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2AD Belgium&Holland Tour 2009


Johan Willaert
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Off topic but I have a pair of 43 dated pants with rigger sewn jump pockets size "46" waist. Now back to topic. LOVE those pictures. That looks like a true event. Live like it happened. Live off the land. No chicken stealing tho please. Thanks for posting. Robert

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Probably the fact that many European Re-enactors dressed as Americans don't even speak English...

 

No, it’s not that. Just something visual.

Here is the best way I can describe it. I am sure you have heard that many Germans during the war commented on Americans always chewing like cows because of bubble gum, something that I suppose was not really prevalent in the German armed forces. It kind of goes along those lines. We just have shared peculiarities as I am sure people from other countries have. They some how translate in body language, etc.

 

BTW: Thank you for posting the great pictures. I would be honored to see an event like this in person. Heck I would love to participate.

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Johan Willaert
No, it’s not that. Just something visual.

 

Maybe I should have been more clear. As you say you cannot look the part and blend in if you have no feeling whatsoever with the actual nationality or people that you portray. One of the first things that helps your impression is the knowledge of the language.

How can you look the part if you if you don't understand books, Army Regulations, movies in original version, etc...

 

Heck, I have seen guys that have collected for many years and they don't even know the proper English nomenclature of the items they collect.. Go figure...

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Maybe I should have been more clear. As you say you cannot look the part and blend in if you have no feeling whatsoever with the actual nationality or people that you portray. One of the first things that helps your impression is the knowledge of the language.

How can you look the part if you if you don't understand books, Army Regulations, movies in original version, etc...

 

Heck, I have seen guys that have collected for many years and they don't even know the proper English nomenclature of the items they collect.. Go figure...

 

I agree that learning the language is important. Here in the states that seems to be a big problem with some German reenactors.

As far as the other things I was talking about it doesn’t make or break an impression. It was just something that I have noticed.

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I'm the other way, i reckon most of the euro guys look more american than todays american's portraying wwii americans :P Alot of the time anyway, but i do understand what you're saying, sometimes you can just tell, regardless

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Its just there. I can't explain it either. Been to shows in the US and look at americans walking dressed in SS uniforms and it just doesn't look right. No its not the nationality. Its Mannerisms. I have a dear friend that served in the German Army on the Russian Front. Its not just his accent that tells you he's german. Him and his wife came over in the 50s. Their sons are 100% American. Visiting Germany you could almost always pick out the fellow tourists. Robert. But we are getting off the subject again. Great pictures

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The best part of these trips are the practical things that you learn along the way. Things like how to sleep comfortably and stay warm and dry, How wool uniforms stop itching if you don't wash them, and how to scavenge for food and water. You also find out more of the nuts and bolts of an armored operation like just how long it takes to distribute fuel and tank up a hundred vehicles, and just how limited the view of the countryside is from the turret of an armored car. You also learn that convoy arm signals are essential and that weapons rust very quickly if you don't clean them frequently. In short you learn alot about what the GIs actually went through. The other thing you find out is impossible to understate, The American GI is a hero to the people of the liberated countries and this good will was extended to we American re-enactors time and again.

You also learn some amusing things as well, like:

Number of GIs it takes to pick up and move an inproperly parked Renault... (12) St mere Eglise 1999

the sound of an M-5 Stuart crashing into a stone house ( really cant describe) Colombiers 2006

Number of feet a Renault bounces after crashing into an M-8 (about 5) Normandy 2006

Number of GIs it takes to bump start just about any vehicle M-8 (7) GMC (20) WLA (1) Jeep (1 or 2)

The GI uniform and an American accent can still score with the ladies (not me, but not telling)

Calvados rules! 1999 and 2006

How many GIS you can cram in a halftrack (25) Omaha Beach 1999

'28 packs hung on the side of a halftrack look cool, but don't last long in heavy Bocage 2006

French drivers don't respect a hurtling GMC with questionable brakes towing a field kitchen ( boy it was close) Seine valley 2004

Its really only good when it stops feeling fun and starts feeling real!

After a couple of days and a couple of rain storms, nobody cares how authentic they look which makes everybody look more authentic.

Tom Bowers

trip participant 1999 2000 2004 2006

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Hello everyone, my first post here on the US militaria forums

 

Here are some of my snapshots I took during the tour (together with 800 digitals stills, 360 film stills and 50 Polaroids)

 

These are polaroids taken with a 405 Land back on a Anniversary Speed Graphic camera. Quality stinks but hey ;)

 

Pola0003a.jpg

 

Pola0004a.jpg

 

Pola0006a.jpg

 

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Pola0031a.jpg

 

 

More pictures soon

 

 

Regards,

Rick

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Thanks guys,

 

I'm currently in the middle of scanning the first half of the 10 rolls of film (the other half I won't have back until next week), and post-processing the digitals. It's going to take some time to get some more pictures up (and I don't want to give too much away if I'm going to print them in photobook). ;)

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Here are some of the images from the first 2 or 3 days of the event

 

RM090901.jpg

My (and Pvt Shortwood's) Jeep, marked up as one of the 165th Signal Photographic Corps. Photographers

and cameramen of the 165th SPC and the 166th recorded a lot of the 2nd AD activities in the ETO.

 

All the pictures below were taken with my 1937 Leica IIIa and a 1937 90mm Elmar lens, which is great for portrets

RM090903.jpg

 

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RM090905.jpg

 

RM090906.jpg

 

RM090907.jpg

 

RM090908.jpg

 

RM090909.jpg

 

RM090910.jpg

 

RM090911.jpg

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Pola0006a.jpg

 

Pola0020a.jpg

 

Wow, even the Correspondent impressions were well done. Often, that’s an impression foisted upon someone with minimal gear and not done very well. I’m impressed to see ALL impressions treated with the same respect!

:thumbsup:

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Yes, Thomas, Astrid, Gaby and Shaun did a great job as War Correspondents, Photographers and Cameramen. Though 2 cameras they carried were butchered FEDs, with a P&S digitals built into them. I nearly had a heart attack when I saw those monstrosities for the first time.

Thomas was a great inspiration for me, he had some brilliant ideas for scenes, compositions and he got into some places where I never dared to venture.

 

They also had a laptop, printer and an emergency power generator hidden in a field desk so they could print pictures of the day and, though they only managed 1 edition, a newsletter. There wasn't really any time to do the extensive editing that required.

 

I was kind of the odd one out with my 165th SPC impression ;)

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I was also in Maastricht when those guys came! It was awesome! I went with my grandfather and he got teers in his eyes because the 2nd AD liberated his home town 5KM from Maastricht also 65 years ago, and he just went 65 years back in time for a couple minutes. I'll post some pictures asap :thumbsup: .

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General Apathy

post-344-1253224967.jpg

post-344-1253224945.jpg

 

These photos are amazing. Looks like an amazing trip.

 

Hi everyone that has added to this post on the 2nd armored trip to commemorate the 65th anniversary of the liberation of Maastricht.

 

As stated above ' looks like an amazing trip ' well it was and I had the pleasure of being on it, there are many people who made this possible but two of the main organisers are Nick Heighes ( Capt ) on main organisation details, and Iain Saunders ( first sgt ) without these two the trip would not happen.

 

Alan Dark and myself were chefs throughout the trip, we rose at 4.30 or 5 each morning to get the wood burning fires in the kitchen trailer started and then prepare breakfasts for 110 personnel, after clean down and packing the kitchen we joined the convoy to our evening encampment. Along the route Alan rode his Harley WLA as convoy MP, and I became vehicle commander in C-22 M8 armored car. Upon reaching our evening camp we again had to start and prepare an evening meal for 110 personnel after serving and cleaning down ready for the next morning it was usually around 11 pm. Nick Perry was quartermaster in charge of the food supplies and ordering and also took charge of volunteers in the kitchen clean down operation.

 

O.k. so there were things that some people might pick up on the photos, a few overweight people ???? most vehicles are owned by older people, most younger ones can't afford M8's, but you had to be on it to enjoy it.

 

Cheers ( Lewis )

 

p.s. the photo above shows forum member ' General Apathy ' serving food to the line.

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Some more links from members of the public

 

 

by Huub Janssen (I'm the guy at 1:20)

More pictures taken by Huub:

Part 1: http://nl.fotoalbum.eu/huubjanssen/a345597

Part 2: http://nl.fotoalbum.eu/huubjanssen/a345652

 

Martijn's Photo Gallery

 

 

The not-so-good groupfoto at the siegfried line near Vaals, this was before the dangerous tower of boxes was erected and long before the farmer with his forklift/tractor showed up.

 

groupshotblend3.jpg

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Pfew, 50 hours later and all 5 rolls of negatives have been scanned. (the next 5 won't be back from the pro-lab until thursday, then I can start again!)

 

Here are the next 10 from the batch. These were mainly recorded in Frasnes/Genappe and en route to Hoegaarden

 

RM090922.jpg

 

RM090923.jpg

 

RM090924.jpg

 

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RM090926.jpg

 

RM090927.jpg

 

RM090928.jpg

 

RM090929.jpg

 

RM090930.jpg

 

RM090931.jpg

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post-344-1253224967.jpg

post-344-1253224945.jpg

Hi everyone that has added to this post on the 2nd armored trip to commemorate the 65th anniversary of the liberation of Maastricht.

 

As stated above ' looks like an amazing trip ' well it was and I had the pleasure of being on it, there are many people who made this possible but two of the main organisers are Nick Heighes ( Capt ) on main organisation details, and Iain Saunders ( first sgt ) without these two the trip would not happen.

 

Alan Dark and myself were chefs throughout the trip, we rose at 4.30 or 5 each morning to get the wood burning fires in the kitchen trailer started and then prepare breakfasts for 110 personnel, after clean down and packing the kitchen we joined the convoy to our evening encampment. Along the route Alan rode his Harley WLA as convoy MP, and I became vehicle commander in C-22 M8 armored car. Upon reaching our evening camp we again had to start and prepare an evening meal for 110 personnel after serving and cleaning down ready for the next morning it was usually around 11 pm. Nick Perry was quartermaster in charge of the food supplies and ordering and also took charge of volunteers in the kitchen clean down operation.

 

O.k. so there were things that some people might pick up on the photos, a few overweight people ???? most vehicles are owned by older people, most younger ones can't afford M8's, but you had to be on it to enjoy it.

 

Cheers ( Lewis )

 

p.s. the photo above shows forum member ' General Apathy ' serving food to the line.

So Lewis what was for Grub? Not stew was it.Or what did they call it in WWI Chum?. :lol: Robert
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