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Miss Drop 44

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Welcome to the home of

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We represent a specific unit in the 101st Infantry Division (Airborne) / 502nd Parachute Infantry Regiment (PIR) / D Company / 1 Platoon. Our company and platoon Headquarters positions are filled and we are now working on our first rifle squad and other odd and ends. Never fear, there are still lots of positions to fill, including the 60mm mortar squad, if anyone wants to start putting that together.

Sadly, we hear lots of groups say things like, "we're doing a 101st impression properly", "we do it right to honour the veterans", "we only do things right", or "we're not FARBs*"... don't fall for such rubbish. Actually look closely at what these other groups are doing, what they wear, how they act... there are some big warning signs highlighting those groups that say one thing, yet do another...

1. Do they all wear wool shirts?

2. Do any of the wear whie t-shirts?

3. Are their M42 jump uniforms all CC2'ed? (darker than normal and almost waxy looking)
4. Is there a mixture of weapons? Realistically only the M1 Garand and M1A1 Carbine should be seen. No, pistols or Thompson submachine guns, unless the Table of Organization & Equipment (TO&E) states otherwise. The exception would be support weapons (Light Machine Gun (LMG), 60mm Mortar and possibly the occasional M3 grease gun).
5. Look at the ranks. Do they match the TO&E or is it just a total jumble of nonsensical tosh?
6. Flat pockets and empty webbing... a big no! 
7. Does anything identify the actual unit they say they are representing? ID tapes, helmet markings, or any of the 'isms' that were unique to a particular unit - a fairly important thing for Normandy!
8. Does it look like everything that they are wearing has just been purchased straight off the shelf from Soldier of Fortune (SOF). For example, scrim was essential for 2/502, but the stuff SOF sells is a terrible bright bottle-green and
natural hessian colour, both crap! Amost all rigger pouches on the market are crap, with exception to HTC's, which are custom make to order and are by far the best.

8. Is everything spotlessly clean? If so, it's more likely they've been fighting in a laundry, rather than the battlefields of Normandy.

9. Are they ALL wearing big thick shoulder pads under their combat suspender straps?

10. Does anyone have an M1911 pistol? Why? Is there a legitimate reason for it?


I'm sure lots of people think we just pick holes in what other groups do, or are simply too finicky. We disagree... unlike almost all other groups, we try to do it as authentically as possible and don't pretend to other groups or ourselves that we do anything but. Since we decided to do it as best as it can be done, our group halved in size, those not wanting/willing to dedicate the time and effort to do it authentically have gone elsewhere. Everyone is free to re-enact anyway they like, properly; or improperly... just the later can do it elsewhere in a group with 'different' standards than ours. If you're doing it with us, and listen to our help and advice, then you will be one of the best in the UK and can take pride in knowing that.

The Miss Drop '44 Official Newssheet!

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Our unit. Our group focuses on D Company, 2nd Battalion, 502nd Parachute Infantry Regiment (PIR) as it would have been in Normandy during the D-Day invasion, just after the battle for Carentan. All members should work to build a full  living history impression to represent this. 

 

Why choose Miss Drop 44? We have no subscription to join the group, it's something we've been saying we will do for years... and we finally got around to it. So you get to join a free group. The group funds all its own purchases, including over 2k worth of Normandy parachutes. Several members make things and have great connections to various dealers and manufacturers of the items we need, as well as contacts in other countries to get the items at good/great prices! You'll also be given items that are made by group members, such as the FM 21-100 (1941) SOLDIER'S HANDBOOK upon joining the group at your first event. Also plenty of items are available at cost price, like huck towels, Olive Drab (OD) hankies (which weirdly are impossible to find for sale elsewhere), coffee - sugar - milk cans, hexi heating block wrappers, maps of France, invasion currency and lots of other items that 101st paratroopers would have carried... and other items of interest, too. It's a group that looks after its own, big time! The list of items we make and share grows all the time!

However, before I lose you in the details of the group, what to wear, how to wear it, ranks, weapons, food, drill, saluting.... let's start from the beginning and ask some important questions for those new to the hobby of re-enacting who might be looking to uncover how you even start in this minefield of a hobby.

Why do people get involved in living historyI'm sure there many reasons why someone would want to take up the hobby and become a living historian. It's the only way to really immerse yourself into the periods of history that happened well before our time. You may have a passion for one particular unit and want to literally live the life as much as you could. It's not a cheap hobby, it's not a very simple hobby to do correctly, but you make great friends, experience all sorts of different things and can find yourself in situations you'd have never expected! You'll learn all sorts of odd things that will honestly never help you in regular boring life... things like marching, rifle drill, how to pitch and strike pup tents and how to light a fire. Not everyone in life can start a fire!

 

Can anyone do thisThis is such a controversial question in living history! You'll get living history groups that will accept literally anyone. From stick thin to obese, male and female, old and young. Now the problems start from there onwards, some units firmly stick to what was correct then, and therefore it will only be acceptable now. If re-enacting was a scale of 1 - 10, they would be the 10 - if it's not perfect, then it's not acceptable. The living history hardcore if you like. So let's take the 502 PIR as an example; it was an all-male fighting fit unit. So no female paratroopers (stop your booing lads), however for any females, please jump to the bottom of this section, just above the photos. For 'other genders' please refer to the 'other genders page'. There would have been nobody overweight and certainly nobody that could be considered old (I sniggered while I wrote that). Then you get the other end of the scale, the 1's. The 1's can be a mixed bunch, usually excepting of anyone, expect a mixture of kit and ranks and usually a lot of things that make no or little sense. As 'Karen' likes to say "a dressing up unit that sleeps under green canvas", which in fairness is fairly apt. However, don't let their lack of attention to re-enacting fool you, they still might have rules to stop certain people joining. Their attention to detail could be lacking and in most re-enactment groups very few follow the written TO&E tables which show the composition of units, resulting in groups that make little or no sense, let alone when you look closely at what they are wearing and doing.

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Our group is NOT a "battle re-enactment" group. We'll just leave the "dress up" and playing "make-believe army" to those that enjoy such re-enactment. We are a Living History group, which is a huge step past re-enactment. We attempt to accurately represent the 502 PIR as it was in 1944 Normandy. Expect to really put some time and dedication into your appearance. Forget making comments like "that'll do" or "that's close enough". If it can be improved upon, then no, it won't "do". Any group will always be judged by its least accurate member, so there are no half measures, we strive for near perfect, or not at all. 

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We expect people to fill their riggers with ammunition, your canteen bottle will be full of water, your musette will have a wash kit and all the essentials you'll need. Even your underwear should resemble that of a WW2 GI. All the enlisted troopers should be around the correct age for the impression that they are portraying. Fitness doesn't really come into it, but it sure helps if you can run for miles and miles and lift heavy weights, but trust me, I'm as unfit as they come, I just look healthy!

So to answer the question, YES, anyone can get into the hobby, but just not with every group!

What do I need? This will sound pathetic, but the best thing you can have in this hobby is a willingness to learn and put time and attention into everything, most of all your appearance and impression. Anyone who can come into this hobby with the willingness to learn will always do well. You'll never stop learning or buying kit, there is always something else...

We also have spare kit for anyone who wants to simply try the hobby. We have spares of everything, to kit you from head (helmet) to toe (boots). Including webbing sets for various roles and spare weapons. So if you are brand new to the hobby and don't own anything other than a sleeping bag, we got you covered. No charge at all - all you need to do to attend is get yourself insured with an agency like AFRA, give us the details and tell us which show you want to attend with us. Easy right? The only catch is, we do need notice. Both to sort out and reserve your kit to make sure you get the correct size uniform, and enough time to let the show organizers know you'll be attending as part of our group. Then you can experience the hobby with zero outlaying cost, because we're all fully aware how expensive getting even basic initial kit can be.

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Women! Yes, we are a group that accepts women. No, you don't get to be a stinky dirty paratrooper, however the date and place we portray is just outside Carentan, which was the site of a HUGE field hospital that contained staff from the 3rd Auxiliary (Aux) Surgical Group. We already have some members for this unit, and it is open to expansion. The plus point over being a paratrooper is that you'll get better sleeping accommodations! So small wall tents are permitted and so are PUP tents. I have the TO&E for this unit, too, so it can also be done down to the letter if we get enough interest. Let's also not forget that the 3rd Aux was another male-heavy unit; consisting of 132 male officers against the 70 female nurses, not to mention the 278 male enlisted soldiers it contained. So, if being a paratrooper isn't your thing, and you still have interest in the group, then this could be a unique alternative for you.

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Guy Whidden - 502nd P.I.R interview

Although Ed Shames was in the 506th PIR, what he says is relevant to all regiments. A fascinating soldier who played some vital roles in the Normandy invasion.

More questions???? Yeah, I'll bet you have plenty...
Like almost all living history units, all the members come from all walks of life, all ages and believe it or not, even both sexes. If your new to living history, then we all understand that this may seem like a daunting task and many questions will be going through your mind: what kit do I need? do I need to attend every event? how much is everything going to cost? what if I can't find XYZ to buy? Trust me, we've all been there, this is why I have started putting all this together. We also understand that buying everything in one hit can be crazy expensive as well as daunting! The KIT pages go into more detail into what you really need as a minimum, rather than listing everything that may eventually be required. What to buy and what not to buy - that is the question! You will quickly discover that there are literally thousands of items you may want to find to add to your new airborne persona.

The shows
We attend shows all around the UK. If I had my way, we would be out every weekend and all the shows would be local to me. Of course, it doesn't work like that, and travel does have to be factored in. We may have a member that lives close to you and, if so, it may be possible to share transport. After all, chipping in for some petrol is never to be sniffed at. Literally! Some shows will clash with other things in your life - it happens to us all. Just let us know you can't come and it's as easy as that. If you can't come to any for an entire season, so be it. It'll be a terrible year for you, but that happens.

What to expect at a show
All events start the same way: a lot of hard work! Either in putting up all the tents, not just your own, but we all pitch up and get everything assembled including sorting out positions and setting up the display. For most events, we would do our set up the day before the public arrived, so after the work is done you're left with a nice peaceful rest of the day either seeing what the site has to offer or relaxing with the everyone just eating and drinking. 

Next morning expect to be awakened early, usually by the S/Sgt shouting! However, don't let this put you off as almost every event this is a call to start making breakfast! After breakfast is done with, it's time to kit up and be on show for the public. Expect them to ask lots of random questions. Sometimes rather daft and sometimes intelligence questions... you just never know. If you don't know the answer, say so. Don't agree with the nonsense they might tell you. They will have heard loads of BS from other groups. We always do our best to try and give the public actual facts and information, not the usual dribble, myths and nonsense that we have all heard a thousand times over.

Sometimes we drill. Marching is always comical, and quickly proves who knows their left from their right! Trust me, it's easy when you're not standing in the open being watched by the public, but as soon as you hear "Right FACE...." someone will always turn the wrong way. I'm sure some of us do it on purpose... at least that's the excuse!  

These sorts of activities get repeated over a weekend until its time to pack down. Everyone packs their personal kit away, strikes the tents and rolls them into kit bags. Once everything is packed away in cars, we all say our goodbyes until the next event, or we meet up in between just for the hell of it.

Hopefully that gives you an idea of what may happen at an event.

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Please note, most of the information around the correct uniforms and equipment to buy is geared specifically at 2/502 PIR.

Willy Miss Drop 44 parachute Carentan 1944

Group Rules

Miss Drop 44 has always strived to be different, an evolving group. We've all been in groups run by dictators and know-alls, as well as groups with stupid and petty rules. So we were founded based on the exact opposite. Nobody is "the Boss" or in charge. If someone has a good idea, and the majority like it; then we do it. If someone objects to something and the majority agrees, then we don't do that. Sure, I'm the voice of the group, people mistakenly call it 'my' group, mainly as I'm the one pushing us out there and getting us noticed, but I am as unimportant as everyone else. The military rank each of us wear means nothing... except you got to spend some money on some pretty rank chevrons or devices for your uniform. So, our rules are very short and sweet:

1. All members will join AFRA (or an alternative for insurance purposes etc.), no insurance, no fun!
2. If you can make an event - tell me

3. If you can't make an event - tell me

4. If rules 2 or 3 change at any time - tell me

5. All new members at their first event get a free copy of FM 21-100
6. Once 8 events are completed, you'll be given a free cloth 'jump wings' patch (only available with us)  

7. All members will tow-the-line. By this I simply mean 'do as the group does' and don't try and be an individual. Don't decide the wax is better than decking oil for CC2, or a cartridge belt is better than rigger pouches. Everyone does everything the same way.
8. Each member is allowed a quirk... those things we may allow, but only in the proper ratio. These are the 'oddities' if you like; the unique elements, like strange 101st patches, eye shields on helmets, compasses on boots, a rubber gas mask bag tied to an ankle, the list is pretty endless.... 
     8.1 This shouldn't need stating, but as a subclause to rule 8, nothing Farby*... no shoulder holsters... no sunglasses... no cigars... etc.

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   *FARB:  From a letter dated 1 April 1863 from A. R. Crawford of the 76th Illinois Infantry, Co. D, that uses the phrase, "fallacious accoutrements and reprehensible baggage" in describing children posing in phony military gear during a sham reenactment that took place during the Americal Civil War.

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