Re-enacting

[ade stevenson]

LOL yes the Line of Sight was not great.

As ever with public shows, getting a good pic is hard due to modern junk, members of the public, etc in shot. But we were happy to get to play with the guns. They require some TLC due to outdoor storage. Hence, as you can see, we could not spread the trail legs on the right hand gun as they were too stiff to move. We are going to have a weekend working party on them at some point. If we do that, the deal is we can borrow them for other events. A very fair trade.

We do have a working wireless within the unit, a Lend Lease Canadian made WS19 set with cyrillic marked controls.

Awards and ranks within the group have to be earnt. The Guards badge is awarded afer 5 weekends of events, which will usually take the first year to achieve. Combat Merit Medals are awarded for taking part in 4 weekend of private tactical exercises, "private battles" as we call them. We have some good opponents who represent the German Heer forces in the shape of "GD". These take place only in winter and no modern sleeping gear allowed. No plash tents. You sleep on the ground wrapped in a Plash Palatka and Shinel. Usually one hot meal for the whole weekend at these, often Kasha. (Not a favourite of mine. I have English tastes!) This will take 4 years to get, as we run only one a year due to the costs of land hire, full auto weapons hire fees etc. An Order of the Red Star is for 10 years of unbroken membership. (I have one) We have one member who has completed 20 years and he has an Order of the Patriotic War, 2nd class. At events with former Soviet Vets present, we only wear the Guards badge.

We are very lucky as we are attracting many younger members to the hobby. Which is really good news.

Vehicle wise we have two GAZ 67b's, one Ford GPW (mine) in the group and access to several T34/85's, which we will tank ride.

Cheers, Ade.

[CtahhR]

Strangely enough, I've just found 4 period field telephones in the barn. Unfortunately when they were decommissioned some idiot left the cells in for c40 years so they only "look" any good.

I used to have a pair of 1960's field telephones (self charging) set up in the house for internal communication. Worked very well.

Lots of military hardwear can be picked up for beans but storage is a real nightmare. I have enough Soviet helmets to kit out a unit but they take up that much space. Then when you get on to vehicles and the sort - forget about it. Last year I gave away nearly all my (very antique) agricultural equipment to agricultural museums. Just taking up too much space and the scrapman was eyeing it up.

Some of equipment is very fun to have about. I have a pair of Mosin-Nagant M91/30s (1938 and 1942) that are "to look at" and a M91 (1897) that is for using. It's been through two world wars and all the other "bits" and now found its way from the Finnish Army stock to me so it's earned its use.

Nothing like laying in the snow and letting a few rounds off. Taking in mind the measurements on the sights are in increments of arshins. I'm no Simo Häyhä but not dire either.

I have been intending to take some photographs of some of the field gear so I may have to get myself in gear.

[Al-muell]

Reviving topic a bit, I will do a bit of boasting.
Last weekend our group had a chance to participate in a rather untypical re-enactment event. The Polish Arms Museum in Kołobrzeg organised a march to commemorate the 69th anniversary of the "wedding" of Poland with the Baltic Sea in 1945 (the tradition of stressing the fact that the Poland has access to the Baltic sea, started in 1918 - the ceremony included tossing a gold ring into the Sea and making state flag/unit banner "kiss" the sea; in 1945 it was repeated few times by various units). This Year the march was linking the three main "wedding places of the 1945 - Dziwnów, where the Soldiers of the 1st armored brigade organised the first known ceremony in 1945, Mrzeżyno where the similar ceremony was organised by the 1st Independent cavalry brigade and Kołobrzeg, where on March the 17th the largest, most famous and the most official ceremony was held after the city was captured after heavy fights. The March distance was around 60km (a bit less) and we did it all using only re-enactment equipment - (starting with footwear and the traditional Soviet veshchmeshok rucksack ending with the food consisting mainly of dark bread, onion and smoked speck). The distance wasn't large (it was to be done in 2 days) and the road was flat, but unfortunately most of it was on paved or asphalt roads, which in conjunction with the footwear caused a serious foot damage (even tough we have already practiced long-distance marches in mountainous region in this kind of boots) - a daily occurence for new recruits in the Army of that time (let me just say, that one of ourmen walked most of the timebare-footed, and another one, after removing his boots at the end of the first day could use his socks as national flags - they were white, but became white-red).
Our group scored 2nd in general classification and 1st among the Re-enactment groups (let me add that only one "contemporary" group and 2 re-enactment groups finished the march, even though more of them took part in the event).
At the end, everone who finished the march was issued a diploma and a badge.
Also, the end of the march covered a meeting with the veterans of the Fights for Kołobrzeg in 1945 as well as free visit to the museum with it's director as a guide.
This Year we couldn't stay for the official celebrations on th 17th, as we had to return home (on the other end of Poland), but last Year (the distance was around 20km, only from Mrzeżyno toKołobrzeg) I have managed to takepart in the ceremony.

Here's one of the only 2 photographs we took during the march - in the seaside forest, during the firs day of the march. Me standing first to the right.

[Al-muell]

And I have found 2 photographs from the last year's ceremony - a re-creation of the "wedding".
By acident I was appointed as a banner holder. You may note that the man to my right is wearing an authentic 1943 Soviet-made overcoat as used in the 1st Army.

This are official press photos from:
Przyszliśmy do ciebie Morze 68 lat temu