Hang in there Andy.

WWII reenactment: Slovak Army 1944, ZB37 machine gun loader



Veteran of the battle for Telgart village and me, exactly 65 years later on the battlefield

Love that first pic! That guy with you looks pretty wowed by the re-enactment. Looks like you guys gave him a good show.

Good stuff, glad he could be there to see it.

I love those pics jurinko. Thanks for sharing!

Great pics Jurinko!


Wheels

Thanks gents. There were two veterans from nearby villages attending the battle reconstruction, both took part on Eastern front campaign against Soviets and then fought in the Uprising against Germans. They liked the show very much, but at the same time they reminded us how terrible the war really was. I was glad they did not considered us for total fools

Jurinko,

Tell me about your uniforms and accoutrement. Where do you get it? How period correct does your average Czech Army re-enactor get?

I know as a ACW re-enactor we had quite a few button counters.

Slovak WWII Army had uniforms and equipment identical to Czechoslovak pre-war standard, except transition from shoulder to collar patches and new state symbol on belt and cap.
For Slovak WWII reenactment, we use either Czechoslovak army uniforms from 50ties, or recently good replicas are being made in Czech republic. Old Czechoslovak 50īs uniforms are very similar to the pre-war ones, but their color is more dull grey-green + some minor differences.. and yes, they have 5 buttons instead of correct 6

My bread bag is reworked afterwar Czechoslovak army stuff, ammo pouches are leather replicas made in Czech, bag is repaired original from 1938, bayonet is original, field shovel maybe from Austria-Hungary empire, shoes are Soviet ones from 60ties, leg wraps are replicas, helmet metal is original but repainted with replica leather string. Czechoslovak rifle model 24 is from 1938, able to fire blanks only (no special permission needed for it yet). The coolest thing is my belt, in which my grandfather returned from the Uprising in late October 1944, going through the hills to avoid Germans.
Stuff can be bought mostly on internet auctions or traded between members of military history clubs.
Inevitably, "button counters" have appeared sooner or later and quality of equipment is a subject of competition between local military history clubs. But the main point should be sharing our interest in history, fun and good show for audience, which can learn in this way about forgotten local history.

No doubt.

As compared to ACW, as you might suspect we rely more on replicas. Not surprising, as the availability of originals are practically non-existent in this day and age. Though traditional methods and materials are used in the manufacture thereof.. The closest we ever got to original was where the leader of our battery group had an original spoked wheel for a gun used in the Spanish-American War. circa 1898.


This was always my philosophy as well. I don't think you have to be 100% decked to the nines to be convincing. For example, there were those who would complain of the use of CSA buttons in the manufacture of uniforms as opposed to some you might find on a local militia homespun. That wasn't something that ever bothered me that much.