[Closed] Nazis banned at WW2 weekend

What do you think?

I live in Rammy and I must say I find the whole thing weird. seems to be more about dressing up and strutting rather than re-enacting anything.They have a little camp with military tents in Edenfield.Lets all celebrate war while we are engaged in controversial wars .

I think the bigger question should be "is a WWII reenactment particularly tasteful" generally. If you're going to reenact a war then it might be kind of helpful if both sides show up.

Personally I think it's a bit of an odd thing to be "enthusiastic" about, but I suppose one man's meat is another man's pornography, and all that.

I think when trying to recreate the look of an English railway station during WW2 a load of Nazis is probably as authentic as the Roman Legion turning up.

Yeah I find it odd too.

Seems reasonable that they've voluntarily banned any Gee-ormans, I suspect no one will complain about that.

I'm not sure it's an issue of political correctness really.

I'm not sure it's an issue of political correctness really.

On the upside though, it should be a piece of cake to invoke Godwin's Law.

No expert on this but...

the headline is a bit incorrect- the story actually says 'Anyone wearing a German or Axis officer uniform to the event will be asked to leave, a spokeswoman said.'

I can kind of understand it- it says that if you turn up as a German private or silmilar, fair enough, but if you're in a uniform which indicates you might have had a bit of responsibility, then tough titties.

With Cougar in general though, tbh.

The Germans now own Arriva trains and buses.

Last year after attending the excellent Brownbacks race at Bacup , just up the road,(and the first race is this sunday 10.00am), stopped to looke at the wonderfully preserved steam and diesel trains and it was a herman the german weekend, and it looked very professional,

It was probably just because Prince Harry was scheduled to do a royal visit there that day.

According to the article they're going to be doing "live battle re-enactments", sounds a bit one-sided without the enemy though.

I live in Ramsbottom and this event is quite good, pulls the crowds in, good for local cafes, shops etc.

The handling of this issue seems overly PC to me.

If you march around a jewish area dressed like hitler, then I could understand people taking offense. But at a WW2 weekend that isn't in an area with a large Jewish community, I don't see it that people want to dress up like that in order to provoke others.

If I were Jewish I don't think I'd be too happy seeing Nazis commemorated.

I might pop down dressed as a libyan civilian

Unless WWII turned out differently to how I remember, in a reenactment the Nazis wouldn't be so much "commemorated" as "shot."

the headline is a bit incorrect- the story actually says 'Anyone wearing a German or Axis officer uniform to the event will be asked to leave, a spokeswoman said.'

And, this bit:

"That doesn't mean you cant come dressed up and obviously a normal soldier's uniform is fine.

"It's the officers showing the [b]swastika or the SS insignia[/b] that is really what we don't want to see."

Seems perfectly reasonable to me, speshly if there's a large Jewish community nearby. I have several Jewish friends, and live in an area with a strong Jewish past, and Nazi uniforms, Swastikas etc would definitely upset quite a lot of people. I can see the case for making a historically accurate drama, or documentary or something, but this is not the case here, so there doesn't really seem to be a need for anyone to dress up in Nazi uniform tbh.

Seems daft to me.

Why deny Nazis existed?

5thElefant - Member
I think when trying to recreate the look of an English railway station during WW2 a load of Nazis is probably as authentic as the Roman Legion turning up.

That's what I was thinking.

They should have just banned them from WWII in the first place

so there doesn't really seem to be a need for anyone to dress up in Nazi uniform tbh.

Is there a need to dress up in a British army uniform. Or is that the prerogative of the "victors".

Has this been blown out of all proportion by the media? I can understand why people irrespective of their religion would find it offensive to see somebody wearing the swastika. All they’ve done is asked people not to dress showing offensive insignia.

In the town where I live they had an Operation Homefront wartime weekend. Some German officers turned up and were asked to leave, fair enough, it was the homefront and I don't think any Nazis made it over the channel (except Michael Caine).

mogrim - Member
According to the article they're going to be doing "live battle re-enactments", sounds a bit one-sided without the enemy though.

Bunch of fascists.

Unless WWII turned out differently to how I remember, in a reenactment the Nazis wouldn't be so much "commemorated" as "shot."

Depends on which bit of the war you're re-enacting, doesn't it?

I'm pretty sure that none of the war took place on a branch line just north of Bury.

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I'm pretty sure that none of the war took place on a branch line just north of Bury.

then why are they recreating it? Unless they're doing "Dad's army" then germans are just as "valid" as british (oz/canuck/etc) forces

does seem a little daft as they would have been more than a little out
of place on an english station platform ?,

some people thnik the english thing dressing up as a nazi goes back to us always hankering to be the underdog, it's said we find it attractive
and more exciting than dressing as an english or other allied soldier,

I have always had a strong interest for the german side as my best friends father was in the hiltler youth in the mid 30's and later a fallschirmjager in ww2 until his capture and detention in england in '44, [u]but i am certainly no nazi,racist,zionist or other,[/u]
I just simply find that kind of thing fascinating,

i was at Bletchley Park (Station X) at the weekend for their 1940's weekend and there was every single allied soldier represented there, too many as GI's as far as i was concerned, but no axis forces were represented although you can find dummys dressed up as germans in the 'enigma wireless bunker',

I think the visitors to the park especially the veterans would find it a little disturbing,

I know myself my interest lay in the fact that my best friends father's past was strickley tabboo and not to be talked about. he was good friends with another man in the village who was a polish airman during the war fighting here in england,

i personally think in the right context theres no harm in dressing up as a german soldier, but as i said a 1940's train station in england is a bit odd,

Is there a need to dress up in a British army uniform. Or is that the prerogative of the "victors".

it's normally a bit shite and it pissed down yesterday anyway.
I doubt anyone turned up.

Junkyard - Member

Why would anyone choose to spend their weekend dressed as a Nazi?

[img] [/img]

Why would anyone choose to spend their weekend dressed as a Nazi?

Nazi or German military? Plenty of people were one but not the other. I don't think reenactments on either side are anything I'd want to do but I don't see how you can do one without opposing forces. Obviously if it's a rural British railway station in ww2 then the opposing forces are the ticket inspectors.

Do people who spend all weekend dressed up as ww2 soldiers walk round with hard ons?

Fycking freaks if you ask me.

Would they be sent away?
[img] [/img]

It was so susposed to have had a fly past of by a Lancaster from the WWII Bomber Command re-enactment society.
Unfortunatley the were unable to attend due to a miss-understanding while flying over Germany last weekend. It's belived that the Wermacht Anti Aircraft re-enactment Society (Dresden Branch) were having a training day.

Would they be sent away?

Of course they would! The would be sent away reeking of shame and humiliation

Why would anyone choose to spend their weekend dressed as a Nazi?

Why didn't we just ban them from the War in the first place? 🙂

Ok, i'm a re-enactor.

No, i don't do WWII, but Wars of the Roses. However i do know more than a few folk who do WWII on all sides (UK & Empire/Axis/US/Soviet).
The folk who do the German side of things are VERY, VERY strict on keeping the fellow-travellers of the BNP etc out of their ranks.
Most employers like English Heritage etc. will not allow overt Nazi symbolism in the displays or to be worn by the re-enactors. None of the umbrella groups i am aware of allow the SS police uniform (full black kit) to be worn nor do they allow the wearing of the Nazi armband.
There are groups out there portraying units from the Waffen SS but as these units wore regular (ish, often better quality) Wermacht uniform then this is seen as allowable. Only the regimental insignia gives it away and then only if you know what you are looking for.
Certain Waffen SS units will never be portrayed though as they were responsible for some horrific war crimes.
I know of one Soviet group who portray one of the punishment battalions - the story of these units is quite awful but needs to be told.

TBH, i've met more right-wing nutjobs in other period groups than i have from the WWII mob.

As for wanting to portray the Germans, why not?

You should take a look at the American Civil War mob, about 15 rebel soldiers to every 1 Federal soldier even though the Union kit is far superior.
Lots more people want to portray the soldiers of Imperial France than want to be one of Wellington's redcoats*.

Personally i wouldn't want to do WWII 'cos i don't like guns and TBH the combat is a pretty dull. At least in medieval you get to actually fight with each other and there is the whole fun of comparing bruises in the beer tent afterwards! (plus knocking all the dents out of your armour....)

*Bloody greenjackets. Since Sean Bean did Sharpe you can't move for soddin' grasshoppers, there's more Riflemen now than there were then!

they all get their official Winston Churchill 21 inch double enders and have some fun.

So hang on,

The original story is actually "we've banned something that wouldn't have happened anyway" then?

It was so susposed to have had a fly past of by a Lancaster from the WWII Bomber Command re-enactment society.
Unfortunatley the were unable to attend due to a miss-understanding while flying over Germany last weekend. It's belived that the Wermacht Anti Aircraft re-enactment Society (Dresden Branch) were having a training day.

I've seen something similar!

Did a multi-period show at Old Sarum and the last display of the day were the WWII lot.
They had a Bofors gun drawn by a Bedford truck come on and set up, started panning the gun around the sky etc.

Thing is, there's a private airfield just on the other side of the road from Old Sarum and there were a couple of little Cessna type planes stooging around. One, obviously wanting a closer look at all these bright coloured tents in the old castle came down for a closer look.....

....the way the pilot pulled a hard turn on seeing himself tracked with a 40mm Anti-Aircraft Gun made me think he was gonna bury himself in the next field! 😆