My father was a paratrooper for most of his 32 years service, 14 with the Parachute Regt and the rest with CDN Airborne. He retired in England. One weekend he went to some reenactment event close to home and there was a guy in his Para kit. Dad looked him over and then went to work fixing his kit all while explaining each piece. By the time he had finished quite a crowd had gathered to hear this first hand account from someone who had trained and fought as a Para.
A true reenactor will appreciate the help in getting it right. I learn tons from WW2 vets whenever I meet them, and it helps make for a much more accurate impression.
@@popuptarget7386 Depending entirely upon what era the reenactor is depicting/what battle as well as who they are portraying (Replacement, Vet, etc.) as well as what unit they are portraying specifically and what information/equipment they would have had at that time as well as how much experience they would have had with their equipment etc. The information is always fantastic, however assuming he served in the Paras in WWII he still served for many years after and learned and acquired many new things as a result, so as much as the knowledge and interaction with a vet is always fantastic and I provide them with the utmost respect, their assessment of my equipment isn't always exactly what I'm looking for, though I always appreciate their kind and joking words nonetheless.
As a former paratrooper during the Vietnam-era I can tell you that it is very hard to keep things attached to you when making a parachute jump. When you exit the door you are in a momentary mini-tornado. Anything that can come loose is going to be gone. That includes your entire helmet. We don’t want things to interfere with an opening canopy or deploying a reserve. Carrying things over your shoulders, across your chest or in your hands when jumping is not realistic. Attaching things to your helmet is not the norm. Just FYI.
I’m not into “let’s pretend” or “dress up” and have zero interest in reenacting. But to each their own and enjoy your hobby. I can only offer my experience gained through 35-40 parachute jumps in the 82nd Airborne and an Airborne Ranger company in a reserve component. Anything exposed on a parachutists body during a jump is apt to be lost. That includes helmets, boots, glasses and the human body itself. Anything loosely attached to a parachutist is fair game to airspeed and prop blast. Old WW 2 parachutes, I believe they were T-7s, were notoriously bad for opening shocks, meaning anything that could come free was leaving your body when the parachute opened. Parachutists are required to tighten the parachute harness so tightly that they cannot stand erect. This is done because nylon stretches under stress. The intent is to keep a soldier from coming out of his harness during the opening shock and descent. Regarding the first aid kit, the host of this video makes clear that it was not common to attach the kit to the helmet net. He does an excellent job in offering evidence regarding which units did this and when. Reviewing the video may be helpful to you if you are seeking to imitate the historical reality of a particular unit. And you have the added benefit of never experiencing an opening shock, so even if you are not historically accurate you can at least look the part. I can’t tell you what is fake. I dealt with reality regarding parachuting. And that is anything carried externally that can be lost by coming free from the jumper will be lost. By the way, the U.S. military is short handed and hiring. The timing is perfect for any reenactor who is considering stepping up and getting some personal experience on a battlefield. Nothing like a touch of realism to help an actor to portray his character.
Well let me educate you, this video pertains to WW2, not post vietnam or whatever you are. It pertains to reenacting, no one is interested in your views that have zero to do with the subject of the video. So why don't you fire up your time machine and go back to WW2 and tell those paratroopers they are fucked up and wrong. Many reenactors are prior service, including myself so keep your bullshit to yourself.@@rascal0175
@@xusmico187 NVGs are bolted onto NVG mounts, those are not coming off. He means anything that dangles or can become loose. NVGs are not one of those two things when screwed onto there mount system.
As others have pointed out, when you attach things before a jump....they tend to detach. That can include anything. 94-95 (I think) I made a jump. 1000-2000...at about 3000 I noticed something to my right. My Casio watch (love that watch) was floating next to me. I was able to grab it and hold it until after opening shock. Then I put it in my pocket and prepared to land. Still have that watch.
Great info. I'm not a reenactor, but I am a modeler and figure painter. BTW: Both my father and I wore airborne wings. We went through Benning exactly 30 years apart. He served in the 511th in the Pacific.
the US flag in the background is hung incorrectly. the field of blue always goes in the upper left corner, no matter if the flag is hung landscape or portrait.
No. This SOP changes with the wind, causing needless arguments. Administrators created the doublethink flag in 2002 to mimic flagpole on a sleeve... which contradicts natural logic of printing and symbol identification. The RULE for ALL flags is: Make it look right, turn 90 degrees.
he way to remember how the US Flag is hung, is that the Field of Blue is always on its own Right, unless it is on a coffin, then the Field of Blue is over the heart, which 99.9% of the time, is its own left.
@@danielhurst8863 coffin flags are idiot proof... literally have "Down Side" printed on the ends, between the eyelets. Or at least that's how they arrived at the funeral home. It was my "kids job" to run them through the laundry to get out the starch from shipping. Saw "Down Side" printed at both ends and had to ask...
It blows my mind that a tourniquet was considered specialist equipment back then. These days, I don't go out in the woods without three of them and a bunch of hemostat.
Ahhh, but back then folks were accustomed to getting dings and dents on a regular basis. The tourniquet would have been specialized equipment, as the average bloke carrying one wouldn't have been around for WW1 xp gains. The most you're average person would have seen would have been from an accident, and then it'd normally be a leather belt or boot laces and a stick instead of a purpose made tourniquet.
There's been a lot of training to raise public awareness of how to use them since then. Whenever I go through any con-ed that involves tourniquets, they always make mention of the history of them and how far we've come in regards to their use.
@@will-i-am-notbrother. Getting shot and bleeding out is very dangerous. Tourniquets save lives. Just don't give them to Karen to use on her kids lol 😂😂😂
Fantastic content and love that I want to listen to your material vs other creators who turn me off just by how they present themselves. The photos I especially enjoyed due to they were clear shots and not just a guess if they actually did that.
Thank you so much! the photos are absolutely. By using photos of your regiment that were taken at the time you are trying to represent in your impression, you will never be wrong! Remember, always best to represent the "rule" not the exception! See you on the drop zone!
Thanks a ton! Have decades worth of research coupled with a lot of "field experience" in reenacting that I hope will benefit others and help them honor our vets by "getting it right." See you on the drop zone!
Thanks so much. Have spent decades researching WWII (particularly paratroopers) and want to use that knowledge to help others honor our vets by "getting it right." See you on the dropzone!
Another veteran chiming in. To add to what @rascal0175 said, although I never jumped, I did spend several years deployed in combat zones. When it comes to wearing gear, yes there are unit SOPs, however, many men will wear gear in a way that is functional and practical, which does some times conflict with SOPs and even photographic evidence. I also do reenacting, or used to before my back finally said "you're done," and my rule of thumb was always this: "Does it make sense or do you just think it looks cool?" If the answer is "yeah this makes sense" then great, but if the answer "no I just think it looks cool" then it's probably a hard no. The one caveat to that being, not everything done in the military makes sense, is functional, or even practical. I would also tell people, especially when it comes to World War 2 and later, look at combat film footage, over pictures. Pictures are often staged, even today. Nobody has time to adjust anything in combat footage.
My maternal uncle was 17th Airborne and I have seen two photos of him during Varsity and he is not wearing a first aid kit in either photo. In fact he's wearing a different helmet in the second then he was in the first. I'm sure there is a story there but it died with him.
I came here to flame you up for being a pedantic jerk. But I decided to listen first. You convinced me. Excellent presentation, and good work rapidly dispelling the very reason I wanted to gripe. Well done.
Just a quick aside, there’s a photo of a 506 trooper wearing a helmet mounted FAK in Normandy in the book “Curahee” by Donald Burgett. It is the outlier but it did happen in Normandy.
@@Indylimburg From memory that applies if the flag is hung somewhere that you can see from both sides. If it's flat to a wall aand only visible from one side, the N/S or E/W alignment doesn't matter. In a window it'd be treated as being seen from outside the building, so I guess the flag could be covering a window to make a more consistent video space?
In BoB HBO tv series I noticed the US Paratroopers wore these dark brown shoulder pads attached to their 1936 Combat suspenders. What ere these made of? Were they exclusive to paratroopers and used during the D-Day landings only? Were they later ditched? Are there any reenactment vendors that make them?
That is the plan. I hope to have videos that describe in detail all the products I sell on my website as well as a ton of content videos that really get into the weeds on the details of what our WWII vets went through. If there is anything specific you want to see details on, let me know.
I really want to get into WW2 reenacting as a marine since I’m currently a marine. Where’s the best places to get gear like original gear or remade gear?
was reading that memo at 4:04 ,item j ,not wearing combat boots. parachute boots may be worn while in reserve etc etc. They had two set of boots? ,never knew that I thought they fought in the boots they jumped in with
@@rickyspanish9002 It does look like a memo for holding a inspection as the memo is cut off its hard to get what context its suppose to be but meaning while in reserve and but 5th day all should be in combat boots.but hard to tell while I do not think they jumped carrying 2 sets of boots Im guessing that maybe the other set(combat boots?) were in their gear that came up later.then again I may be just reading into something from a memo written 80 years ago
They definitely only had one pair of boots in the field, so yes the fought in the boots they jumped in, however they would have had a second pair of boots in their footlocker that would have been kept in the rear, in this case it sounds like the second pair of boots were not jumpboots.
Question? There is a famous photo of Gen. Eisenhower visiting the 101st Abn before DDay, now why did the paratroopers have this white cloth tied to their left shoulder at the epaulette?
I think when I saw these as a kid I just assumed they were goggles or something similar. Given they’re not goggle shaped I probably wasn’t paying much attention. But still, it’s good to finally know what they are!
I can see how some would wear it out the door, just in case they hit their head going out of the plane... Later on, I could see it putting somewhere else.
Reading through the order you poated from the 501st it sems to be instructions for an inspection rather than banning the first aid kit from being tied to the helmet during jumps. If anything it shows the 501st was tying 1sr aid kits to their helmets and swnior leadership didnt like the lok of it while in garrison
Only for you Ginger Beers who need directions just to navigate from the Boozer to the Mess for lunch unless they have an Assault Pioneer or Medic to lead them! 😂 #019PioneersBuiltTheFFEBA #DutyAndHonour #FactaProbant #031FetchStarlight (Psst you're correct but I'd never tell a Sapper that) 😉
Mehhhh honor our vets eh? Spend much time at your local VA volunteering? Doubt it. While it's irritating when a bunch if posers wear our uniforms and gear wrong it doesn't really honor vets by wearing the stuff in the first place. Especially when they start wearing awards they didn't earn like medals, jump wings, CIBs, CMBs, etc..
@rascal0175 has been there, seen it & owns the t-shirt. Anyone arguing should read his response again. If it was SOP for certain units to do something but only around 80% of the guys in the pics have it...then I guess 20% lost it in the jump! As I said , he's been there & done it for real. You need to understand his point about re-enactment....you can have first hand experience rather than second guess. But if you're not going to serve, then listen to the experiencef a man who knows!
Not a reenactor- or even airborne myself, but am a modeler and wargamer. Currenty modeling my dad's outfit for Normandy: 1/507th. Based upon what you are saying, sounds like I have to remove those aide kits from the models, right?
Typical military units. In one unit, you are in trouble if you don't have your first aid kit on their helmet. In the next unit, you are in trouble if you have your first aid kit on their helmet.
It helps to understand what drives the person giving the order. Whilst it frustrates subordinates and is viewed from outside units as stupid; especially that we are not all on the same page, there can be things the Commander knows or has experienced that drive the orders issued.
@@BeardedChieftain True. Unfortunately, it is rare that a commander explains why the order is being implemented. Usually, it's "This is the way we do it. Don't question it".
@@PegasusB actually, we all did. "Drill instills instinctive obedience to the spoken command". If one refuses to obey drill commands, one will soon find themselves unemployed. We are also taught about "unlawful" commands. That is often where the confusion stems from when one uses your argument. However, our training in the West is actually quiet complicated and does include instinctive obedience as well as exercising initiative. We were brainwashed quite cleverly as it happens and most of that brainwashing was done by ourselves through NLP.
Don't know for sure, but as a US combat Veteran and Para, I'd guess that they wanted others to know exactly where their tourniquet, Morphine and bandage were located- just in case. Even medics didn't carry that much gear- so what each man had was important.
That would have been general Gavin, he was under orders to defend the heights, and he still captured the bridge before the Brit’s showed up… but sure keep bashing the Americans for market gardens failure… (the British plan sucked)
@@freduinst4333Sorry, i bungled my generals. I'm in no way bashing noone, it was mostly comedic in nature. The plan was "overly optimistic", yes. But by how it unfolded it was still at least somewhat recovelable, if not for the hold up at Nijmegen. Now, was it ultimately Browning's (brit) or Gavin's (yank) fuck up to prioritise the heights? I honestly don't know, noone really does. each side says it's not their fault, like they always do. Also, there's brits and there's brits. Monty and Browning were twats and there's no argument there. Just look at how they sacked Sosabowski for being "uncooperative" You're factualy wrong about the timeline though, 82nd didn't capture the bridge before brits arriving. Who gave them the dinghys (for a heroic charge i might add, in no way i'm not appreciative of the american effort)? There was also tank fire support and british sappers in that crossing. Brits weren't behind schedule before Nijmegen (they lost time at the blown up Son bridge but regained it thanks to US firmly holding the road). They lost time AT Nijmegen. first units of XXX corps arrived on day 3. The bridge was taken on day 4 and british infantry got stuck fighting in Nijmegen throughout the night. Meanwhile Frost and his remnants holding the Arnhem bridge fell on day 5. Could they be reached in time? Maybe, maybe not. Could tanks move on leaving infantry behind? Maybe, but maybe they would be slaughtered. It's definitely against doctrine, but so was not using the element of suprise in taking the bridge, their main purpose of being there. It flew counter to the whole idea of the operation and the specific strengths and weaknesses of paratrooper units. My take it that it simply got lost in the rushed planning.They got the (false) reports of Reichwald tanks, so they strengthened the defense, it's just that they took troops away from the wrong objective. mistakes happen, it's just that this one was fatal. Also, it's not like brits didn't also colosally fuck up with landing so far away from Arnhem because of RAF's bullshit.
@@stevenphilpott4294it’s a 48-star, and I’d assume it’s specifically there to stick to the WWII-era. I believe the flag code came in post-war, if not very late war.
I would think The More Important Topic. To get out to the Reinactors. Would be the placement of the proverbial Parachute and the " Rigging" of said Parachute. The importance of not having Reinactor Riggers.of course who would be more qualified to pack Reinactor parachutes for Reinactor Paratroopers Then the above mentioned Reinactor Rigger's Glory Glory What a Hell Of A Way To Die .
In Iraq we would make guys with allergies write it on their helmet and boots in red sharpie. Wonder if they did anything similar in WW2. Kinda doubt it as morphine use was very very encouraged for pain management
Putting that on a helmet and then going out the door is going to be pretty rough on the neck. Even with the jump pad and straps, the Kevlar would catch enough wind all on it's own. All the Way!
"Yes some paratroopers did wear them on their helmets". Okay. Settled. Wear them if you want. Stop making rules to such small things that literally don't need any rules made up for. This is beyond knitpicking. My great uncle was a lineman in the signal corps and I have photos of him with his M1942 pouch behind his helmet netting, I'm assuming because of the tools he carried. If him being a simple lineman personalized how he wore his gear, then who cares about pouch placement? Look at the guys in Vietnam and Iraqi freedom, their webbing/body armor was almost all personalized. If there's photo evidence of them doing it, then do it. It's impossible to know who did what, and who didn't do what. Paratroopers were especially well known for, and encouraged to personalize their kit so that it worked for them.
You: “Yes some paratroopers wore it on their helmet…” Me: Oh…so why does this video exist? You: I wanted to gatekeep the hobby, and I hadn’t “actually’d” anyone in a while.
Lol UA-camr's who think they know something. So typical, all they do is display their ignorance to those that know. Better to be a has been, than a never was reenactor!
@@rickyspanish9002 I'm an old paratrooper. Run into them all the time. They always like to show off their knowledge. Not aware that they do not know what they do not know. I just smile & laugh & walk away. No point in giving details only those that have been there, know. They con a lot of people into believing they actually served, or made it through training. Those of us who have been there, figure out their game pretty fast. It is really astounding how many try conning people. They either did not have what it takes, not making it through training. Or, never had the balls to try it in the first place. Always, be suspicious when someone tells you they have been in an elite unit.
@@SinOjOs-Transport @SinOjosWeb After the service (medic in an infantry unit, nothing fancy but I have my CMB) I worked for DAV for 4 or 5 years. Went through thousands of DD-214. Wasn't unusual to have appointments with 5 or 6 vets in a day, so I'm not exaggerating how many 214s I've handled. Never once saw a UDT/seal on a 214 (have only ever met 1 legit SEAL) probably saw less than 20 guys who had SF qual on their 214s. Maybe another 20 who were in Ranger Batt, and maybe 30 or so who were Recon Marines. Probably 5% or so of vets we worked with had airborne wings, maybe 10% had CIBs, CMBs, CABs, or CARs. Maybe 15-20 Silver Stars over the years. So like you said, most guys you talk to are full of it. Its usually not hard to figure out tho, although there are some exceptions, not everyone fits into the mold. Reenactors are an odd lot. I did ww2 reenacting when I was a kid, my scout leader was into it and as a kid it was alot of fun and learned alot, but after getting out of the military I was done with it. So many posers and jokers, exactly like you said, guys who don't know what they don't know. Who think playing dress up cowboys and Indians on the weekends is what the real military is like because they obsess over the details of the uniform or whatever. Its a complete joke. The MOST INSULTING to me is the reenactors who wear awards like jump wings, Combat Infantry Badges, and Combat Medic Badges, etc., but didn't serve a day in uniform.. There always the ones who like to claim they reenact to "honor the vets" but they're sure comfortable slapping us in the face by wearing our awards we had to earn through blood sweat and tears.. its pathetic.
I don’t mind it. I view the word parody as meaning parody, impression meaning impression, and portrayal being portrayal. LOL! Although I do agree portrayal PORTRAYS things as a facsimile, copy, similar. While Impression means how you first thought, or somethings outline pressed LOL! Parody is one of my favorite things though and it’s literally all around us in the modern age.
My father was a paratrooper for most of his 32 years service, 14 with the Parachute Regt and the rest with CDN Airborne. He retired in England. One weekend he went to some reenactment event close to home and there was a guy in his Para kit. Dad looked him over and then went to work fixing his kit all while explaining each piece. By the time he had finished quite a crowd had gathered to hear this first hand account from someone who had trained and fought as a Para.
A true reenactor will appreciate the help in getting it right. I learn tons from WW2 vets whenever I meet them, and it helps make for a much more accurate impression.
@@popuptarget7386 Depending entirely upon what era the reenactor is depicting/what battle as well as who they are portraying (Replacement, Vet, etc.) as well as what unit they are portraying specifically and what information/equipment they would have had at that time as well as how much experience they would have had with their equipment etc. The information is always fantastic, however assuming he served in the Paras in WWII he still served for many years after and learned and acquired many new things as a result, so as much as the knowledge and interaction with a vet is always fantastic and I provide them with the utmost respect, their assessment of my equipment isn't always exactly what I'm looking for, though I always appreciate their kind and joking words nonetheless.
Bro knows better than the guy that was there 😂😂😂😂 keyboard warrior @mikethemedicc
Probably the best part of the event for many of them. Meeting actual survivors who were there serving and learning from them.
As a former paratrooper during the Vietnam-era I can tell you that it is very hard to keep things attached to you when making a parachute jump. When you exit the door you are in a momentary mini-tornado. Anything that can come loose is going to be gone. That includes your entire helmet. We don’t want things to interfere with an opening canopy or deploying a reserve. Carrying things over your shoulders, across your chest or in your hands when jumping is not realistic. Attaching things to your helmet is not the norm. Just FYI.
So all these TO&E's and the photos were fake?
I’m not into “let’s pretend” or “dress up” and have zero interest in reenacting. But to each their own and enjoy your hobby. I can only offer my experience gained through 35-40 parachute jumps in the 82nd Airborne and an Airborne Ranger company in a reserve component.
Anything exposed on a parachutists body during a jump is apt to be lost. That includes helmets, boots, glasses and the human body itself. Anything loosely attached to a parachutist is fair game to airspeed and prop blast. Old WW 2 parachutes, I believe they were T-7s, were notoriously bad for opening shocks, meaning anything that could come free was leaving your body when the parachute opened.
Parachutists are required to tighten the parachute harness so tightly that they cannot stand erect. This is done because nylon stretches under stress. The intent is to keep a soldier from coming out of his harness during the opening shock and descent.
Regarding the first aid kit, the host of this video makes clear that it was not common to attach the kit to the helmet net. He does an excellent job in offering evidence regarding which units did this and when. Reviewing the video may be helpful to you if you are seeking to imitate the historical reality of a particular unit. And you have the added benefit of never experiencing an opening shock, so even if you are not historically accurate you can at least look the part.
I can’t tell you what is fake. I dealt with reality regarding parachuting. And that is anything carried externally that can be lost by coming free from the jumper will be lost.
By the way, the U.S. military is short handed and hiring. The timing is perfect for any reenactor who is considering stepping up and getting some personal experience on a battlefield. Nothing like a touch of realism to help an actor to portray his character.
Well let me educate you, this video pertains to WW2, not post vietnam or whatever you are. It pertains to reenacting, no one is interested in your views that have zero to do with the subject of the video. So why don't you fire up your time machine and go back to WW2 and tell those paratroopers they are fucked up and wrong. Many reenactors are prior service, including myself so keep your bullshit to yourself.@@rascal0175
SO SOCOM jumps w/NVGs ???
but the rules? he does not know how to hang a USA flag
@@xusmico187 NVGs are bolted onto NVG mounts, those are not coming off. He means anything that dangles or can become loose. NVGs are not one of those two things when screwed onto there mount system.
As others have pointed out, when you attach things before a jump....they tend to detach. That can include anything. 94-95 (I think) I made a jump. 1000-2000...at about 3000 I noticed something to my right. My Casio watch (love that watch) was floating next to me. I was able to grab it and hold it until after opening shock. Then I put it in my pocket and prepared to land. Still have that watch.
Haha that's an awesome story, thanks for sharing it
Great info. I'm not a reenactor, but I am a modeler and figure painter. BTW: Both my father and I wore airborne wings. We went through Benning exactly 30 years apart. He served in the 511th in the Pacific.
the US flag in the background is hung incorrectly. the field of blue always goes in the upper left corner, no matter if the flag is hung landscape or portrait.
You are very right. Was just informed about this the other day. Will be corrected for the next video
No. This SOP changes with the wind, causing needless arguments. Administrators created the doublethink flag in 2002 to mimic flagpole on a sleeve... which contradicts natural logic of printing and symbol identification. The RULE for ALL flags is: Make it look right, turn 90 degrees.
The flag code for wall display has been the same for longer than that.
he way to remember how the US Flag is hung, is that the Field of Blue is always on its own Right, unless it is on a coffin, then the Field of Blue is over the heart, which 99.9% of the time, is its own left.
@@danielhurst8863 coffin flags are idiot proof... literally have "Down Side" printed on the ends, between the eyelets. Or at least that's how they arrived at the funeral home. It was my "kids job" to run them through the laundry to get out the starch from shipping. Saw "Down Side" printed at both ends and had to ask...
It blows my mind that a tourniquet was considered specialist equipment back then. These days, I don't go out in the woods without three of them and a bunch of hemostat.
Tourniquets can be very dangerous unless used correctly, and it's better buying a combat issue type as used by UK paramedics.
Ahhh, but back then folks were accustomed to getting dings and dents on a regular basis. The tourniquet would have been specialized equipment, as the average bloke carrying one wouldn't have been around for WW1 xp gains. The most you're average person would have seen would have been from an accident, and then it'd normally be a leather belt or boot laces and a stick instead of a purpose made tourniquet.
There's been a lot of training to raise public awareness of how to use them since then. Whenever I go through any con-ed that involves tourniquets, they always make mention of the history of them and how far we've come in regards to their use.
Had to use a necktie as a tourniquet once. I would have given my right nut for actual equipment at the time it was very touch and go.
@@will-i-am-notbrother. Getting shot and bleeding out is very dangerous. Tourniquets save lives. Just don't give them to Karen to use on her kids lol 😂😂😂
Fantastic content and love that I want to listen to your material vs other creators who turn me off just by how they present themselves. The photos I especially enjoyed due to they were clear shots and not just a guess if they actually did that.
Thank you so much! the photos are absolutely. By using photos of your regiment that were taken at the time you are trying to represent in your impression, you will never be wrong! Remember, always best to represent the "rule" not the exception! See you on the drop zone!
This is thorough and informative down to the details. You’re the best out there!!!
Thanks a ton! Have decades worth of research coupled with a lot of "field experience" in reenacting that I hope will benefit others and help them honor our vets by "getting it right." See you on the drop zone!
Even At The Front has a “DDay Paratrooper” posing with a first aid pouch on his helmet.
My father was in the 501 PIR and I appreciate this information
the youtube algorithm has blessed me today. fantastic video!
Awesome! Thank you!
Excellent! Truly impressive amount of information, expertly researched
Thanks so much. Have spent decades researching WWII (particularly paratroopers) and want to use that knowledge to help others honor our vets by "getting it right." See you on the dropzone!
found a picture of a paratrooper who had a first aid kit on the canteen cover in normandy.
Another veteran chiming in. To add to what @rascal0175 said, although I never jumped, I did spend several years deployed in combat zones. When it comes to wearing gear, yes there are unit SOPs, however, many men will wear gear in a way that is functional and practical, which does some times conflict with SOPs and even photographic evidence. I also do reenacting, or used to before my back finally said "you're done," and my rule of thumb was always this: "Does it make sense or do you just think it looks cool?" If the answer is "yeah this makes sense" then great, but if the answer "no I just think it looks cool" then it's probably a hard no.
The one caveat to that being, not everything done in the military makes sense, is functional, or even practical. I would also tell people, especially when it comes to World War 2 and later, look at combat film footage, over pictures. Pictures are often staged, even today. Nobody has time to adjust anything in combat footage.
My maternal uncle was 17th Airborne and I have seen two photos of him during Varsity and he is not wearing a first aid kit in either photo. In fact he's wearing a different helmet in the second then he was in the first. I'm sure there is a story there but it died with him.
An uncle of mine as well. 513 PIR
I came here to flame you up for being a pedantic jerk. But I decided to listen first. You convinced me. Excellent presentation, and good work rapidly dispelling the very reason I wanted to gripe. Well done.
Just a quick aside, there’s a photo of a 506 trooper wearing a helmet mounted FAK in Normandy in the book “Curahee” by Donald Burgett. It is the outlier but it did happen in Normandy.
Cool video. Side note: your flag back there is backwards. Stars should be on the left side when hung vertically like that.👍
Unless the blue field is facing east or north. IIRC.
@@Indylimburg From memory that applies if the flag is hung somewhere that you can see from both sides. If it's flat to a wall aand only visible from one side, the N/S or E/W alignment doesn't matter.
In a window it'd be treated as being seen from outside the building, so I guess the flag could be covering a window to make a more consistent video space?
@@dreadlindwyrm That sounds right. Even the White House doesn't display the flag properly these days.
@@dreadlindwyrm You beat me to it.👍
The picture of the 501st paratrooper in Veghel was taken on 17 September 1944, not on the 19th.
I have no re-enactment desires and found this video fascinating!
Great Video man glad, great info
Your US flag is hung backwards, When hung vertically, stars on the left.
I was going to say the same. 🇺🇲
It should matter, but this country is woke, now, as in diverse to the extreme, with few WWII nostalgics.
touch grass
Unless the blue field is facing east or north IIRC.
That's if it's outdoors.
In BoB HBO tv series I noticed the US Paratroopers wore these dark brown shoulder pads attached to their 1936 Combat suspenders. What ere these made of? Were they exclusive to paratroopers and used during the D-Day landings only? Were they later ditched? Are there any reenactment vendors that make them?
can you add to shop uniforms,guns,equipment and more??
That is the plan. I hope to have videos that describe in detail all the products I sell on my website as well as a ton of content videos that really get into the weeds on the details of what our WWII vets went through. If there is anything specific you want to see details on, let me know.
I dont know why the algorithm decided to show me this...but I dig the uniform deep dive per se.
Can you provide context for the watermelons the 82nd paratroopers are carrying? That looks like a fun story.
Please hang the American flag in the right direction. Other than that good video.
Big rule of thumb "there is always one" so feel free to reenact the 1940's Carl. First war of war, look cool.
awesome photos as well
I really want to get into WW2 reenacting as a marine since I’m currently a marine. Where’s the best places to get gear like original gear or remade gear?
was reading that memo at 4:04 ,item j ,not wearing combat boots. parachute boots may be worn while in reserve etc etc. They had two set of boots? ,never knew that I thought they fought in the boots they jumped in with
The order seems to be for an inspection rather than orders of what should be worn for a jump or in the field
@@rickyspanish9002 It does look like a memo for holding a inspection as the memo is cut off its hard to get what context its suppose to be but meaning while in reserve and but 5th day all should be in combat boots.but hard to tell while I do not think they jumped carrying 2 sets of boots Im guessing that maybe the other set(combat boots?) were in their gear that came up later.then again I may be just reading into something from a memo written 80 years ago
They definitely only had one pair of boots in the field, so yes the fought in the boots they jumped in, however they would have had a second pair of boots in their footlocker that would have been kept in the rear, in this case it sounds like the second pair of boots were not jumpboots.
Question? There is a famous photo of Gen. Eisenhower visiting the 101st Abn before DDay, now why did the paratroopers have this white cloth tied to their left shoulder at the epaulette?
Depending upon where it was worn would indicate what company (maybe platoon) they were with.
Great video. Thank you.
Very glad you enjoyed it. I hope I shared something with you that you didn't know before. See you on the drop zone.
I think when I saw these as a kid I just assumed they were goggles or something similar. Given they’re not goggle shaped I probably wasn’t paying much attention.
But still, it’s good to finally know what they are!
I can see how some would wear it out the door, just in case they hit their head going out of the plane...
Later on, I could see it putting somewhere else.
What museum are you at? Looks very nice!
It's my home office
What about the 11th Airborne? what did they do about this?
Reading through the order you poated from the 501st it sems to be instructions for an inspection rather than banning the first aid kit from being tied to the helmet during jumps. If anything it shows the 501st was tying 1sr aid kits to their helmets and swnior leadership didnt like the lok of it while in garrison
First aid kits should always be in the same position on every man.
Only for you Ginger Beers who need directions just to navigate from the Boozer to the Mess for lunch unless they have an Assault Pioneer or Medic to lead them! 😂 #019PioneersBuiltTheFFEBA #DutyAndHonour #FactaProbant #031FetchStarlight (Psst you're correct but I'd never tell a Sapper that) 😉
You do your research, thank you for this!
I appreciate that! Hope to keep pushing out solid info to help the hobby.
Remember, we honor our vete by getting it right.
Mehhhh honor our vets eh? Spend much time at your local VA volunteering? Doubt it. While it's irritating when a bunch if posers wear our uniforms and gear wrong it doesn't really honor vets by wearing the stuff in the first place. Especially when they start wearing awards they didn't earn like medals, jump wings, CIBs, CMBs, etc..
Put on the helmet when you have a GO-Pro in it.
What was the reason for the compass on the lower leg ?
The American flag in the background is displayed incorrectly. Blue field goes on the left.
Just remember: the flag should be displayed as if ascending on a pole, not being lowered on a staff.
Bro. Just an fyi. The flag is not displayed according to regs. The stars should be on the left side when hanging vertically.
@rascal0175 has been there, seen it & owns the t-shirt. Anyone arguing should read his response again. If it was SOP for certain units to do something but only around 80% of the guys in the pics have it...then I guess 20% lost it in the jump!
As I said , he's been there & done it for real. You need to understand his point about re-enactment....you can have first hand experience rather than second guess. But if you're not going to serve, then listen to the experiencef a man who knows!
Phew!!! Saw this just in time!
Not a reenactor- or even airborne myself, but am a modeler and wargamer. Currenty modeling my dad's outfit for Normandy: 1/507th. Based upon what you are saying, sounds like I have to remove those aide kits from the models, right?
Airborne from 82 - 05. just one question. where do you wear you first aid pouch if you're a medic?
oh come on let Doc have some fun. AATW
Typical military units. In one unit, you are in trouble if you don't have your first aid kit on their helmet. In the next unit, you are in trouble if you have your first aid kit on their helmet.
It helps to understand what drives the person giving the order. Whilst it frustrates subordinates and is viewed from outside units as stupid; especially that we are not all on the same page, there can be things the Commander knows or has experienced that drive the orders issued.
@@BeardedChieftain True. Unfortunately, it is rare that a commander explains why the order is being implemented. Usually, it's "This is the way we do it. Don't question it".
@@PegasusB and instinctive obedience to orders is something we sign up for.
@@BeardedChieftain Instinctive obedience to orders is something I didn't sign up for. I'd be worried if I instinctively obeyed every order.
@@PegasusB actually, we all did. "Drill instills instinctive obedience to the spoken command". If one refuses to obey drill commands, one will soon find themselves unemployed. We are also taught about "unlawful" commands. That is often where the confusion stems from when one uses your argument. However, our training in the West is actually quiet complicated and does include instinctive obedience as well as exercising initiative. We were brainwashed quite cleverly as it happens and most of that brainwashing was done by ourselves through NLP.
Paratroopers and Zouaves usually equals farby circus
As a former paratrooper in the civil war
Your American Flag is displayed incorrectly.
The field should always be on the left.
The US flag on your wall is hanging backwards. The blue star field always goes in the upper left corner.
but why on the front and not on the back of the helmet?
Don't know for sure, but as a US combat Veteran and Para, I'd guess that they wanted others to know exactly where their tourniquet, Morphine and bandage were located- just in case. Even medics didn't carry that much gear- so what each man had was important.
3:44 On his way to focus majority of his force on defending Groesbeek Heights. Who needs a bridge on day one?
That would have been general Gavin, he was under orders to defend the heights, and he still captured the bridge before the Brit’s showed up… but sure keep bashing the Americans for market gardens failure… (the British plan sucked)
@@freduinst4333Sorry, i bungled my generals. I'm in no way bashing noone, it was mostly comedic in nature. The plan was "overly optimistic", yes. But by how it unfolded it was still at least somewhat recovelable, if not for the hold up at Nijmegen. Now, was it ultimately Browning's (brit) or Gavin's (yank) fuck up to prioritise the heights? I honestly don't know, noone really does. each side says it's not their fault, like they always do. Also, there's brits and there's brits. Monty and Browning were twats and there's no argument there. Just look at how they sacked Sosabowski for being "uncooperative"
You're factualy wrong about the timeline though, 82nd didn't capture the bridge before brits arriving. Who gave them the dinghys (for a heroic charge i might add, in no way i'm not appreciative of the american effort)? There was also tank fire support and british sappers in that crossing.
Brits weren't behind schedule before Nijmegen (they lost time at the blown up Son bridge but regained it thanks to US firmly holding the road). They lost time AT Nijmegen. first units of XXX corps arrived on day 3. The bridge was taken on day 4 and british infantry got stuck fighting in Nijmegen throughout the night. Meanwhile Frost and his remnants holding the Arnhem bridge fell on day 5. Could they be reached in time? Maybe, maybe not. Could tanks move on leaving infantry behind? Maybe, but maybe they would be slaughtered. It's definitely against doctrine, but so was not using the element of suprise in taking the bridge, their main purpose of being there. It flew counter to the whole idea of the operation and the specific strengths and weaknesses of paratrooper units. My take it that it simply got lost in the rushed planning.They got the (false) reports of Reichwald tanks, so they strengthened the defense, it's just that they took troops away from the wrong objective. mistakes happen, it's just that this one was fatal. Also, it's not like brits didn't also colosally fuck up with landing so far away from Arnhem because of RAF's bullshit.
@@tomaszskowronski1406you have made an excellent point, thank you for the response.
I can't understand how these cosplayers make uniform mistakes, in an age when it's never been easier to find this sort of material.
As a member of the 202nd screaming seagulls this is wrong
Your US flag is not hung correctly. When hung on a wall: The Union (stars) should be on the flag's right (place of honor) as the flag faces the room .
I thought the og content was pedantic 😂
I find it annoying and ignorant when ppl hang the flag the wrong way.. blue field to upper left corner when displayed vertically… Semper Fi, Mac
Unless it's a non reversible flag, since the flag code came in after Dday, it's probably a very old flag.
@@stevenphilpott4294it’s a 48-star, and I’d assume it’s specifically there to stick to the WWII-era. I believe the flag code came in post-war, if not very late war.
I would think The More Important Topic. To get out to the Reinactors.
Would be the placement of the proverbial Parachute and the " Rigging" of said Parachute. The importance of not having Reinactor Riggers.of course who would be more qualified to pack Reinactor parachutes for Reinactor Paratroopers
Then the above mentioned Reinactor Rigger's
Glory Glory What a Hell Of A Way To Die .
Sorry to be that type of guy but its "Gory" not "glory"
the flag in the background need reversed/ blue field of stars always faces the left/ in case you did not know..🤔😐
I'm not sure if we should take your advice over the placement of a piece of equipment when your display of the American flag is wrong.
damn im allergic to sulfa
In Iraq we would make guys with allergies write it on their helmet and boots in red sharpie. Wonder if they did anything similar in WW2. Kinda doubt it as morphine use was very very encouraged for pain management
My commit is to fix the flag hanging on the wall, it wrong.
Yikes 😟 the flag is displayed incorrectly!
Very easy to be judgemental about how solders wore things in WW2. Different world different attitudes
As always the 11th Airborne is forgotten about, typical.
Putting that on a helmet and then going out the door is going to be pretty rough on the neck. Even with the jump pad and straps, the Kevlar would catch enough wind all on it's own.
All the Way!
bad habbbbbbbbbbit.
lol just updated the thumbnail this morning! waiting for youtube to make it the correct one now.
ATW!
"Yes some paratroopers did wear them on their helmets". Okay. Settled. Wear them if you want. Stop making rules to such small things that literally don't need any rules made up for. This is beyond knitpicking. My great uncle was a lineman in the signal corps and I have photos of him with his M1942 pouch behind his helmet netting, I'm assuming because of the tools he carried. If him being a simple lineman personalized how he wore his gear, then who cares about pouch placement? Look at the guys in Vietnam and Iraqi freedom, their webbing/body armor was almost all personalized. If there's photo evidence of them doing it, then do it. It's impossible to know who did what, and who didn't do what. Paratroopers were especially well known for, and encouraged to personalize their kit so that it worked for them.
You: “Yes some paratroopers wore it on their helmet…”
Me: Oh…so why does this video exist?
You: I wanted to gatekeep the hobby, and I hadn’t “actually’d” anyone in a while.
How am I gatekeeping? I love WWII history and the reenacting community and enjoy talking about it
Please stop saying 'whenever' instead of 'when'. They don't have the same meaning.
The English language evolves and changes both regionally and over time… stop correcting people for how they speak… you look like an ass
Lol UA-camr's who think they know something. So typical, all they do is display their ignorance to those that know.
Better to be a has been, than a never was reenactor!
I'll never understand reenactors, who love rhe military so much, but innall these years if war couldn't be botherednto enlist.
@@rickyspanish9002 I'm an old paratrooper. Run into them all the time. They always like to show off their knowledge. Not aware that they do not know what they do not know.
I just smile & laugh & walk away. No point in giving details only those that have been there, know. They con a lot of people into believing they actually served, or made it through training.
Those of us who have been there, figure out their game pretty fast. It is really astounding how many try conning people. They either did not have what it takes, not making it through training. Or, never had the balls to try it in the first place.
Always, be suspicious when someone tells you they have been in an elite unit.
@@SinOjOs-Transport @SinOjosWeb After the service (medic in an infantry unit, nothing fancy but I have my CMB) I worked for DAV for 4 or 5 years. Went through thousands of DD-214. Wasn't unusual to have appointments with 5 or 6 vets in a day, so I'm not exaggerating how many 214s I've handled. Never once saw a UDT/seal on a 214 (have only ever met 1 legit SEAL) probably saw less than 20 guys who had SF qual on their 214s. Maybe another 20 who were in Ranger Batt, and maybe 30 or so who were Recon Marines. Probably 5% or so of vets we worked with had airborne wings, maybe 10% had CIBs, CMBs, CABs, or CARs. Maybe 15-20 Silver Stars over the years. So like you said, most guys you talk to are full of it. Its usually not hard to figure out tho, although there are some exceptions, not everyone fits into the mold.
Reenactors are an odd lot. I did ww2 reenacting when I was a kid, my scout leader was into it and as a kid it was alot of fun and learned alot, but after getting out of the military I was done with it. So many posers and jokers, exactly like you said, guys who don't know what they don't know. Who think playing dress up cowboys and Indians on the weekends is what the real military is like because they obsess over the details of the uniform or whatever. Its a complete joke.
The MOST INSULTING to me is the reenactors who wear awards like jump wings, Combat Infantry Badges, and Combat Medic Badges, etc., but didn't serve a day in uniform.. There always the ones who like to claim they reenact to "honor the vets" but they're sure comfortable slapping us in the face by wearing our awards we had to earn through blood sweat and tears.. its pathetic.
Get a life guys.
I hate the term ‘impression’, it suggests parody. The term ‘portrayal’ is far more respectful.
I don’t mind it. I view the word parody as meaning parody, impression meaning impression, and portrayal being portrayal. LOL! Although I do agree portrayal PORTRAYS things as a facsimile, copy, similar. While Impression means how you first thought, or somethings outline pressed LOL! Parody is one of my favorite things though and it’s literally all around us in the modern age.
What about them Warmovies: Longest Day / Saving pvt Ryan and Overlord. Correct?!