WW2 German Army Uniforms at Galas.......thoughts

Hi
What are your thoughts on galas where german/nazi uniforms are worn as part of the WW2 theme...
do you think they are appropriate in 2010?
Harmfull or harmless....?
I avoid them myself...

Nick

 

Im sure there has already been a debate on this subject, personally apart from captured POW's, no German Soldiers ever set foot on Mainland Britain, so including them in a 1940's theme is a technical inaccuracy.

 

A bit like the rest of us then dressing up as guards, signalmen etc. and playing trains.

 

I've always thought a VE Day Gala would be more appropriate and more fun

 

i can understand it when its at an re enactment but not at a local railway gala, unless its as german pows being escorted to a camp any other , such as ss storm troopers attacking the station just is not right

the only railway that could have a german contignment would be the nene valley with continental engines and stock , but it would have to be done as germany wartime era gala ,then we could arrange for a passing mustang to stage a couple of passes and a british army unit to attack

 

Inaccurate, yes, not so sure about offensive...

Also, let's be honest, one of the most popular attractions of ww2 galas is a battle - it'd be a bit one sided with no Nazis!

Perhaps the best answer, however, might be to hand a questionnaire out to passengers at such galas, asking precisely this? After all, it's their views that make the difference really...

 

These gala do seem to be very popular with the staged battle being the highlight.I remember taking my youngest son then aged 13 to the GCR for their war weekend.He said the battle was the best bit as it was a bit like "Saving Private Ryan" and "Band of Brothers" that he had seem on tv.If we were to ban German soldiers at war weekend events should we then also ban them from tv programs ? I know German soldiers were never on UK soil but the GCR event is supposed to be at various points around Europe to entertain the public which it seems to do very well.

 

I consider myself a historian, but I for one have no problem with people wanting to dress up in German uniforms, as its their personal choice. As much as we love to loathe Nazism and all its manifestations, I still think its important to remind ourselves of the worst excesses of humanity, and this is one way of doing it, for it provides a talking point amongst those interested. As regards the historical inaccuracies, I think that most 're-enactments' are marketed as 'what if' scenarios anyway. My main caveat is the so-called 'mock execution' of a spy that has done the rounds of late, which does take the concept of 'realism' to the extreme, and I can see why people may be upset because of this.

 

Live and let live I say. Railway enthusiasts get unfair press at times and quite rightly we feel aggrieved but here we have some of these self same enthusiasts having a pop at those who wish the "play soldiers" at weekends. A little bit of toleration and "laissez faire" wouldn't come amiss. If you don't like the idea, don't attend the events. There's far worse things on the telly.

 

We should also remember that not all German soldiers were Nazis.

 

My only experience as a visitor (at SVR) was mixed. I found some of the antics of the "German" soldiers were hilarious, whilst at other times it was quite intimidating. The sight of "Nazis" fell into the latter - somehow it frightened me (I know that's stupid but that's just how I felt).

I can see the possible commercial gain from such an event. So if there had to be one, my preference for a WW2 wartime event on a heritage railway would be a replication of the British railway as it was, with no "German" military at all, apart from POWs.

That said, my grandson (nearly 13) would probably enjoy seeing soldiers in "German/Nazi" uniforms...

Steve
(WSW)

 

Some years ago a work colleague attended a war weekend on one of the railways.German soldiers were present on trains inspecting visitors IDs.She said that it felt quite imtimidating with the Germans on the train.However she and her family found the experience wothwhile as it gave them an idea of what it must have been like to be in one of the occupied countries during the war.I think at the time her children were doing WW2 as part of their course work so found the experience helpful as part of their studies.

 

Would that have the same appeal to non-railway folk though? Might seem ok to us, a day out on the railway plus some people in period dress & posters etc, but try marketing that to the public and it becomes "some more museum artifacts at a museum"... Action such as battles is the draw for the general public...

 

I can only speak for how the experience at the SVR was for me. You might be right about the need for blood and guts but it would not appeal to me or many of the "non-railway" folk I know. Take all sorts, I suppose.

Steve
(WSW)

 

I'm getting onto sensitive ground here, but that's an entirely different can of worms, especially when considering that all troops had to swear an oath of loyalty to Hitler, which, even with the best of intentions, is a serious matter that would not have been taken lightly. So from that standpoint, you could say all German soldiers were Nazis by default, even if they didn't agree with the excesses, and/or reneged on their oaths. There seems to be a problem these days with trying to treat the Nazi Party and the German nation as two completely separate things between 1933-1945. We can't shy away from the fact that the former had intertwined with the latter, however hard it is to come to terms with it. I digress from the topic.

 

I make a point of actively avoiding all such galas wherever they are held. Also, I will not be a member of any railway which stages such events, even letting my Severn Valley membership lapse in 1998 after being a member for twenty-seven years.

Regards, Oddsocks.

 

This only confirms my suspission, what was the point of this post?

The thread started with a post was from some with now history asking what appearred to be a non-biased point of view, however now the same person says they are a regular and would never visit a railway who does a 1940's even't. Claims Severn Valley membership, locatedon the doorstep of GCR. According to the post this is a strong stance over at least 13 years, 12 pluss one to have been a member in the first place. And yet all railways hold these event's.

Going back to the first post, the quiestion appearred to be is this still relevent in 2010.

Sorry, no this does not stack up, seems to me this is a clear case of STIRING IT around a verry pradictable hidden subject , namely the NAZIS.

The fact of the matter is yes, some people have stong views, historicaly verry few people would agree with the Nazis point of view. None of this even't are Pro Nazis, the seek to remember and tell and important part of our histroy, often raising funds not only for the railway but for war related charities. Most take the ALLO, ALLO angle, which unless you have a verry extreme point of view you could not find offending. You would not go to a football match and object to the other side having turned up in overshirts , or even object to the fact they they exist, or should I say have existed.

I assume likewise you never whatch TV anymore having found out that they have and still show films, programs etc with people german uniforms on, come to think of it you must refuse to go on the internet as there are a lot of such things on there as well! No wait a minit, what are you doing here then?