End of year report and photos..

It seems like only a couple of weeks have gone by since I wrote the end of year report for the group on 23 December 2008. It’s hard to believe it’s actually been nearly a year.
Looking back on the year, we seemed to have packed in so much in so little time. I think that this year we have participated in so many events, more than any other year. Some were pre-planned and others we decided to do at the last minute. I think experience the group has gained allows us to choose which events we like to support again and again, enabling us to better plan for our impressions. For 2010 we have a full planned diary, but I have no doubt that we’ll be seen at other events , yet to be arranged.
2009 saw us a recruit a number of new full paid up members, and own GI44-45 forum has seen a massive increase in forum members and visits from across the world. Visits not just from the United Kingdom, but interest globally, from a diverse range of countries like Brazil, Ukraine and Australia to name but a few.
In the last month alone, we have had 1,602 visits, from 252 absolutely unique visitors. Nearly 50 percent of these visits have been direct traffic and nearly 50 percent have been due to referring sites.
Although a smaller group in comparison with others (we have about 15 members), this has had no effect on the quality of what we do, or can offer to those that want to see a realistic impression of the WW2 GI.
In fact the thing that I like about being part of GI44-45 is that we are not unit specific; 3 years have given us expert darning skills, in that we are happy to rebadge to suit an impression!! 2009, saw us recreate the 101st Airborne and 82nd Airborne Divisions, the 1st, 3rd and 94th, Infantry Divisions to name but a few.
I believe that this can be attractive to those that do not wish to solely recreate one impression. Because we aspire to paying homage to the Citizen soldier of WW2 , the average GI Joe. Our aims are simple-
1. To organise and attend various WW2 re-enactment events.
2. To engage in high quality Living history.
3. To educate the Public.
4. To keep alive the memory of all those who made sacrifices during WW2. to organize and attend various WW2 reenactments, engage in high quality living history, educate the public
Whilst also expanding in numbers, we have also expanded on our range of Kit. 2009 saw the group add a Jeep, tents, a blank-firing 60mm mortar, Field Kitchen and a C47 fuselage (!!) to our stock of kit, all of which will no doubt be utilised in 2010.
Testimony to our reputation is that now we no longer always have to ask to attend an event; 2009 saw us being approached by Organisations, Town councils and living history groups to participate in events. I hope that this may long continue , especially working with other groups, which I always enjoy.

So what did 2009 see us do?
In February, we walked in the footsteps of the 82nd Airborne in Belgium






Also in February, group members featured in the History Channel ‘s “Generals at War”, all about the Battle of the Bulge.






March saw us at Chiltern Open Air Museum (COAM)



April saw us at Lincolnsfield Childrens centre , Bushey, Herts



May saw the group divided, with members displaying both at Gunpowder Mills with FSSF as 3rd Infantry and East Kirkby as 82nd Airborne





















In May we displayed at the Bunker Bash



In June as with many other living historians we made our way to Normandy..



With Betsy Matthes and her son. Betsy is the daughter of Edwin Ostberg, shot at Chef du Pont.



June also Saw us attending Trowbridge in Wiltshire as part of the Armed forces weekend celebrations.




Some of the veterans


Able Seaman Roland Smith, who served with the Royal Navy on LCT 549. We got talking to this lovely old man, when he noticed I had chalked on the jeep “LCT 498”. It turned out that he had crewed LCT 549 from about 1942 through to the wars’ end. He spent most of the time in Italy and recalls watching at Montgomery bollock Mark Clark with regard to some poor tactical decisions.






“Churchill” also turned up, and we were asked to chaperone him around the event and Trowbridge Town.



In July members attended Beltring and In August we attended Peak Rail, with our other small pice of kit-the Bofors gun!!
















Also in August some of made our way to Rougham airfield, Suffolk..





















In September. The victory show...






















And last Major Public show of the year, Skegness




Whose hands are being held in the backgound?
Rizla and Tex?






October and our Tactical at Fort Amherst, Chatham-always enjoyable
Getting up at Dark O’clock- sentry duty at the Forts Gates from 04.45...





Guarding the allied CP..




“We are completely surrounded”


Fresh troops arrive






Captured German receives fair treatment..






November and a Unique chance to display at a prison!!







Also in November we attended Malvern to sell all our surplus kit, ready for the 2010 season!!!



Finally, at the end of November we were back at Bushey, Herts for our AGM and a Little photo shoot
The Gusville saloon “somewhere in Europe”













So thats it. The 2009 season draws to a close for us, with one small visit planned for the end of December , I’m now looking forward to our 2010 events.

wow seems like only yesterday,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,what a year, roll on 2010.

rizla

Good report Paul I just read it on the WWII forum. Thanks for posting.

Cheers,
Chris.

Yes, great indeed Paul. I think it's certainly a great portfolio for the group. I've just sent you a PM, by the way!

Cheers,
Ben.

Wow we did all, I can't beleave it!

Well done lads! Hears to 2010!

Cracking report and pics. well done, roll on 2010!

excellent report and photo's very enjoyable only 2 terms left roll on 2010

first class presentation well done im proud to be a member of gi44-45 with a great bunch of guys i will hopefully see some of you over the coming year.

Hey, I saw your chicken cage from the 94th Div event. I can't get that style chicken wire over here--is it available in England or rare there too? I have a buddy with chickens and he said he'd loan me one for events, figured I'd make a cage like that.

BradLaGrange

Ringneck wrote:Hey, I saw your chicken cage from the 94th Div event. I can't get that style chicken wire over here--is it available in England or rare there too? I have a buddy with chickens and he said he'd loan me one for events, figured I'd make a cage like that.

BradLaGrange

It's quite common I think Brad, if JC does not have any spare I'll look into it for you. BTW if we put a live chicken in there we would have the Animal Welfare Militia onto us!

I have a small roll spare. Want me to ship it over? Surely the land of opportunity has chicken wire!???

Johnny: Nope, I can own a machinegun or a 500HP sedan but no proper chicken wire. Yeah, it's weird but we don't have that same style of chickenwire. Ours is a much smaller mesh. Maybe our rarified frontier atmosphere breeds poultry with a wanderlust or something. And accoring to "experts" over here our chickenwire wasn't available at all in Europe during WWII.

I like your chicken coup idea alot. I noticed at our displays people would be fascinated not by anything we had, but things like us eating out of cans. So recently I remembered that, and your chicken coup photo after being discouraged by the prices for a 60 or 81mm mortar set up(2-5K$$!!!!!). I figured a little one hen coup, a mess kit bottom with some water in it for it to drink, and a chicken would draw in the crowds.

No rush on it, but what would you want to ship some over to Louisville Kentucky USA 40218?

Thats ashamed you all couldn't have a live one. But those animal welfare people can cross the line sometimes. I live in the city with the headquarters for Kentucky Fried Chicken is and there are TONS of protests and billboards put up against KFC. Gets really crazy. They had a good one awhile back in the summer..... They hired some scantily clad women to hand out veggie hotdogs down-town. Had traffic tied up for HOURS. Was pretty funny though.

How'd you guys end up selecting the 94th Division? They and the 66th are two I study alot because of their mission surrounding the Kraut holdouts on the French coast.

BradLaGrange

I think Ben might be able to answer the 94th Question?

Brad, pm your address and I'll post some over. By the way, the chicken and eggs, were inspired by Battleground..

Johnny--Will do. Thanks! How about you wait a couple weeks (next paycheck) and I'll pay you man. Can't just take it off you. You all hunting for anything?

BradLaGrange

Yeah, Van Johnson and the eggs are one of the greatest war movie running gags. My dad used to crack up about poor Holley trying to protect, then cook, those damn eggs. Classic.

BradLaGrange