Fresh Meat!
So, you're new to re-enacting, probably feeling a little overwhelmed by the mountain of information in front of you, and yet still feeling bewildered as far as what to do first and how to actually get started in the hobby... well hopefully this will help a little.
We offer a completely free opportunity to experience the hobby; this is ideal for anyone looking to get into living history. You don't have to own a single item of kit. We will kit you out for the weekend with:
Helmet M42 Trousers
M42 Jacket Boots
Shirt Webbing in various versions
Weapons Somewhere to sleep
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So what do you need?
1. Most importantly you'll need insurance, without that nobody gets to play. It's not expensive and all shows require you to have it. Getting insured is easy to sort out; our advice would be to join AFRA. They are on Facebook and have their own website that can be accessed to join up. Its less than £20 for the year, which is probably around what you'd pay for entry to a show... let alone a year's worth of shows.
2. Sleeping bag. Whatever you may already have; if you're cold it's your problem!
3. Food/Drink. Unless you have some odd dietary requirement, you're welcome to join in with our group's mass cooking style... Rob's Airborne Stew is not to be missed!
Check the events calendar, pick a show you would like to attend that provides as much notice as you can give us. Send us a message here on the website and we will do our best to get you into kit and at your first event.
So you want to get involved in re-enacting/living history?
As you're on this website, I'm guessing that you've already chosen to re-enact U.S. World War 2 and are looking at the 101st, if not more specifically the 502nd. If you stumbled across us on a random Google search then I guess you'll need to work out what period you want to re-enact and which nation. For most re-enactors, the choice is typically something that is already of interest, so it shouldn't be too hard to pick, although I know people who do several different impressions.
Finding a group
No matter what you want you want to re-enact, there will almost certainly be more than one group that represents your area of interest. Some groups are very laid back and have almost no set rules or standards and there are others that will make you count the stiches in your trouser seams. Find a balance between these two that suits you. However, that may not be as easy as it sounds. Whilst the appeal of having a relaxed or no rules group sounds appealing, just think of how the overall impression and accuracy of what they are re-enacting probably would be. There is a huge difference between playing 'dress up' and re-enacting/living history.
All good groups will have a presence online, they will have a guide to what they require in terms of kit, appearance and things like a minimum attendance to events. Sadly, I see that mentioned a lot, which makes it seem as though the hobby isn't any fun, so they feel they have to force their members attend! So people of course work crazy shift patterns which could prevent them from joining the group, and things like that just isn't fair. Hence, we have no rules like that. While we certainly would love to see every member at every event, we would never create rules saying that a member had to come.
Once you find some groups you're interested in, they should be asking you to make contact with them. Now sadly lots of group then crash and burn at this point in terms of recruiting, the average person who messages re-enacting groups has no idea what to do next and is mainly after help and guidance. I've messaged dozens expressing interest over the years and usually find the same sort of response; I was either directed to their website or sent some forms to send back. Hardly a warm welcome to someone wanting to join the hobby. Most people of course have already seen the website and will hardly get excited about form filling! So you'll probably need to badger whoever you contacted into having a conversation with you. On the flip side of the coin, I have had lots of people contact me about re-enacting and potentially joining who are totally inexperienced and I talk them through every single detail. Yet, they listen to nothing, buy no kit and show no dedication. Bare this in mind that some degree of dedication is expected as fair exchange for the many hours group members may spend helping you and advising you in what to do, what you need, where to buy it and sometimes in sourcing items for you.
The best advice I can give is get talking to someone, ask if there is someone in the group local to where you live and if they could meet up and talk about re-enacting. I have invited dozens of people to come to my home, see my mountains of kit and have a chat over a cuppa and a game of pool whilst talking over what this crazy hobby entails.
Should you ever want to talk to us, you can contact us through this website.
Kit....
The biggest problem facing anyone getting into the hobby is acquiring everything you need. Not only can it cost an arm and a leg, but making sure you don't buy the wrong items is an absolute minefield. Every group has different needs. The variances between different 101st re-enactment groups can be soooo vast its almost unimaginable! Buying a China-made jumpsuit might be acceptable to some groups and sure as hell wouldn't be for others. Watching Hollywood war movies will only make things worse - even Band of Brothers and Saving Private Ryan didn't get it right!
Whatever you do, DO NOT GO ON A MAD SPENDING SPREE before you know what your group requires. The members of these groups have all had to buy their kit, so talk to them, find out where not to look as well as who the best providers might be, who makes the best kit at the best prices. See if anyone may have any unwanted kit that they can sell you as this happens all the time in this hobby. Is buying an original example of an item better than buying a reproduction? Not always the case, but with some items it is, and it may be better quality, too.
We have pages of information on kit on this website that you can review. Check period photographs for inspiration and ideas but beware that many photos that claim to be of the period are actually modern photos of re-enactors and may not be accurate. Look closely and compare to known originals - or just ask someone in the group!
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Again, make sure you know what your group requires before you start to buy!
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However, some groups have some kit they lend out to people who want to get into the hobby as we all know how expensive it is on day one. We have a stock of M42 jumpsuits, boots, web gear, weapons and M1 helmets that we lend out! There is enough to get you out into the field for a first turn out. Don't rely on there being kit available for you at every event or in your size. All groups have to acquire these things for their own inventory out of their own pocket. So message us if you want to reserve items for a particular event.
I want to be a Sergeant or a Captain...
Just don't say anything like this... ever... this is not what re-enacting is about. That is simply fancy dress and make-believe nonsense, or at best you'll just be considered a 'promenader' (someone who dresses up to walk around a show as a member of the public who isn't even a re-enactor) and yes, I do look down on them! Why are 99% of them Captains???
We all have to remember that whatever rank we wear on our uniform, is utterly meaningless! Sure, it might make your uniform look more interesting, but it's almost always self-awarded, self-purchased and carries no authority or power although, for most groups, it may give you lots more work to do and more responsibility.
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However, there are some exceptions that determine when you need to have a specific rank. The rank needs to suit the role that you are performing. For example, there is always someone who looks after all the guys, makes sure they don't blow their fingers off in the battles at shows, the person who makes sure they have water in the canteens in the summer and tells them what they should be doing. He is clearly a leader and should hold the appropriate rank. Note - Rank does not mean you should (or can) shout at anyone or tell them to do anything that is not within character, unless they are doing something dangerous, of course. Your safety and the safety of the guy next to you is also your responsibility, so don't think just because you don't have rank you can ignore the stupid things people may do around you!
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Does having rank mean you run the group? In most groups, yes! Weirdly it is always the most senior made-up rank that runs the group. I asked myself why, and honestly I don't have a clue, there is no logic for this other than it's always been done that way. I'm sure there are groups out there where this isn't the case, but I'm certain that it is 99% of the time. The person who runs the group is the highest officer and probably a Captain! I honestly blame Tom Hanks for the obsession with having a Captain rank, thank you 'Shaving Mrs Ryan'!
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Can I have no rank but still help out behind the scenes with the running of the group? Well, absolutely yes! There is so much going on (or should be going on) behind the scenes in all groups that all help is usually willingly accepted. You don't ever have to accept rank offered if you don't want it or think that it is incorrect for what you want to portray.
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But how do I get rank / I still want rank.... OK, OK, I get it, you want something on your jacket that looks different to all the other enlisted men you stand around with; you want to be different. I get it. Every group has different rules around rank. Some will have very strict rules on when you can advance up the chain and how you do this. That can be from recruiting new members, time of service in the group or a whole number of other things. However, that can lead to problems... imagine if you keep on promoting your riflemen as they recruited lots of new members and have been with the group for years... you'd have riflemen with unrealistic ranks. So, for our group it is all about sticking firmly to the TO&E. We are filling the TO&E from the bottom up, 1st rifle squad, then 2nd rifle squad (possibly the mortar squad), then Platoon HQ, Company HQ and on and on. With each section that fills up, it 'unlocks' the next section above it. When a new member joins, then it gives the chance for either a promotion, or to simple move to a new section as the same rank.
Is there a group in XYZ region of the UK?
A question I see being asked all the time is if there is a group in a specific region of the UK, sometimes even down to a specific town! In reality, I'm not even sure any group can say where they are from since the members are usually spread across huge parts of the UK and usually only all get together at events. These events can also be spread right across the country. So really it depends on your willingness to travel, is the group worth travelling for, and if the event is worth travelling to.
If we had to give the group a location for the sake of anything like paperwork, then I tell people Oxford, but that doesn't mean we would be any less likely to attend something like Stoneleigh Militaria Fair as would a group near Coventry!
I asked a question on a Facebook group and got abuse/laughed at!
Sadly this is something that I see happening more and more. Someone new to the hobby asks a question and then receives a load of abuse of mickey taking. I was talking with our S/Sgt the other day about this, and we both were a little angered by it. Although I did point out that whilst others can't be bothered to talk to people; or even worse ridicule those trying to learn and get into the hobby, we certainly can and will take the time to talk to anyone who's interested and help them, and hopefully recruit them ourselves.
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Of course sometimes people deserve to be laughed at with what they post... and as it is a hobby that comprises 99% adults, if you say something daft, then expect nothing less! However, its all about time and place.
Joining Miss Drop 44 isn't hard... but...
Joining Miss Drop 44 isn't difficult; we have organized the group to have an easy to join system of kit requirements and simple instructions for new recruits. So many people come into this hobby with ridiculous expectations, the idea of being as authentic as possible may seem wonderful at first... but when any sort of effort or patience is required, most seem to want to either skip steps altogether or try weird alternative ways around what we require of our members.
1. There is a reason we do things our way.
2. All members will do it our way.
3. Yes, there are other ways.
4. See Rule 2.
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This will be reiterated over and over, as people still often either don't read, don't want to listen or think they know best! Yes, lots of this website is sounding more and more like a literary battering... blame the guys who just don't listen! Isn't that right Joe Grant....