Don't Mention the War POLL.

I'm not sure I've read that anyone wants these events banned? I don't like them, a few others have said so as well, but I'm not sure anyone has advocated banning them...

 

Well there are 9 votes for 'No 40s events at all'!

 

yes that is a surprise.Even though I think Axis forces should not be represented (except as POWs maybe), i think a historically accuarate WW2 portrayal is a good idea.

 

Would that include the Luftwaffe bombing British towns and cities?

 

How about a Blazing Saddles western weekend? Hire in a lot of chinese people, to lay track, just like the old days.... You will need a Mel Brooks look-alike, plus all the otherr characters.

Or, the ultmate money spinner! Get the L&B factions to have a pitched battle at your locale! Judging by the steam generated, they can keep the service running as well! Sorry, bit below the belt that, especially the bit about Mel Brooks....

Thats just about offended everybody. Easy when you know how!

Ian

 

1940 re enactments can be interesting from a historic point of view ie dress food etc at a recent one , which was about evactuation we even had school parties some dressed up in 40,s clothes and not an ss uniform in sight , plenty of Americans though, which was not strictly authentic but it was in keeping .
the only time that german uniforms should be present is as POW s being transfered under guard, and why not get local school children to dress up as kids of the era and have them boo and hiss at them or say thinks like mummy , mummy but they look normal , the only railway where you could show european war time is the nene valley , here i suppose you could turn the tables and have british pows trying to escape to Peterborough but i would not stoop so low as to having extermination camp trains with destination boards such as treblinka or belsen

 

smilie noted. I imagine a junkers 99 being persued by a Hurricane would be popular.Plus a couple of parachutists being arrested at bayonet point by the Home Guard

 

Are Mk1s any less suitable for a portrayal of 1940s Europe than 1940s Britain? :lol:

 

Junkers 99? I trust you mean a Junkers 88 old chap.

 

no,88 comes with a flake...

 

I think people who want this banned are forgetting these war days including the re enactments bring in a lot of punters ie loasdsa money ask the GCR . Whats the differnce to watching a war film, these are actors too would you ban these ? Look what happened to Thomas the Tank engine days a great deal of preserved railways lost monies . If it offends then dont go simple as that

 

An 88 may come with flak but if it's a flake, it's a 99. Not sure that ice cream was used as an offensive weapon by the Germans though.

 

the difference presumably is the by definition a re-enactor is re-enacting rather than acting.

 

Article in last Saturday's Daily Mirror.

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/top-st...-organisers-ban-nazi-uniform-115875-23161801/

 

Some films are made using the re - enactors as extras.I understand The Saving of Private Ryan was one such film.

 

I personally have no problem with re-enacting and re-creating wartime scenes as an educational exercise, provided that the context is appropriate. What bothers me about the wartime events I've seen is that they seem to be catering more for those who like dressing up in military uniforms and playing with guns, than for the paying visitors to the event. Most of these re-enactors are no doubt decent folk but the motivation of a few of them may be suspect and thus it's an area which needs careful consideration. Furthermore, I find it rather bizarre that there are so many generals, many of whom are too overweight to ever have got into the real army, and that they can be seen wandering amongst the burger stalls and ice cream vans whilst talking on their mobile phones. What exactly is that recreating?

Although I didn't vote for 'no 1940s events' in the above poll, I would far rather we had no events than the ludicrous pastiche we seem to have at the moment.

Phil

 

Be fair, they're only reenactors as a hobby! Plus I'd have thought it far more likely to see an overweight general than an overweight private...

 

Take Hermann Goering for example. You'd never describe him a slim.

 

yes but you may as well say the film used bus conductors* as extras. The fact they do re-enacting got them the gig but basically they are acting not re-enacting.

*substitute any job you like here...

 

Interesting thread, as someone with a foot in both camps, as a railway volunteer and a WW2 german reenactor, I can compleatly understand some of the comments - reenacting does look a bit oddball from an outside observer - but than again, so does railway preservation if we're all honest.
(Both involve uniforms, weekend training and restoring big hunks of rust to running order... and lots of tea drinking and the odd cool beverage after hours )
From my point of view a lot of the problem at 1940's events stem not from the "real" reenactors who are members of recognised groups - they will turn up in what you request they wear - Germans can quite easily be authentic without any insignia showing to offend anyone if that is what is requested, and we're always game to work with organisers towards what they want - my group has done it before for certain events.
The problem you have is with the folks who just waltz up, these are the ones usually in generals and political uniforms, they have no interest apart from dressing up - usually all wrong anyway - having a method to police them is the hard part I guess.