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FIRST SPECIAL SERVICE FORCE - UK


jumpwings
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The FSSF LHG (UK Section) consists of members who have in common an interest in WW2 history and the desire to accurately portray the First Special Service Force in both it's appearance and it’s spirit, therefore we dress and act accordingly. The Force was a unique unit, and doing a complete impression of such a unit requires great dedication, and although we have a relaxed and generous nature, only serious people who are committed will ultimately be accepted into the First Special Service Force Living History Group UK.

 

The kind of events we take part in are:

 

Living history displays, where items of kit and equipment are displayed for the public’s education and enjoyment. Other activities are actual field trips to the battlefields in the uniforms and using the equipment of the Force.

 

We are based at Bushy in the UK which is the site of the former 8th USAAF Fighter Command base during WWII, and later through to the Cold War years up to 1957.

 

At public and private events, we take a very relaxed and friendly attitude, however, we always bear in mind that we are wearing a military uniform and all eyes are upon us, therefore we adopt the military code of conduct. REAL soldiers follow orders. The same holds true of FSSF LHG UK! We cannot accurately recreate the structure of a military unit without the impression of a realistic chain of command, however hollow that may be, and you never know when or if an FSSF veteran will appear, believe it! It can happen!!.

 

 

The FSSF was somewhat unique and innovative in it’s style of uniforms, so we dress and act with integrity. Genuine and reproduction uniforms and field gear are as near perfect as we can get, however, no modern, anachronistic material is permitted! The public eye is upon us (and members of other groups), and they certainly do pick up on any shortcomings or imperfections, so you won't find bags of crisps, noserings, goatees, or mobile phones! All our foodstuffs are disguised in rations style wrappers and boxes. We have put a lot of reasearch into FSSF uniforms, and insignia, and we wear our uniforms in a 1940's style.

 

The FSSF trained and fought in some of the worst winter conditions of WWII North America and Europe and with our recent spate of snow, we could not miss this opportunity to get out and take a few photos at our base in Bushey, here is our most recent photoset in some "real" snow (well, for us here i the UK):

 

snow28.jpg

 

snow22.jpg

 

snow1.jpg

 

snow10.jpg

 

snow2.jpg

 

snow7.jpg

 

snow6.jpg

 

snow8.jpg

 

snow29.jpg

 

snow32.jpg

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Hey Chris, do we have any of your section's photos up on the FSSFLHG website? (www.members.tripod.com/fssflhg) Great stuff there! Here's a shot of me back in 1999.

 

http://fssflhg.tripod.com/Resource-178/LtCarver.jpg

 

Yeah man, ye got me, at mines, Johns and Kyles visit to La Defensa and the Canadian Emabassy... :thumbsup:

 

p.s..Is that yerself, John B? How are ye these days?

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Guest Alaskan Scout

Ive actually thought about putting some kit together and using it up here in Alaska in living history survival training type manner....Using it for back woods treking and survival tasks...I did a small outing a few weeks ago in sub zero temps using a mix of original & repro British, American and German kit and it was far far more challenging then i could have expected. Im use to using current up to date modern kit out in the bush here in Alaska and the old kit posed a fantastic (& dangerous) challenge i really enjoyed. Especially when i was in the sub zero (F) weather in a few feet of snow...

 

I want to get everything down to a period existance. Everything from fishing line to containers to store items to protect them from the weather....Iv ebeen finding loads of post war US kit and some Canadian/British kit too but i suspect ill try to get all period US kit in time...

 

Th best bit of kit i had were the Repro 1944 smock and the repro M43 wool cap...The outter 1950 Denison trousers protected me from the wind and cold perfectly up there..

 

 

 

 

p1010015.jpg

 

 

p1010016.jpg

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Cobrahistorian
Yeah man, ye got me, at mines, Johns and Kyles visit to La Defensa and the Canadian Emabassy... :thumbsup:

 

p.s..Is that yerself, John B? How are ye these days?

 

 

Doin well! I'm not doing much FSSF living history any more, since my focus is really towards Army Aviation. I still have a few pieces of Force kit including one set of field gear, but I don't see myself doing much of it at this point. These days I'm pretty much either stuck in the museum working on National Guard stuff, or stuck in the cockpit doing National Guard stuff! Any down time I've got is spent with my wife and son (who turns a year old next month!)

 

Cheers!

 

Jon

 

PS, yeah, that shot is me. :D

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Sgt_Rock_EasyCo

I know we can't all be fit but good job anyone.

 

My only criticism was the Bayonet Practice Picture- He's hold his piece like it was a butter knife rather than an instrument of death and destruction. Aggression is the key to bayonet warfare. The picture doesn't justify the attitude necessary to kill or be killed....just saying. :D

 

Look at videos of soldiers in Bayonet training and you'll see what I meant.

 

The spirt of the bayonet is to kill, not spread butter.

 

Rock

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Cobrahistorian
I know we can't all be fit but good job anyone.

 

My only criticism was the Bayonet Practice Picture- He's hold his piece like it was a butter knife rather than an instrument of death and destruction. Aggression is the key to bayonet warfare. The picture doesn't justify the attitude necessary to kill or be killed....just saying. :D

 

Look at videos of soldiers in Bayonet training and you'll see what I meant.

 

The spirt of the bayonet is to kill, not spread butter.

 

Rock

 

 

Rock,

 

Those photos were recreations of actual posed photos taken of Forcemen in training during WWII. Somewhere in my archives at home I've got a copy of the original. It isn't the recreators' inaccuracy in this case. Merely a recreation of what was most likely Joe saying "are you kiddin me, you want me to do what?"

 

Jon

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forcemanchris
Rock,

 

Those photos were recreations of actual posed photos taken of Forcemen in training during WWII. Somewhere in my archives at home I've got a copy of the original. It isn't the recreators' inaccuracy in this case. Merely a recreation of what was most likely Joe saying "are you kiddin me, you want me to do what?"

 

Jon

 

Thanks for the comments.

The photo's were taken from The Supercommandos the book we call the Bible, and we also take advice from one of the vets, Sam Magee.

But you are right there was more Aggression

Chris

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Sgt_Rock_EasyCo
I know we can't all be fit but good job anyone.

:rolleyes: :thumbsup:

 

I have a six year old Daughter that constantly chatters while I'm on the computer.

 

substitute the word "anyone", for "everyone".

 

Rock

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Sgt_Rock_EasyCo
Thanks for the comments.

The photo's were taken from The Supercommandos the book we call the Bible, and we also take advice from one of the vets, Sam Magee.

But you are right there was more Aggression

Chris

 

I borrowed the book awhile back and haven't looked at it in awhile. Barely remember any pictures but I do remember how good the book was and that it was very informative.

 

Aggression is the key to winning in hand-to-hand, knife and bayonet fighting.

 

(as my Daughter chatters at me again, gotta go and feed her some chow)

 

Rock

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I borrowed the book awhile back and haven't looked at it in awhile. Barely remember any pictures but I do remember how good the book was and that it was very informative.

 

Aggression is the key to winning in hand-to-hand, knife and bayonet fighting.

 

(as my Daughter chatters at me again, gotta go and feed her some chow)

 

Rock

 

Hi John, I remember ye selling some gear a while back, and when ye joined up, glad to see ye got through everything ye planned, and one bit of advice...Enjoy that wee man while ye can, my wee lassie is coming up for ten now, the time flys by!!

 

Hi Rock, howz things? (Busy wi the wee yin, I know the feeling, as ye type I get "daddy can ye" insert various distracting reuests)...In the Supercommandos (Chris, ye feeny, it's Burhans book which is the "bible"..Well, I supose Ross's book is the "photographic bible"...lol) the actual photos are indeed posed but yer absoulutely right about the agression, so next time we'll get Ollie and Phil to show us how they do it (for real) on the matt (though I think the agression expressed is a different sort from the military)!! Talk about agression, I'm sure I got somewhere a photo of two Forcemen "practising" and one guy is on top of the other shoving his face into the mud...You guys can recreate that, I'm too clean minded! It's in one of my books, which are still in Italy just now...

 

The actuall training photos are from series stills of training films, Phil has seen a bit of it (I'm sure he'll back me up here) they show in clear terms the moves used, ones which he recognises and adapted by O'Niel for combat use...One can imagine them made for the use in the classroom lectures, as the films of the Force parachute landings where (and subesquently sent to Benning so the Airborne could sort out the breaking of the legs problem)...

 

I must conclude, our photos do leave room for improvement, and any critique is welcome, we continually strive to improve and take all critiques on the chin, we take note, and where possible, improve...After all, we posted them here on the very public forum for you to look at, and if you thought they where crock and didn't say so, how the hell would we know, how would we explain ourselves?

 

A clear case is Rock with his/your critique, and it has been clearly explained that we where following the recreation route, rather than our interpretation...So, please, your critiques are most welcome, as it'll answer your questions about our impressions, and it'll give us a chance to get to know :thumbsup: ...

 

Paul

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Ive actually thought about putting some kit together and using it up here in Alaska in living history survival training type manner....Using it for back woods treking and survival tasks...I did a small outing a few weeks ago in sub zero temps using a mix of original & repro British, American and German kit and it was far far more challenging then i could have expected. Im use to using current up to date modern kit out in the bush here in Alaska and the old kit posed a fantastic (& dangerous) challenge i really enjoyed. Especially when i was in the sub zero (F) weather in a few feet of snow...

 

I want to get everything down to a period existance. Everything from fishing line to containers to store items to protect them from the weather....Iv ebeen finding loads of post war US kit and some Canadian/British kit too but i suspect ill try to get all period US kit in time...

 

Th best bit of kit i had were the Repro 1944 smock and the repro M43 wool cap...The outter 1950 Denison trousers protected me from the wind and cold perfectly up there..

NICE one man, do please keep us up to date on yer goings :thumbsup:

 

Guiles, just saw yer post, the packboard and gear ain't mines,but the 10in1 box is!! So are ye coming to visit us now ye got spare time or wot??

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:thumbsup:

 

Ye'll have to watch to very near the end to see O'Niel, and it's only breif, but I'm sure ye'll find more in the other films listed...

 

As ye said earlier Phil, as someone comes at ye wi a knife screaming and angry, they have "lost it" and controlled agression is the key...Just for a bit of entertainment, a show of, well, have a look:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hpf1YO26MBM...feature=related

 

Further to our chat this morning Phil, I think the Force wouldn't have managed to sneak up on a German sentry in the dark of night, slit his throat, and calmly leave a sticker on the body had he ran up screaming and shouting, the Force where taught stealth, and controlled agression...

 

Right guys, how about next week we get every conceivable brand new piece of kit a Forceman would have been issued and do a photoshoot?

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forcemanchris

A few years ago we helped out with some filming, we have had the honour of been ask again on a few accasions, here are a few photo's

 

film00.jpg

 

film.jpg

 

film6.jpg

 

film5.jpg

 

film3.jpg

 

film4.jpg

 

film7.jpg

 

film9.jpg

 

film8.jpg

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