after i'd finished mercilessly ripping the p1ss out of him.....but as history details.....no side in any of the World Wars were unscathed with regard to 'the moral high ground'.....attrocities were committed on all sides......notably the Russian armies.
I actually envy my mate in having a hobby where he can bugger off with his mates once a month,dress up as a soldier ,shoot a few 'Tommies' have a laugh and a few beers afterwards......whilst in an educational way, show kids of today how brutal life & war can be.
what's my hobbies?......i just don't have the time
Incidentally,in case readers of this are wondering, the German SS group my colleague is part of do NOT have ANY connection with Nazi symathisers and state this on thier websites......they do not want them in thier ranks and have no connection with them whatsoever. They see the German SS for what they were at the time a crack military outfit
Before you tell me what attrocities they carried out......yes i know.....the very point i made to my oppo after i'd finished mercilessly ripping the p1ss out of him.....but as history details.....no side in any of the World Wars were unscathed with regard to 'the moral high ground'.....attrocities were committed on all sides......notably the Russian armies.
I actually envy my mate in having a hobby where he can bugger off with his mates once a month,dress up as a soldier ,shoot a few 'Tommies' have a laugh and a few beers afterwards......whilst in an educational way, show kids of today how brutal life & war can be.
what's my hobbies?......i just don't have the time
father ted said:
Why?.....many people do the 're-enactment' thing......(it's not my bag admittedly).....but a lot of people are interested in military history i.e. the sealed knot groups etc......all range of people dress up as American GIs/Russian army/British Infantry/German SS etc as hobbies and carry out displays at a variety of functions & events.
Incidentally,in case readers of this are wondering, the German SS group my colleague is part of do NOT have ANY connection with Nazi symathisers and state this on thier websites......they do not want them in thier ranks and have no connection with them whatsoever. They see the German SS for what they were at the time a crack military outfit
Before you tell me what attrocities they carried out......yes i know.....the very point i made to my oppo after i'd finished mercilessly ripping the p1ss out of him.....but as history details.....no side in any of the World Wars were unscathed with regard to 'the moral high ground'.....attrocities were committed on all sides......notably the Russian armies.
I actually envy my mate in having a hobby where he can bugger off with his mates once a month,dress up as a soldier ,shoot a few 'Tommies' have a laugh and a few beers afterwards......whilst in an educational way, show kids of today how brutal life & war can be.
what's my hobbies?......i just don't have the time
You may well be right. I just can't understand the attraction of pretending to be in the SS.
Perhaps I should get a weekend hobby where I dress up as a member of Al-Quida...
I must admit I struggle to see the attraction of dressing up as sadistic mass murderers and goose stepping around a field...
Maybe I'm the strange one...lol
Like i tried to explain.....it's a military thing.....
Al Qaidi (whatever)....are terrorists
The German SS were an 'elite' fighting force like the Paras,Marines et al......they were not (so i am told) Nazi/Hitler Youth 'Jew hating' genocide supporting Fascists......they were ordinary men who joined up to serve thier country in a fighting capacity like 'Tommy Arbuckle' of 15 Acacia Ave. home counties 1940's Britain did when he joined up here to fight 'the Jerries'
We,the English had ,i believe the SAS,SOE,SBS back then who were Elite fighting forces who were probably brutal in thier effective capacities......
Like i said before.....i have no affinity with Germans SS soldiers nor do i personally admire them......but i can see the interest someone may have in thier tactics and method of operation in battlefield history......one things for sure.....an all sides there must have been some very brave men about to do what they did for thier countries
the Japs however....were sadastic feckers....
Al Qaidi (whatever)....are terrorists
The German SS were an 'elite' fighting force like the Paras,Marines et al......they were not (so i am told) Nazi/Hitler Youth 'Jew hating' genocide supporting Fascists......they were ordinary men who joined up to serve thier country in a fighting capacity like 'Tommy Arbuckle' of 15 Acacia Ave. home counties 1940's Britain did when he joined up here to fight 'the Jerries'
We,the English had ,i believe the SAS,SOE,SBS back then who were Elite fighting forces who were probably brutal in thier effective capacities......
Like i said before.....i have no affinity with Germans SS soldiers nor do i personally admire them......but i can see the interest someone may have in thier tactics and method of operation in battlefield history......one things for sure.....an all sides there must have been some very brave men about to do what they did for thier countries
the Japs however....were sadastic feckers....
father ted said:
Like i tried to explain.....it's a military thing.....
the Japs however....were sadastic feckers....
I think I see where you are coming from...still find it damned odd though...
The Japanese did some truly attrocious things, like dissections and "post-mortems" while the victim was still alive.
Apparently the purpose was to see how long they could keep someone alive while they dissassembled them...
I find it odd too......but after speaking a lot about it with my mate (incidentally he's a normal bloke with 3 kids/big house/lovely wife & a degree and served in the RAF during the Gulf 1 conflict...so not a jackbooted skinhead with C18 tattoed on his neck )....i now sort of understand his interest in the history and tactics side of it......one well documented SS panzer commander when faced with a much larger allied tank force ....managed to out manouevre them ,block thier progress and take out a total of 18 tanks on his own (something to that effect).....again a lesson learned by someone somewhere in warfare.......just like that part in 'Band of Brothers' where 'Easy' company attack the German '88s entrenched in a field....thier tactics were a recognised 'model attack' and are still quoted today in military training.
If you dig deep enough into the history of something.....enlightenment will sure enough bring an understanding.......plus it must be fun poleing round a field in a Genuine WWII German half-track!...not too mention the BBQs and beers after a re-enactment
i think i would sign up for the American Airborne if i were to do that sort of thing.....they always win...Hollywood says so
If you dig deep enough into the history of something.....enlightenment will sure enough bring an understanding.......plus it must be fun poleing round a field in a Genuine WWII German half-track!...not too mention the BBQs and beers after a re-enactment
i think i would sign up for the American Airborne if i were to do that sort of thing.....they always win...Hollywood says so
apache said:
Any excuse to wear a sexy uniform you mean, they certainly had that side of it sorted, mind you a lot of the imagery was lifted from the romans, should've taken the hint I spose
Caligula had it right
stay in Rome and S
everything My Grandad served in Burma......not nice.....but he still drove a toyota in later life.....life's circles are very strange indeed
father ted said:
Any excuse to wear a sexy uniform you mean, they certainly had that side of it sorted, mind you a lot of the imagery was lifted from the romans, should've taken the hint I spose
Caligula had it right
My Grandad served in Burma......not nice.....but he still drove a toyota in later life.....life's circles are very strange indeed
my old boy hated the japs with a vengeance, when a bunch of my pals turned up on rice burners he donned his quarry masters hat and walking stick and set about em......in his pyjamas he served in Burma too with the HA
apache said:
apache said:
Any excuse to wear a sexy uniform you mean, they certainly had that side of it sorted, mind you a lot of the imagery was lifted from the romans, should've taken the hint I spose
Caligula had it right
My Grandad served in Burma......not nice.....but he still drove a toyota in later life.....life's circles are very strange indeed
my old boy hated the japs with a vengeance, when a bunch of my pals turned up on rice burners he donned his quarry masters hat and walking stick and set about em......in his pyjamas he served in Burma too with the HA
Was he a member of Burma Star Assoc. then Pete? my GF was in the RAF as first a gunner then an airframe eng. on Dakotas (96sqn i think)
god knows, he shuffled off this mortal coil a while ago and I'd left home early. All I know is that he was a Captain in the HA and flew with the 8th Air Force to help them with AC recognition and planning, they used to shoot a lot of our guys down when they first arrived. They also couldn't understand that turning up over Germany at the same altitude, time and formation would be an easy thing for the AA teams to figure out. There was a film based on this apparently, morale was screwed and they were losing shitloads of people.
The Burma thing was a lot earlier and he was very reluctant to talk about it
>> Edited by apache on Saturday 18th December 01:33
The Burma thing was a lot earlier and he was very reluctant to talk about it
>> Edited by apache on Saturday 18th December 01:33
My Grandfather never-ever talked about the war or his experiences afterwards ..not even to my nan.
He passed away in '93 (worst day of my life ,i swear) and never did get to hear about any of his experiences....my uncle,his eldest son has his medals .....i have his RAF sidecap and his cap from when he was the Chief Fire Officer at Birmingham Airport (for about 30 years) which are nice memmentos to remember him by.....totally worshipped that guy ....not for what he did in the past but the person i knew him as......i digress
interesting thread this developed into eh?
He passed away in '93 (worst day of my life ,i swear) and never did get to hear about any of his experiences....my uncle,his eldest son has his medals .....i have his RAF sidecap and his cap from when he was the Chief Fire Officer at Birmingham Airport (for about 30 years) which are nice memmentos to remember him by.....totally worshipped that guy ....not for what he did in the past but the person i knew him as......i digress
interesting thread this developed into eh?
Aye, must admit to being well f**ked off for not finding out more about him before he went but he was a peculiar old sod, his childhood was bizarre being Victorian. As kids they'd be dressed by maids to come downstairs to say goodnight to Pater and Mater. Elgar used to jam with his Dad which seems to have left a musical legacy with our family
apache said:
Aye, must admit to being well f**ked off for not finding out more about him before he went but he was a peculiar old sod, his childhood was bizarre being Victorian. As kids they'd be dressed by maids to come downstairs to say goodnight to Pater and Mater. Elgar used to jam with his Dad which seems to have left a musical legacy with our family
ah Elgar.......pomp and circumstance.....born not too far from me ...Worcester way .....
I've tried doing research on t'internet on my Grandad but to no avail....tried to find his service records but to no avail......mind you ,when i'm at work and need some inspiration , i pop over to the 'new' Fire Station...his legacy....and there's loads of piccies with him on in various fire teams dating back to the sixties.....always makes me 'buck my ideas up ' if i'm feeling stressed or feeling sorry for myself
father ted said:
i now sort of understand his interest in the history and tactics side of it......one well documented SS panzer commander when faced with a much larger allied tank force ....managed to out manouevre them ,block thier progress and take out a total of 18 tanks on his own (something to that effect).....again a lesson learned by someone somewhere in warfare.......
The tank commander was Michael Wittman, the place Villers-Bocage. Unbelievable example of the effectiveness of the Tiger tank with a crack crew. They were all killed a couple of weeks later by a Rocket from a Typhoon.
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