Hitler's Third Reich and World War II in the News is a daily edited review of WWII news, providing thought-provoking collection of hand-picked WW2 information.

WW2 category: WWII Reenactment & Reenactors: Living History  -- See latest WWII news here. See also 'U.S. Army & Nazi Uniforms', 'WWII and Nazi Memorabilia', 'Trouble with SS Uniforms', 'Battlefield Tours'.

The WWII D-Day re-enactment largest multi-battle WWII event in the Southeast US     oakridger.com :: 2009-06-18
A battle will be raging June 19-20, 2009, in Oak Ridge, as 200 Second World War re-enactors take the field at A.K. Bissell Park to take part in the annual "Invasion of Normandy" re-enactment during the 7th Annual Secret City Festival. Re-eactors pf U.S. Airborne, Rangers and Armored troops will join British paratroopers in a series of two historical battle re-enactments based upon the days after the Normandy invasion. Living historians will do displays of gear and equipment, and over a dozen vintage period vehicles will be in action on the field.    

World War II military re-enactors take pride in getting the details right     stripes.com :: 2009-06-08
Standing by his Harley Pete Cuthbertson smiled like a proud papa as a stream of soldiers came forward to fawn over his vintage motorcycle. Not wanting to cut any historical corners, he equipped the 1943 military police bike with all the right accessories, from a leather satchel to a fully loaded cloth tool kit. And it wasn't just his motorcycle: He wore an authentic WW2 uniform, vintage brown boots, and a khaki hat. "It's honoring the memory of the people before them. They are creating the atmosphere of how it was," Sgt. Thomas DeMoss said of military re-enactors. "The WW2 is my hobby. I like history. I probably have enough uniforms for 50 people," said Van den Driessche.    

WWII re-enactment outside Le Center: More pyro, more tanks, more actors     mankatofreepress.com :: 2009-06-04
War may be hell, but its re-enactment is fun. That's the aim of Jeff Traxler, who is recreating the "war-stravaganza" he staged last year outside Le Center. "It's going to be bigger and better than ever. We're going to have more pyro, more tanks," Traxler said of the Living Military History Day spectacle, that last year included a simulated World War II battle with explosions, machine guns, armored vehicles, planes and over 100 soldier re-enactors. Traxler, a military history buff who has traveled to Europe several times to tour WWII battlefields, is using 40 people to help stage the event and hopes to attract 3,000 visitors. [Event website]    

Living history - Visitors step back to the 1940s home front     thisisnottingham.co.uk :: 2009-05-06
The sounds of swing music and bombs exploding filled Brewhouse Yard as life in the 1940s was re-enacted. The nostalgic 1940s Knees-Up event was held for the ninth May Day running at The Museum of Nottingham Life. Over 1,000 people came - including uniformed war veterans, costumed entertainers, families and 1940s enthusiasts dressed in vintage clothes. Neil and Sandra Pope - dressed in vintage outfits - went to the event in their 1935 Austin 12. As well as many original cars, visitors could also see military vehicles from World War II - And meet real heroes and heroines from the conflict.    

WW2 reenactors remind and inform public of veterans' sacrifices     suburbanjournals.stltoday.com :: 2009-04-29
Kevin Owens laces up his combat boots, buttons up his uniform, straps on his helmet and looks out at the battlefield. Members of his Second Ranger Battalion of St. Louis wait in Jefferson Barracks Park, where they will reenact a WW2 battle scene. Visitors to the event see equipment, weapons, uniforms and military vehicle display. Owens was drawn to reenacting after learning about the feats of Second World War Ranger battalions: "I have always had a fascination with military history and the army." The Second Ranger Battalion travels across the nation to stage battles at historical events, veterans reunions and WW2 events.    

Battle for Stalingrad WW2 reenactment at Fort Harrison, March 6-8     reporter-times.com :: 2009-02-23
Experience one of the major turning points of the Second World War as Fort Harrison State Park in Indianapolis hosts a Battle for Stalingrad re-enactment and exhibit, March 6 - 8. The event features a living-history encampment including both German and Soviet field camps. Visitors to the event will see how each camp was set up during WW2 and can meet both groups of re-enactors.    

Thousands watch Leningrad siege re-enactment     iht.comiht.com :: 2009-01-26
Gunfire echoed and tank shells boomed in a snowy field outside St. Petersburg as hundreds re-enacted the Second World War battle that ended the Siege of Leningrad marking the battle's 65th anniversary. The re-enactment replicated Marshal Georgy Zhukov's offensive of Jan. 27, 1944. 4,000 spectators, including survivors of the 900-day Nazi blockade, gathered near the village of Nikolskoye to see the re-enactment. The 350 re-enactors, dressed in Red Army and Wehrmacht uniforms staged a mock battle that turned the snow black with gun powder and smoke. The main aim was educational, said WW2 veteran Mikhail Kurykin.    

Children of former WWII POWs re-enact their fathers' 1945 forced march     semissourian.com :: 2009-01-17
At the beginning of 1945, the Soviet Red Army was massing 2 million men and 4,500 tanks in Poland for the attack that would take them to the steps of the Reichstag in Berlin. The Wehrmacht, deflated in the Battle of the Bulge, was enrolling young boys and old men. In far Eastern Germany 10,000 Allied airmen, including Capt. Edward Bender, were living on meager rations of soup. Life in Stalag Luft III at Sagan was a routine of cold days and nights where news of Allied advances was passed by word of mouth from those who heard radio broadcasts on a secret set. On Jan. 27, 1945 Bender, like his fellow POWs or "kriegies" (kriegsgefangenen) were marched out of the camp.    

Ofcom: BBC was unfair to couple in "Weekend Nazis" documentary     pressgazette.co.uk :: 2008-11-11
Ofcom has upheld in part a fairness complaint against the BBC's "Weekend Nazis" documentary, by a couple whose wedding at a re-enactment show was aired. The 2007 documentary visited the "War and Peace Show" in Kent. The two complainants, Nicholas Beardshaw and his wife Michaela, got married at the show. The programme wondered why the bulk of the re-enactors chose to depict German soldiers, like the Waffen-SS. Beardshaw believed the probe into whether World War II German army re-enactment groups are a "magnet for extremists" was deceivingly edited. For example, there were 60 guests at the wedding only the 20 wearing German uniform were shown on the documentary.    

Re-enactors bring World War II unit to life     pittsburghlive.com :: 2008-11-11
A vintage military jeep rolls down Route 217 in Blairsville, a soldier wearing a M43 paratrooper uniform at the wheel, his two passengers armed with M1-Garand semi-automatic rifles. On the re-enactment site, the aroma of canisters of artillery oil drifts into the canvas tents. It's the sights and smells that make the scene so realistic for WW2 veterans like Lester Dunlap. He and several of his comrades from E company have been transported to the past through a Derry Township re-enactment group (The 82nd Airborne Division, 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment, Company E Living Historical Organization) that re-enacts the famed unit from 1942-1945.    

WWII front-line attack re-enactment held at Camp Mabry [includes footage]     news8austin.com :: 2008-11-10
The Texas Military Forces Museum held "Close Assault: 1944" on the grounds of Camp Mabry. The event included a re-enactment of an attack on a German strongpoint, honoring the 36th Infantry Division during WWII. "We're trying to do the same tactics they did then," Sgt. Gil Eastland of the 36th Division explained. Original equipment and a a recreation of an attack played out to offer a view of America's past. Generations have passed since Clay Brown's grandfather served in World War II, but now Clay saw what it might have been like. Brown's dad, who also served in the U.S. military, said he's happy his son is interested in the history behind the battles.    

Veterans, re-enactors revive World War II in Tulsa     tulsaworld.com :: 2008-11-02
WWII veterans gathered to share their stories as the Tulsa Library presented its annual "World War II: A Day of Living History" program. The day's activities also included WWII-era music, and original military equipment displayed by re-enactors of the 45th Infantry Division. Items on display included uniforms, military vehicles and memorabilia from the home front. The highlight of the event was the veterans on hand to recount their WWII memories. Paul Andert served as a platoon sergeant in the Second Armored Division and followed the first wave on D-Day. He was unemotional as he shared his stories, but began to choke up as he recalled his trip home after the war.    

Stow World War II re-enactment: Wehrmacht took out two Allied tanks     metrowestdailynews.com :: 2008-10-12
Gunfire and airplanes filled the skies as Wehrmacht paratroopers were able to hold back Allied troops in a battle for an airfield - but for how long? The Collings Foundation re-enacted the first part of The Battle for the Airfield as part of the foundation's Experience Living History! initiative in Stow. In spite of an early attack from the Allied forces, who shot down a Stuka dive bomber, the German troops destroyed 2 Allied tanks and force the Allies to retreat. The re-enactment featured Re-enactors in authentic WW2 uniforms, a Fiesler Storch Renaissance plane, an 88mm flak cannon, a U.S. Avenger torpedo bomber, a M-16 halftrack and a replica German Stuka dive bomber.    

12th Annual World War II Days at Midway Village Museum [pics]     rrstar.com :: 2008-09-29
Owen B. Streeper, an Air Force veteran who fought with the 461st Bomb Group, took a stroll down memory lane as he watched WW2 reenactments and walked through Allied encampments in the woods at Midway Village Museum. He was just one of many veterans who toured the 12th Annual World War II Days at Midway Village Museum. While the event gave plenty to entertain families, veterans and history buffs, it was the 30m re-enactments that took thousands of attendees to the forefront of battle. They watched battle tanks and armored vehicles charge through the smoke and gunfire before their eyes.    

82nd Airborne engineers re-enact World War II river crossing     army.mil :: 2008-09-24
Running 2 miles with a boat, then paddling across a lake might seem like an exhausting feat, but for the engineers of the 82nd Airborne Division, it's a fun way to pay tribute to the past. To honor one of the most famous achievements in combat engineer history, the crossing of the Waal River by pontoon boat into Nazi Germany in 1944, engineers from the 4 combat brigades of the 82nd Airborne competed in a re-enactment of the crossing. The engineers stage the Crossing of the Waal re-enactment yearly, reflecting its status as a significant part of 307th Engineer Battalion and 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment history.    

Liberating Benito Mussolini from his captors: Re-enactment of 1943 Operation Oak     ft.com :: 2008-09-20
German SS troops stormed the slopes of Italy's Gran Sasso mountain and freed Benito Mussolini from partisans, or rather a group of Italian military history enthusiasts did. Just as the Germans recorded Operation Oak in 1943 for propaganda purposes in one of the most documented World War II events, so Italian military historians meticulously re-enacted the dictator's rescue from Campo Imperatore on the 65th anniversary of the mission lead by Otto Skorzeny. In camouflage gear and Nazi regalia, Massimo Castelli, president of a wartime enactment association, says that they are just historians who do not glorify Mussolini's Fascist regime.    

Battle for the Airfield World War II reenactment - October 11th and 12th, 2008     southcoasttoday.com :: 2008-09-19
The Collings Foundation hosts "the Battle for the Airfield", a WW2 reenactment unlike any other in Stow, MA. --- A French Resistance Fighter met with the Allied Forces and revealed the coordinates of the German encampment. The night before an elite German force over took a small grass airstrip. The Allied Forces had to take control of this airfield. There were German machine gun nests all over the camp and the 88mm Cannon pointed to the sky - not to forget the German Stuka Dive Bomber aircraft in the sky. The commanding Allied officer called in two tanks (a Sherman and Chaffee), jeeps, lots of ammo and a M16 half-track with quad mount .50 caliber machine guns.    

World War II re-enactment in New Zealand     bayofplentytimes :: 2008-06-09
Tauranga's Classic Flyers NZ marked D-Day at Tauranga Airport, where the sounds of battle could be heard around a mock M*A*S*H camp. The first re-enactment was a dogfight between a Yak (acting for the Germans, the Messerschmitt ME 108 couldn't make it) and North American Harvards, before American troops overcame German soldiers protecting the airfield. When asked what was the more popular side, "fallschirmjäger" Kevin Carberry said: "We have an issue with Americans. Band of Brothers has a lot to answer for." The event was set up by the World War II Historical Re-enactment Society (HRS) and Military Re-enactment Society (MRS).    

HMS Belfast's D-Day bombardment re-enacted on the Thames     eastlondonadvertiser :: 2008-06-06
The drama of the Allied D-Day Landings was re-enacted on the Thames on one of the ships which took part in the action. Tourists visiting HMS Belfast, the Royal Navy's floating museum opposite the Tower of London, had the chance to fire 4ins guns, which warded off enemy attack as Allied troops went ashore from the ship on the Normandy Beaches in on June 6, 1944. Actors from the Wavy Navy living history group showed gun drills, and items from the ship's involvement in D-Day were on display and newsreels were shown. HMS Belfast, the last armoured warship from the WWII remaining in Europe, gave gunfire to give troops cover as they landed at Gold and Juno beaches.    

Neil Robertson: Member of the WWII Axis Re-enactment Society     gazettelive :: 2008-04-10
By day he is a design engineer - in his spare time Neil Robertson could be a German officer. He is making friends all over Europe through his passion for bringing military history to life. His most recent adventure as a leader of the World War II Axis Re-enactment Society (WARS) led him to St Petersburg to make a Russian TV documentary about the siege of Leningrad. "It was the anniversary of the 900 day siege of the city, which cost an estimated 1.2 million civilian lives. We were invited by the Russian people to take part in their remembrance day and put on a very small battle re-enactment."    

Photos from D-Day Ohio : World War II Reenactment of Omaha Beach     wildbillguarnere :: 2008-02-12
For the last 7 years the little town of Conneaut Ohio presents a WWII reenactment of Omaha Beach. They have re-enactors board actual landing craft (post WWII) and attack from Lake Erie, cross the beach, and head up a steep bank occupied by Germans. For the World War II historian it may seem a bit ridiculous but for the couple thousand people that show up it's a good living history demonstration. There weren't many veterans in attendance, maybe a dozen, but I did get to shake a few hands and hear a few good stories. For those that collect, there is also a memorabilia fair set up.    

Eastern Beach invaded by Nazis in simulated Operation Felix attack     gibfocus :: 2008-01-20
The invasion of Gibraltar, in a simulated assault showing an operation which would have seen Gibraltar invaded by German troops, has been taking place across Gibraltar. The attack footage is to be made into a 60-min documentary about the planned assault on the Rock. Produced by Gold Productions Studios, filming began with a reenacted beach invasion by Nazi soldiers from the Grossdetuscland and Die Gebirgstuppe regiments at Eastern Beach being defended by the Black Watch and the Devonshire regiments, based in Gibraltar along with the Gibraltar Defense Force in the 1940s. Evening filming is to happen inside the World War II Tunnels. See photo gallery.    

For WWII re-enactor, lessons of past bear message to remember     post-gazette :: 2007-12-07
To American history buff and World War II re-enactor Jason Kritikos, the bombing of Pearl Harbor by the Japanese on Dec. 7, 1941 "eventually lead to the defeat and transformation of the fascist states of Germany, Italy and Japan. The young men and women in the military of the 1940s liberated hundreds of millions of people from oppression, tyranny and death." Kritikos is part of a group World War II Federation, who organise events online at wwiifederation.org. He said he became interested in WWII after hearing stories of that time from family members who served.    

World War II battle re-enactment in Italy to preserve the Gothic Line     ww2chat.com :: 2007-11-11
A group of Italians are working to preserve a historic World War II battle site, the Gothic Line, by staging a yearly re-enactment of the battle and establishing a museum there. Armand Regalbuti happened to be traveling in Italy when he chanced upon a WWII re-enactment in the mountains north of Florence. "I went over there for about a month in September by myself and rented a car and did some traveling on my own. ... I saw this pamphlet about the re-enactment." And the rest, as they say, is history. That re-enactment was of the battle at the Il Giogo Pass, a long strategic battle which began in 1944 and ended in 1945, that helped turn the tide of the war.    

Wedding as a WWII tribute - with uniforms, helmets and replica guns     dailymail :: 2007-09-28
Jo and Tony Cox turned their wedding service into a World War II tribute. Friends came dressed in military uniforms complete with helmets and replica guns while Tony sported a smart American airforce officer's uniform. Jo, who wore a 1940's style white wedding gown that she fashioned herself, turned up to the registry in a US Army staff car to the sound of Lancaster Bombers. Her husband-to-be had already arrived in a weapons carrier. The sounds of Luftwaffe bombs and the Blitz played out before an all-clear siren signalled the start of the ceremony. Camouflage-style netting and gas masks hung from the ceiling.     [WWII Reenactment & Reenactors: Living History]

Nazis put a stop to reenactment of D-Day landings     timesonline :: 2007-09-21
A reenactment of a 1944 D-Day battle was cancelled because of claims that the group playing German soldiers contained Nazi sympathisers. Members of Vent d'Europe (Wind of Europe) were due to participate in a reenactment of the battle for the German heavy gun battery at Crisbecq - overlooking Utah Beach in Normandy. But the event, part of a Heritage Days programme, was scrapped after the group was denounced by Admiral Christian Brac de la Perrière, chairman of Normandie Mémoire. "History is not a circus. It is intolerable to use such a site to serve such a repugnant ideology," he said, adding that D-Day reenactments were often in bad taste.    

Weekend Nazis make you shiver - SS Leibstandarte Adolf Hitler     timesonline :: 2007-08-26
The last time Fred Roberts met Nazi troops it was on D-Day in 1944. Six decades on the old soldier came across them in Kent: "I don't like it. I still feel a little bit shivery." The SS Leibstandarte Adolf Hitler (LAH) division were strutting their stuff at the War and Peace Show - it's Glastonbury with panzers. The SS LAH are Nazi soldiers in a reenactment society the Second Battle Group. The event looks like muddy fun, but is all of it? The SS LAH was Hitler's bodyguard, Aryan supermen to the heels of their jackboots. So when you have got the whole of WWII to play with, why do 200 British men choose to impersonate fanatics? Why be weekend Nazis?    

Neo-Nazis infiltrate UK World War II re-enactment group     telegraph.co.uk :: 2007-08-25
A British re-enactment society that has portrayed the SS in films and on tv has been infiltrated by neo-Nazis, according to BBC. People associated with "the Second Battle Group," which featured in Saving Private Ryan, claimed they were members of the Blood and Honour and complained of German blood being tainted by "jigaboos". The claims were made in footage filmed by BBC. The SBG was set up in 1978 and describes itself as "Britain's longest-serving Second World War living history and historical society". The aim of the group is "not to glorify war or the Nazi regime but ... to portray the fighting German Waffen SS soldier of WWII as accurately as possible."    

World's largest paintball event: 4,000 participants replicates WW2     miaminewsrecord :: 2007-06-12
Article no longer available from the original source.
Sunday ended what has become the "world's largest paintball event" held annually in Wyandotte. More than 4,000 participants invaded the 720-acre tract of land for the 10th annual D-Day scenerio. Week-long Oklahoma D-Day is a large-scale paintball game built around the Allied invasion of the Normandy. Throughout the week, participants engaged in mini war games representing WWII battles like the Battle of Dunkirk, Raid on Dieppe and others. It is not uncommon to see players dressed in the vintage uniforms toting paintball markers looking like Thomson submachine guns or German assault rifles.    

Battle of Monte Cassino tribute to World War II Gurkha soldiers     -bbc :: 2007-05-24
Military buffs of the North East Hobby Militia group are climbing Helvellyn to re-enact the fight to hold a hilltop position during the Battle of Monte Cassino in Italy, 1944. Despite suffering heavy losses a Gurkha battalion held Hangman's Hill for 16 days against a German division. Members will climb the 950m summit on 21 July carrying 2 wooden period ammunition boxes to raise cash for the Gurkha Welfare Trust. "We have been shocked by how little support the welfare trust is given, even though the force has served in almost every major conflict of the 20th Century and has 13 Victoria Crosses to its credit."    

D-Day battle re-enactments drawing widespread attention     courierpress :: 2007-05-04
June's second annual D-Day re-enactments along the Ohio River at Marina Pointe are getting a lot of attention. The History Channel will dispatch a crew to film the re-enactments and the World War II ship. In last year's Operation LST 325, spectators witnessed an "Allied" assault up the steep river bank. Actors replicated the June 6, 1944, battle for Omaha Beach of the Normandy landings. The Evansville re-enactment will present 4 battles on June 2 and 3. The landing will be presented at 1 p.m. and the assault at 4 p.m. Saturday, and a hedgerow battle will be acted out at 1 p.m. and counterattack/surrender at 4 p.m. Sunday.    

Sailors renact the Battle of Dunkirk on Melbourne beach     theage :: 2007-04-26
Hundreds of sailors are re-enacting the Battle of Dunkirk, described as the greatest seaborne rescue of all time, on Melbourne's beaches. Civilians set sail from Britain in a flotilla of 800 boats to rescue 338,000 Allied troops from the advancing Germans stranded at Dunkirk. The mammoth operation took place over 9 days in May 1940 and delivered the troops back home to help defend against a Nazi invasion. Flyovers by historic aircraft, a gunshot dinner and music by a Glenn Miller tribute band added to the atmosphere. George Shaw said as a "war baby", he had grown up with stories of Dunkirk and felt the re-enactment was a fitting way to mark Anzac Day.    

Wartime battle re-enactment event's Nazi uniform ban     thisislancashire :: 2007-04-14
Visitors to an East Lancashire battle re-enactment have been banned from wearing Nazi uniforms. The 1940s Wartime Weekend has become one of the biggest events of its type in UK. But last year the Jewish community was left angered when visitors turned up dressed as Nazi officers. Directors of the East Lancs Railway (ELR) have banned the uniforms to prevent causing further offence. There will be no one in the black uniform of the German Schutzstaffel. The SS was established as a personal guard unit for Nazi leader Adolf Hitler. Yehuda Brodie said: "For people to walk about in this country in the uniform of the SS or anything that symbolises Nazism should be offensive."     [Nazi SS Uniform and Troubles]

World War II-era tanks shook the ground in WWII re-enactment     - :: 2007-03-19
Pam Burkholder slipped into re-enacting World War II battles as a way to learn more about her grandfather, an Army infantryman whom she never met. Now she plays a WWII Army nurse to participate in re-enactments around the country. 140 re-enactors gathered at the annual Museum of the American GI event, which included a weapons shows and vintage military equipment and vehicles. Many rode atop refurbished WWII-era tanks that shook the ground. "In the real thing, we didn't shoot blanks," said former paratrooper Louis Hudson, who fought during the D-Day invasion of Normandy. "They do a great job with this because it's educational."     [WWII Reenactment & Reenactors: Living History]

School wants to re-enact World War II - 2nd Panzer Division     - :: 2007-03-14
Teachers at Jewel Middle School in North Aurora would like to reinforce their teaching about World War II with artillery and a battle tank. They would shoot blanks and be part of a re-enactment performed by the 2nd Panzer Division, a German re-enactment unit. "This is making the textbook come alive." But Mike Herlihy had concerns about bringing weapons to school, as well as how the re-enactment could proceed despite a village ban on all discharges of weapons. Also Police Chief Tom Fetzer did not have anyone qualified to inspect World War II-era rifles or to ensure concussion from blanks would not damage property.    

Relive commando epic - A marines vet is to re-enact a WWII raid     portsmouthtoday :: 2007-02-10
A marines veteran is to re-enact a daring World War II raid to blow up German supply ships. Ray Cooper will take a group of 14 to 18-year-olds to relive the famous Cockleshell Heroes. In 1942 five German vessels were badly damaged in Bordeaux harbour after a top secret mission by 10 Royal Marines canoeists. Under the cover of darkness, the marines slipped away from a submarine and made a journey up the Gironde estuary in southern France. Only two of the Portsmouth-based commandos returned. Now Cooper, an instructor in the Royal Marines Volunteer Cadet Corps, will take 14 cadets to France this July.    

Baumholder re-enactment brings history to life -- Living history     estripes :: 2007-01-28
It was another fun day of playing army for those who came here to re-create WW2 battles as part of the Phantom Regiment. In full and authentic uniforms from that era, men split up, some portraying American GIs and some acting as their German foes. Under the auspices of the Phantom Regiment, a private, command-supported group, soldiers, military enthusiasts and history buffs are able to get together and walk a few steps in the shoes of their military forefathers. The uniforms and rifles are all authentic, although the firearms are fitted to fire just blanks during the re-enactments.    

Red Army beats Wehrmacht at Russia's Largest Wargame     mosnews :: 2006-10-19
Article no longer available from the original source.
Over 3000 people came to see the Red Army beat Wehrmacht at an annual WWII reconstruction called "Moscow Lies Behind. 1941". 500 people acted in the 2-day battle that featured airplanes, battle tanks and authentic WWII artillery. The action repeated a fight near Moscow with one small inaccuracy: in the actual battle of October 1941 the Soviet Army lost and Wehrmacht marched on. Soldiers' uniforms matched the authentic WWII outfits. The coats, the buttons, the boots and the watches are all either authentic, found on the battlefields, or reconstructed from authentic materials by devoted re-enactors.    

Film on the Wehrmacht on the Russian front in World War II     goedwardsville :: 2006-10-11
Jim Jones is making his debut as a film actor in the film "Rhineland." He has lots of experience as a re-enactor with 38th Jaeger Regiment, 8th Infantry Division, 1st Company, a group portraying an unit that fought with the Wehrmacht on the Eastern front in World War II. His group is associated with the WWII Historical Re-Enactment Society Inc. The 38th Jaeger's purpose is: To preserve the memory of the WWII soldier through re-enactment battles and preservation of WWII memorabilia. When they undertake a re-enactment, the unit commanders get maps and a scenario of an actual battle for the re-enactors to portray.    

World War II D-Day assault Re-enactment     starbeacon :: 2006-09-18
D-Day Conneaut, an annual tribute to the World War II assault into Nazi-occupied Europe, was played out with more than 300 re-enactors staged the invasion. More special effects would be used during the battle than ever before. Smoke bombs and explosions planted in the beach greeted the Allied soldiers in uniform as they emerged from the landing craft. Two P-51 Mustang planes buzzed the beach, simulating strafing and bombing runs against German soldiers holed up behind sandbags and pillboxes. A mammoth German howitzer atop the beach bluff was fired often, drawing gasps from the crowd. The crackle of rifles and machine guns echoed throughout the beach.    

Battle of Willow Run: Allies vs. Axis reenactment - largest in US     mlive :: 2006-08-07
American armored tanks took positions on one side of the field with German armored tanks not too far away. Allied soldiers made a big push to pin down the German infantry on the battlefield. Smoke rose after the simulated machine-gun fighting and mortar fire between those portraying the Allied soldiers and the Axis infantry. The smoke was so heavy at times, it clouded the view of the crowd captivated by the WWII re-enactment battle. Organizers billed it as the largest World War II heavy-armored battle re-enactment in the U.S.    

World War II vehicles and memorabilia in re-enactment in Germany     estripes :: 2006-07-03
About 40 persons put on one of the biggest WW2 battle simulations ever to take place in Baumholder, Germany. It was part of a 3-day exposition of military vehicles, WW2 memorabilia and culture at Baumholder's H.D. Smith Barracks. It was an unusual event for German soil. For the most part, Germany doesn't allow WWII re-enactments involving guns or German uniforms. Bill Medland drove more than 200 miles with his son Kai and two other members of the Duke of Cornwall Light Infantry to take part. His unit was wiped out as the well-drilled German mechanized infantry re-enactors of Germany-based PzAbt101 stormed the town.    

Germans usually won the D-Day battle - in Paintball     neoshodailynews :: 2006-05-27
What began as a Dewayne Convirs's tribute to a WWII veteran has evolved into the largest paintball game in the world. This year, more than 4,000 paintballers are expected to show up. Oklahoma D-Day is battled on 720 acres of countryside cultivated to replicate Normandy in the summer of 1944. The combat is between two forces with both armies organized into historical fighting divisions. For instance, the Nazi 352nd Infantry Division will defend Omaha Beach against the U.S. 1st Infantry Division. Last year, the Allied team won after gaining the most points, the first time to do so in several years, since the Germans usually have won the event.     [WWII Reenactment & Reenactors: Living History]

See also:
'U.S. Army & Nazi Uniforms'
'WWII and Nazi Memorabilia'
'Trouble with SS Uniforms'
'Battlefield Tours'.

Although the articles linked from Adolf Hitler's Third Reich 1933-1945 and World War II in the News are reviewed and specially selected, they do not necessarily represent the views of the editor, who is not responsible for the content of any external sites. This service is © Joni Nuutinen 2005-2009. All rights reserved.