Following on from Henry's post on the Hop Farm Music festival.
I understand that there are a few WW1 and WW2 history buffs on here. My Military Store has a stand at the War and Peace show at the Hop Farm, if anyone from here is coming to the show, come to stand/tent H31 where there will be beer, wine and a warm welcome waiting.
If you have not been to the War and Peace show, it is the bigest military show in the world, loads going on in the arenas, WW2 veterns to meet and some good bands on in the day and evening, oh and you can buy stuff too!
My site
War and Peace official site.
http://www.thewarandpeaceshow.com/
Comments
The strangest event i have been to, weirdos dressed up in Nazi uniforms surveying the scene like Generals, people digging trenches with sand bags and camaflage, big kids playing at war, i think its action man gone to far.
One bloke had a submarine turrett in the middle of a field that he would climb whilst dressed in the full kit and survey the scene with a telscope - nuts.
I'd like to point out that i was camping there with friends and we didnt realise this event existed until we turned up, 48hours of tanks and half tracks trundling around our tents was not what we expected but it did add to the weekend's entertainment.
Some bizarre stuff to be bought in the surplus tents as long as you dont take it too seriously.
JSS - Yes it can be a little..er.. 'different'. The reinactors are not my cup of tea, each to their own, but I understand the Living Historians, they provide a visual experience as a learning platform for kids to understand part of the history of our country. A lot of the Living Historians are History teachers and give up their time for this event. I have also heard rumours that people attend football matches wearing the football shirts of the teams they support, and to cap it all they never get a game they just watch, strange don't you think? ;o)
Seriously, the W+P show is a celebration to the veterans all all conflicts and a massive amount of money is raised for numourous charities including Help for Heroes, the vets are treated like superstars (quite rightly) and they get a chance to meet up with old comrades and become young men again.
And the bizarre stuff for sale, some of it is worth a bloody fortune, crazy but true!
Not a dig at you Off_it!
I have often wondered at the wisdom of wanting to dress up as the losers! And thats without getting into what Nazism stands for!
Oh well, live and let live...er...I think!
Hi Greenie
As an aside where did you get the Totenkopfring from? As you know these are very rare and were usually taken from dead SS soldiers and returned to Himmler's castle at Wewelsburg. I think only a few hundred are known to have survived the war. Orginially these had to be won - by achieving some feat of bravery, although later in the war they were dispensed a bit more freely.
Mike, Yes just seen his picture, good one!
Most of our items are bought at Auction, although we do buy complete collections from time to time. The deactivated weapons are bought from firearms dealers and we have to but in bulk so as to offer good retails prices.
The deaths head ring was bought at a militaria auction, you are correct fewer than 5000 were presented for bravery, however later in the war they were awarded more freely.Because they were issued to all and sundry by wars end they are not as rare as you may think, but they are profusely copied (hard to spot, but if you know what you are looking for) and the well worn ones sell better and as long as they are inscribed they fetch bigger sums.
Its a sad state of affairs, to my mind, but the Nazi memorabilia sells faster and commands more money than the allies gear!
Some German helmets fetch 5 figures, utter madness!
I just Googled Zulu Script and found on about the third click, the full one was hard going finding your quotes but if you google "Right, nobody told you to stop working, zulu" it takes you straight to it on Wiki