Lets See Your Impressions!

[Chris1917]

 

Just something I do for fun at dances and such.

I know I am wearing Post war, private purchase shoes, my originals got a hole in the sole.

 

Tyler,

Awesome photo!!! Reminds me of shots of my Dad in 1945. Like the others have said, it is great seeing a "kid" that really looks the part. keep up the great work. You are setting a new standard.

Chris

[redjoshman]

When it is time to get Pershing boots I would recommend either Great War Militaria or Mattimore Harness. I own both and they are both fantastic boots but I think I am a little biased towards the Great War Militaria boot because I like their leather a little better and their hobnails are of the more common style.

 

-Josh

[Corpl. Cleaver]

Thanks for the compliment Chris!

[Mr_Flibble]

Wow... Mr. Flibble INFRONT of the camera...

Who made the uniform?

 

Hah, yes, a rarity in itself.

The uniform is a recent new offering from Soldier of Fortune Military, it's made in India.

 

 

Josh,

thanks for the tip on the boots. I'll look into those!

[redjoshman]

No problem, I know that one of the things that can turn a good event into a bad event is poorly fitting boots and I know that both those company's boots are not only authentic but comfortable. Just to tell you when ordering from Mattimore make sure to give them plenty of lead time and to tell them when you NEED them by as they will try their hardest to get them to you by then. With Great War Militaria that is only needed with their Uniforms.

 

On another note, how are you packing your M1910 Pack? You are going to be getting an SBR or an M1917 Gasmask, correct?

 

-Josh

[Mr_Flibble]

I have an M1917 gasmask bag, albeit without the mask. It is missing one of the hooks for shortening the strap and the cord is long gone. A reproduction bag & mask is on the wishlist as well.

 

I'm doing up my M1910 haversack without the pack tail at the moment (need a replacement leather thong for that :naughty:. ).

[redjoshman]

I have an M1917 gasmask bag, albeit without the mask. It is missing one of the hooks for shortening the strap and the cord is long gone. A reproduction bag & mask is on the wishlist as well.

 

I'm doing up my M1910 haversack without the pack tail at the moment (need a replacement leather thong for that :naughty:. ).

 

Well Schipperfabrik is really the only one in the game when it comes to SBRs and M1917 Gasmasks(though if you want to go the extra mile I would recommend putting some weight in the can of the gasmask to replicate the weight of the filter as their can comes empty).

 

For the leather pack tail thong GWM sells one here(Item # US13452):

http://www.greatwar.com/scripts/prodView.a...product=1733154

 

 

-Josh

[2flasargent]

Just joined and waded through most of this. Really excellent stuff all the way. Been doing CW Cavalry for ~20 years now. My group did a timeline a few times.

Olustee expo - I'm the lieutenant on the right

 

Maj. Francis Dade, 1835, 3rd US on the left

 

Horse soldiers Rev war/1812 militia/1836 officer/CW reb and yank/IW/Spanish american/WW1

I have the WW1 uniform, tack and equipment, original except the repro uniform.

 

Hope the pix work

[THAT GUY]

Here is my borrowed WW1 impression. I was at a militaria show with my German reenacting buddies and since they all do WWI they convinced me to dress out as a dough boy the following day. I think it's a pretty smart uniform actually! And yes, I know the boots are wrong.

 

Sam

 

[plick27]

Nice job Sam :thumbsup:

[THAT GUY]

Nice job Sam :thumbsup:

 

Thank you!

[Corpl. Cleaver]

Lets bring this thread back to life, noone has posted since Spetember. Lets see some new or updated impressions!

 

 

 

Here are afew pics from an event this past weekend at Fort Indiantown Gap, PA.

 

Not much but here it is. Only repro stuff is the rifle sling, gloves, snow cover and helmet straps.

 

Tyler

 

 

 

 

[rjhyden]

I really like the Burma impression. A place to see the Daisy Mae late war.

[rjhyden]

Here is my borrowed WW1 impression. I was at a militaria show with my German reenacting buddies and since they all do WWI they convinced me to dress out as a dough boy the following day. I think it's a pretty smart uniform actually! And yes, I know the boots are wrong.

 

Sam

 

Too cool. !

[Bram.T]

A photo from yesterday during the 'in the footsteps of the 82nd Airborne' march in the Belgian Ardennes.

 

[retrohead]

Hi guys, heres a few from a recent photo shoot for the Spirt of '45 event in San Jose

 

 

[strawberry 9]

I'm on the far right with the "GO DEVILS" helmet insignia.

 

[willysmb44]

 

 

I love this shot (especially the look on her face and the fact you're dropping the sea bag at the same time), great job!

[Member_2114]

A few pictures of us walking in the footsteps of the 551st G.O.Y.A Birds, in Belgium, at the weekend..

 

 

The rest can be seen on my album in photobucket-

 

http://s1341.beta.ph...788363075323393

[redjoshman]

Johnny,

Can you explain to me why your unit chose the uniforms you did for portraying the 551st PIB. I always thought that in the Ardennes they would have still been wearing a lot M42 parts with only a smattering of Winter Combat Uniform and M43 uniform parts. Also I thought all of their helmets would not only have their palm tree insignia but also the camo helmets that they made up for Dragoon. Also that they still would have been using a lot of their camo web-gear as well. Instead I don't see the camo helmet and 551st Insignia, M42s, and camo web-gear and the like. Not criticism, just curious as to why you chose the look you did.

 

I remember visiting Rochelival when I visited Belgium a couple of years ago. Cool little town with a great monument to a interesting unit.

 

-Josh

[Member_2114]

Johnny,

Can you explain to me why your unit chose the uniforms you did for portraying the 551st PIB. I always thought that in the Ardennes they would have still been wearing a lot M42 parts with only a smattering of Winter Combat Uniform and M43 uniform parts. Also I thought all of their helmets would not only have their palm tree insignia but also the camo helmets that they made up for Dragoon. Also that they still would have been using a lot of their camo web-gear as well. Instead I don't see the camo helmet and 551st Insignia, M42s, and camo web-gear and the like. Not criticism, just curious as to why you chose the look you did.

 

I remember visiting Rochelival when I visited Belgium a couple of years ago. Cool little town with a great monument to a interesting unit.

 

-Josh

 

Fair comments. I did indeed wear faded spray camoed M42 pants, others were M42 jump jackets in same condition. I understand that the 551st acquired 500 tanker jackets, so many of our guys were wearing them. Reckon about 20 of our number had palm stenciled helmets, I know because I made the stencils. Also some had camoed webbing. I sprayed up at least 3 pots with the green,black camo over a 551st net.

 

The only item we steered clear of was the 551st style helmet nets. Hopefully the photobucket album will show you some of the colour pictures I took.

 

Unfortunately there are very,very few photos of the 551st during their time in the Ardennes.

[willysmb44]

Paul, I assume many of the guys in those shots are British?

I ask due to how a couple of them are carrying their M-1s (cradling them across their left arm). When I did a joint op with a British unit on active duty, I noticed that was a common way for them to carry their rifles. Turns out, it was a comfortable way to caryr an M-16 and I often carried my M16A2 after seeing them carry their SA-80s in a similar fashion.

Looks to me like a British version of the modern US carry position of "barrel down and right against your chest" (also called, "low carry" bysome) that others bemoan in re-enactment shots these days.

[Member_2114]

Paul, I assume many of the guys in those shots are British?

I ask due to how a couple of them are carrying their M-1s (cradling them across their left arm). When I did a joint op with a British unit on active duty, I noticed that was a common way for them to carry their rifles. Turns out, it was a comfortable way to caryr an M-16 and I often carried my M16A2 after seeing them carry their SA-80s in a similar fashion.

Looks to me like a British version of the modern US carry position of "barrel down and right against your chest" (also called, "low carry" bysome) that others bemoan in re-enactment shots these days.

 

 

I think There were about 15 Brits amongst that number, rest were Belgian, French and Dutch, guess we had about 42 in total, including drivers etc. Not noticed the rifle positioning. I tend to carry an M1 Carbine as its light and I can take photos at the same time!

[glenm]

As I'm the Captain with the M1A1 SMG in these pics, one of whihc shows me carrying it across my left arm, I can safely say that it's just a comfortable way of carrying it for me, not something picked up in the British Army, nor copied from there either. Just find it comfortable, that's all. You'll also see me carrying it in both hands, or just in my right. On long treks with unslung weapons, I tend to move it around a lot to ease the load, that's all.

 

As for the uniforms, Josh, they're good from the research we put in to this - if we'd turned up like we'd just jumped into Southern France, that would be wrong, same way as if we'd turned up in fur-trimmed parkas too. I regret not having a few Mackinaws here and there, as the 551st Motor Pool had a pile of them available for the riflemen to take in the Ardennes. The "Tank Suits" (as they called them) are correct, as are the M43's (and no leg pockets on the trousers). Most of the 551st helmets were repainted before the Ardennes, so plain OD in the main is correct, with re-stencilled palm trees or not.

 

Cheers,

Glen.

[king802]

When I did a joint op with a British unit on active duty, I noticed that was a common way for them to carry their rifles. Turns out, it was a comfortable way to caryr an M-16 and I often carried my M16A2 after seeing them carry their SA-80s in a similar fashion.

 

 

I'd bet that was not an Infantry unit you did a joint op with. I served 9 years in the British Army and we never carried weapons like that. Engineers, signals maybe but not Infantry.

 

Rich