Airborn Impressions outside of 101/82

[docbutzen]

I would love to hear from reenactors who do impression other than 82nd/101 and to see their impressions if so. I am very interested to see 1st ABTF, 509th in North Africa and Italy, 11th airborne and 503 or any others in there.

 

Doc Butzen

[lewis505]

I've done 551st a few times for Museum events at Bragg & Celebrate Freedom in SC

[willysmb44]

You're not going to get too many replies on this. When I started re-enacting in the late 80s, there were hardly any 101st groups out there, and really very few 82nd ones either. This had a lot to do with how few good jumpsuit repros you could find at the time that you didn't have wait forever to get them made.

Now, we all see a sea of 101st impressions at events, and most of us know the reasons for that.

But all that said, in this day, hardly anyone would go that far with a AB impression then not do it up as 101st...

[docbutzen]

I like doing 82nd mostly for the MTO campaigns. I am really excited to do a impression for the North African Jumps.

 

Doc Butzen

[BIGGREG]

Here is REMEMBER 509 PIB

It was our first Reenactment in 2010

 

[BIGGREG]

and a couple more

 

 

[Member_2114]

517th PRCT- Maritime Alps, for your consideration!

 

Nice mixed bag of kit, wool trousers with M42 pockets sewed on, M432', M42 jackets etc

 

[BIGGREG]

517th PRCT- Maritime Alps, for your consideration!

 

Nice mixed bag of kit, wool trousers with M42 pockets sewed on, M432', M42 jackets etc

 

 

look at this UNBELIEVABLE MAN... Johnny"THE BODY" Costino :w00t: :w00t:

Nice impression

[Johan Willaert]

http://www.usmilitariaforum.com/forums/ind...showtopic=50971

[lewis505]

CELEBRATE FREEDOM 2005 at Camden, SC

 

[FAAA]

The Main Action of the 509th is of the greatest interest to the FAAA, The Battle for le Muy.

 

The location of this town makes it the operations Ste Mere Eglise and had to be taken to secure success. Although the 509th played a crucial part in its taking, it has to be said in reality it was a combined effort from the 509th, the 550th Glider Infantry and the handfull of British Paratroopers already in parts of the town that eventually saw the defeat of the German garrison.

 

But is was the part played by A company and Battalion Headquarters that is of interest to Team Geronimo and the TEWT I conducted centred on their actions on the 16th of August 1944.

 

 

The team go over the action and can be seen here on the mortar position where 4 of the Battalions 81mm Mortars were deployed along with the 60mm Mortars drawn from the 3 platoons of A company

 

 

Close to the Battalion Headquarters Command post Mike and Steve contemplate the reality of fighting in the heat

 

Possum looks out over the valley towards the bridge over the river Argens, The Battalion CP is to the right of the Bridge on top of the cliff.

 

Team Geronimo in the Battalion Command post, 65years later to the day.

[FAAA]

The 509th is a parachute Battalion, every man in the Battalion was jump trained including Cooks, clerks and drivers.

 

For some months the Five O Niners and been waiting for their next jump, it was now soon to come, the 5th combat jump for the Battalion was to be into Southern France as the lead element of the First Airborne Task Force.

 

The 1st Airborne Task Force was an ad-hoc United States Army–British Army airborne force activated for Operation Dragoon, the invasion of Southern France.

 

The task force was activated on July 11th, 1944, under the command of Major General Robert T. Frederick. It consisted of the British 2nd Independent Parachute Brigade, the U.S. 509th Parachute Infantry Battalion (PIB) with the attached 463rd Parachute Field Artillery Battalion, the 517th Parachute Regimental Combat Team (PRCT), the 550th Glider Infantry Battalion, and the 551st Parachute Infantry Battalion.

 

Our Battalion had the most combat experience of all the U.S. airborne units. It fought in French Northwest Africa and saw extensive action in Italy including storming ashore with the Fifth United States Army at Anzio. The 517th PRCT, commanded by Colonel Rupert D Graves, was the largest unit assigned to 1st ABTF. It included the 517th Parachute Infantry Regiment, the 460th Parachute Field Artillery Battalion and the 596th Parachute Combat Engineer Company (596th PCEC).

 

On receipt of the warning order to move from 5th Army to 7th Army and our role in the jump into Southern France defined, jump training commenced. Chutes that had been used as pillows in pup tents we brought out dusted down and repacked.

 

Replacements prepared to jump for the first time since jump school, vets became jump masters. It was back to basics.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[FAAA]

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Glenn_Janssens]

Are you guys also jump qualified?

Great pics. :thumbsup:

[FAAA]

A few of us are, but out of date now.

 

Regards

Lee

[docbutzen]

Very cool. Makes me really wanna get on my 2/503 in North Africa impressions.

 

Doc Butzen

[187thAirborne]

nice job.

[PFC Rossi]

Hi,

May I suggest to take a look at these?

In the first we reenacted the 504th PIR after the Anzio landings, Italy with the FSSF, in the second we reenacted also the 509th PIB during the landings (Op. Shingle).

http://www.usmilitariaforum.com/forums/index.php?/topic/148271-reenactment-event-mussolini-canal-january-february-1944/

http://www.usmilitariaforum.com/forums/index.php?/topic/170130-anzio-operation-shingle-reenactment-and-commemoration/

 

I personally love and have the uniform to represent the 503rd PIR / PRCT or 11th AB Div, but we've never reenacted it because of the difficulty to find acceptable environment (some areas here in northern Italy, along the rivers may be good though).

And we would love to reenact the 1st AB Task Force during Op. Dragoon...and sooner or later we will!

 

[T-Bone]

Always thought an OSS OG would be an interesting endeavour.

 

Has anyone done one?

 

 

Timo