INCOMING!! 4th Infantry at the Hurtgen (aka Bunker Bash May 2012)

To wet your appetites. Cheers for filming this Chris.

A bit wobbly in places. Bloody public
BTW who threw that cardboard tube

Cheers,
Chris

Nice one chaps ! Really like the speech !
Looking forward to be back in operation !

Cheers

Pat

Great work guys, can't wait to see the photos.

Hats off to you guys, that display looks awesome. Love the snow effect, uniforms/kit spot on. Interactive displays are the way to go!

Very good! Cheers for filming it Chris.

Really made a difference with Ben answering the field phone and being really vocal with the firing order and liked Andy keeping busy in the background and with the Ammo run. Makes things a bit more interesting for Joe Public watching.

Oscars all round, ha ha!!!!

Well done all!!!!


Dan

That doesn't look too bad at all! Shame about the dodgy cameraman!

Thanks to all involved,
Ben.

Looking good! Really enjoyed it.

Dixie

Great video guys, cheers for filming that Chris.

I think the cardboard tube came from the badger Dan tried to smoke on Saturday certainly not me

On 19th and 20th May 2012, GI44-45 had the chance to portray one of our favoured units, the 4th Infantry Division at the Not-so-secret Nuclear Bunker site at Kelvedon, Essex. Our intent was to represent a mortar squad of the 22nd Infantry Regiment of the 4th Infantry Division on the front line of the Hurtgen forest on North West Germany in November 1944.

A few months earlier we had prepared most of the site and ground work, which just left some work to be completed on the Friday, to try and recreate an early winter impression in May is no easy task and thanks to the artistic skills of Private Dan O’Dwyer, we managed to add the finishing touches of early morning frost to our display.

With the display sorted it was necessary to present ourselves as a unit that was on the front line of the “Death factory”, where survival rates were pretty low. No pristine uniforms for us; get down and dirty was our brief, in order to endeavour to create the correct impression. Mixed in with this were those fresh in from the Repple-Depple who were in for a learn fast or suffer the consequences experience.

The following photos tell the story…

A lull in the fighting, these GI’s take time out at Murphy’s Mansion, named after M.I.A Corporal Patrick “Murph” Murphy of Boston, to read a few issues of our group magazine “strictly GI44-45”


Private Dan O’Dwyer contemplating his chances of survival on the front line..


Private Tony “Merrell” Maddison of Nebraska, calls in to the rear echelon for news regarding his transfer to the Signal Corps..


Sgt Ben Murphy, looks out beyond the line, as the squad puts out a few 60mm rounds..


Not only was he a warm up act for Frank Sinatra just before he enlisted, but Dan O’Dwyer is a keen player of the Harmonica. Pvts Chris Major of Boston, and Tony “Merrell” Maddison, enjoy the sounds from stateside


Life in a mortar pit, during a quiet moment..





Sgt Ben Major and Pvt Tony “Merrell” Madison, get to meet Andy “Dixie” Dean, of Chattanooga, newly arrived from the Repple-Depple


Time for some chow, even life on the front line has its highlights.



After chow, S/Sgt Costino gives the guys some good news; he’s been saving his last few smokes and it’s time to enjoy them!


The “smokes” smoked, and the fun over, Corporal Sam “Tyler” Harris of Harrisburg, PA contemplates the reality of his chances of survival whilst being on a front line in Germany.


Pvt Dan O’Dwyer offers him some words of wisdom.


Some respite from seemingly being the only troops at the front comes in the form of the arrival of some armoured support..(Albeit from an earlier time period!)



With the arrival of fresh troops and support it gives time for the boys from GI44-45 to rest up again in “Murphy’s Mansion” as they wait for transport to the rear for R and R, and to recover from their time in the Death factory.




To see any more of the photos from this event “Tab” on any photo. “Bunkerbash” is one of my favourite events as it has the most accommodating of hosts. Thanks go, once again to Ian Bridge and Lee for helping us with our display.

Excellent stuff Paul and very nicely put together with your photos too. Brilliant!!!!!

I'll get my 'letter to back home' done soon to go with your report for the next issue of the mag.


Dan.

Dantheman wrote:Excellent stuff Paul and very nicely put together with your photos too. Brilliant!!!!!

I'll get my 'letter to back home' done soon to go with your report for the next issue of the mag.


Dan.

Cheers Buddy- the photos can do the talkin'!

Great work Paul, some really awesome looking photos, we really do look tired, exhausted and fed up.

Nice photo's and report Paul, thanks for posting.

Chris.

Hi Paul,

Thanks for taking the time to put together the report and add those great photographs. I must say that the display looks great and the pictures came out really well!

Thanks,
Ben.

Agree with that Ben the pics have come out very well!

Top job!

Ditto to all the above, great stuff all round.

Here's my letter home to the Wife and Kids, to be included in the next edition of Strictly GI 44-45 as part of the show report -


13th December 1944

Hi Babe,

I hope you and the kids are doing swell...

I know its been a while since my last letter to you. Things have been pretty tough of late. We’ve been posted to some place called The Hurtgen Forest, just inside Germany, we call it the death factory, I think that says it all… It’s wet, cold and scary as anything I can remember. War is hell, that’s for sure.

Please don’t worry. I’m with some good guys and I’ve been lucky, we look out for each other like brothers. Since getting here guys have come and gone and come and gone again, it’s been pretty tough but we’re keeping on going, hoping that with every day of this god awful war we’ll be a day nearer to coming home.

Thank God yesterday they pulled us off the line after 18 days of it. We’d taken a real hammering so for once common sense prevailed and the powers that be decided they were gonna let some other poor bunch of guys take their turn. Good luck to them, they’re gonna need it! Hopefully we’ll get some rest now and a chance to relax a bit (Ha Ha!).

Looks like I’m gonna miss young Luke’s birthday again this year? Boy, I bet he’s really growing up fast? Being away from home for so long really makes you appreciate what we’ve got together and the freedom we have. Word is from division that now we’re in Germany things will be over soon. I can only hope that’s the case. I miss you all so very much and can’t wait to get home to see you all again.

Take care babe, with all my love,


Dan.

Nice one.

That's good Dan

Dixie

Nice pics guys, really gutted I couldn't get to this one.. anyway see you all soon

Hi guys,
Great film, great pics and great letter (although I don't think I'd tell my partner in a letter home I was in a death factory but I know it was just to set the scene).
It really was a good event and thanks to all for the effort put in to make it a success.

Regards
Tom