“It’s a funny old hobby.” I was once told by a smiling old gentleman when I first became a re-enactor, “You dress up, pretend to wage war, but you have no idea what it was really like for us.” It was at this point my senses became a little more than acute as he began his tale of being drafted into the British Army and his effective entrance into the war as an infantryman. His tale spurred something in me far deeper than I had actually realised at the time, here I was, cigarette in mouth, sporting the finest repro uniform, very eager to help in my chosen group. Yet these comments alone, inspired me to delve deeper into myself as to why exactly I had chosen this hobby.
Was it to glorify war? That was I openly admit an attraction back in my early days as a re-enactor, remembering how excited I was to wield a blank firing sub-machine gun, crawl through the undergrowth, and surprise the enemy, on many occasions I witnessed true surprise as I emptied a full clip in the general direction of a completely unsuspecting patrol. However all of this is make believe, we don’t really know what it was like, and (I do mean those re-enactors never to have had actual combat experience.)
Did I re-enact to fulfil some crazy fantasy? My parents and loved ones all thought I was a sandwich short of a picnic, my closest friends really did think I had lost the plot. A deep down searching mission was once again born and I just wanted to find out as much information as I could about my chosen portrayal, after all if you want to truly learn as much as you can, you literally jump off at the deep end and experience as much as you can about the subject. Nothing better I thought than to actually immerse myself so deep in something that interested me, so I chose to re-enact.
The Veteran I had been speaking to, was plain speaking and hit some chords in me that I had chosen perhaps to hide, when I first embarked on portraying history to the masses, dressed as a soldier!
As the years passed my involvement in my chosen group grew, and my enthusiasm did not stop there, I was transfixed, on learning more, I had met some great people on my journey, those interested in nothing other than what calibre a rifle was, those who knew how many stitches should be in a tunic and those who were like me, enthralled at the sheer excitement of doing something so completely different to thirst our quest for knowledge on all things WW2.
I do know that the media tries to catch this community out, somehow portraying us as something as an oddity. Various programmes have been televised singling out segments of our community, the obvious Axis powers, is I believe only out of failing producers, seriously in need of attracting audiences from otherwise failed documentaries, and run of the mill, donkey fodder programming.
Some of the general public that attend the shows we display at, can be a ladleful, testing us on our knowledge and trying to catch us out, and lastly our parents and close relatives always in aghast at our pursuit of bringing WWII to life. Well In my case anyway!
So what is your rationale behind this extremely colourful and vast ranging hobby? I know mine, although admittedly it took me a while to work it out, I simply want others to remember what sacrifices others made so we can live in a peaceful and united existence and show to others that ‘dressing up’ is more than a hobby, its deeper than that, everybody I have met has a different reason, perspective and outlook on why they do it.
If you are looking to be a re-enactor, my advice, jump in, there are more than enough groups on the circuit to choose from, get yourself to an event and speak to the many souls that dedicate themselves to re-living the past during WWII.
And next time you see a Veteran, give him all the time that, that day allows, as you may just surprise yourself.
Images copyright Edon Publishing Ltd 2011
Group Featured Spirit Of Britain
Words Stuart Humphrey
