Just checked up with Helga:
Yup Che's away working and I'm trying to prepare for the worst day of the year, a small persons birthday Laughing and having to do it all without him seeing. He's at the terribly excited stage so I'm dreading chrimble this year Confused
Other than that I've been sewing some 1940s repros on a night and I can't type and do it at the same time Wink and frantically trying to get it done before che comes home and moans theres fabric and half made outfits everywhere Embarassed
hey hey , we kept the bitching thread !!! Mind you the other chaps never have need of it I'm told !
PD has popped back 
He posted on the PBI game announcments - and Yith duly removed!
The Reconnaissance Platoon of the 116 (Panzer Aukflärungs Abteilung 116) wore Feild Grey Special Purpose Vehicle Uniforms (Stug Wraps to you) and their insignia consisted of Black patches piped in pink or red. Some had the skulls removed some didn't. Some even wore Litzen. They did not wear Camouflage other than Splinter Zeltbahnen.
As for accuracy of scenario - they were not involved in Operation Varsity as they were facing both XXXCorp and the First Canadian Army from 8 Feb 1945 (Op Veritable) - The Allies had by 3rd March 1945 linked up with The US 9th Army and the 116 were trapped in the Wesel Pocket. (up to then they had been defending the damaged Roer Dams)
The 116 withdrew across the Rhine on 5 March 1945 and fought the US 30th Inf Div on the 24 March 1945 (my birthday is 24 March incidentally)
The unit I portrayed for over 10 years 60 Pz Gr Div attacked the US 30 Inf Div on 25 March and by the evening of the 26th had successfully prevented the Americans from breaking out. This took place near the German/Dutch Border......
The 116 did not come into contact with British troops again until 28 March when the 6th Guards Armoured Brigade outflanked them and bypassed the city of Dorsten which they were holding.
The beginning of April saw them holding the North Edge of the Ruhr Valley along the banks of the Rhine Canal. On 18 April they surrendered to the US 9th Army.I hope this information is useful and helps you plan your scenario better.
PD used to run the 116th "Windhund" re-enactment group. Think Rich and Gadge were a little bit pwned on the research there...
When we were a Kingdom it was run by a King
When we were an Empire it was run by an Empress
Now we're a country we're run by a..........
I have to say I think PD is a total prick. However, being as Yith and Gadge are touting this as being the next level of mega accuracy he does have a point.
Had the following chat , still think (like Gadge) if he could stop being so Ghey about it and learn ot post in a polite manner the bloke is worht having around , although I suspect like Gadge either he's too thick skinned ot understand or his ego is too fucking big
I know mate - I was gonna withdraw gracefully from here but I spent years building up relationships with veterans from 116 and I have more than a passing interest in history - It really makes a mockery of what men went through to do this.
I have NO PROBLEMS at all with a game and a theme - But to distort history and not put in a rider saying its ficticious.... I've walked most of the battelfields, I've put time in and traced maps, dug holes and found artefacts (legally and recorded them - some of my finds are in the museum at Vossenach)
No criticism in public - just hard information - Varsity started on my Birthday so that's a co-incidence that made me take not of Varsity..... The 116 had a significant event in the Regimental diary on the same day. Next weekend I will be with the men of the Windhund again - we are going to theTreffen at the Ehrenmahl..... They don't really grasp re-enactors so they wouldn't have a prayer at understanding airtsofters.I'll be at the GD Treffen in May..... it's a completely different world.
To which I ...
Hi Paul
It's just a different mindset mate . Airsofting is a game played for fun . Whilst the "standards" are improving , you have to remember that the whole WWII airsoft scene is only 1 year old, I'm sure the first reenactors were pretty dreadful as well . If you look at airsofters as a whole , we'd like to think we've moved the gameplay on quite a bit from the adolescent style of play that is most airsofting , but's its a journey we've just set off on .
The other thing to bear in mind is that airsofters are not wannabe reenactors. We don't have to spend 000's getting it perfect, we do it for ourselves and not for living history reasons . I'm sure as time goes by people with a stronger interest may end up going the whole hog and joining reenactment groups , which is great and shows the interest they have . The majority I suspect will work on better kit and uniforms but stick at airsofting only .
Part of the reason we kept the rules lax was to encourage people in , as you know yourself the reenactment world is rife with divisions over "authenticity" dare I say it "stitch counting". We've a player base of only a couple of hundred people, we can't afford to have ten leave and that's why we've tried to be inclusive. TBH peer pressure to "get it right" has been the best enforcer of increasing standards and we've seen this with players coming to the succeding games, especially when you get experts appearing on the scene who can give some gentle guidance. This was the main reason I was excited to get some of the PST boys on here, although it seems to have back fired somewhat though a misunderstanding of the differences.
As ever when two cultures meet , we can focus of what divides us or what draws us together . Both sides have things to learn form each other , and both could gain , but it has to be a mutual thing. Coming here accusing us of being mickey mouse is as daft as us waltzing to PST and calling you all anally retentive. Neither side wins, and both sides are missing the point of the other's hobby .
Ah yes the "hobby" word, at the end of the day we are middle aged, possible overweight blokes running around with toys guns pretending to shoot each other and play dead . Sitting back for five minutes you can probably apprecitate that such a ridiculous hobby is not worth arguing or fighting about , it's intended to give us pleasure . Lifes too short .
Whether you decide to stay here or leave is up to you, we are what we are, we don't pretend to be any different , and as I say most of us are in it to have fun and a better day out than 99% of most airsofting experiences. I would prefer it if you stuck with us on our journey , as I think you guys can add a lot as well as perhaps gain some, but if you try to judge this fledgling sport against you're own self set standards you'll probably end up disappointed.
Anyhoo , wittered on enough
Cheers
Guy
Mmmm, I've said as much before to him.
The fact is he sees it his way (as is clear from his PM) and reasoning and explaining is either not understood nor willing to be understood.
Well, you can but try . Some people just like being obtuse and obstinate , some are just thick as planks . I try to give the beneift of the doubt where possible 
He's just a prick....
Move on, nothing to see here.
Talking of Pricks........ WTF is this supposed ot be
Oh it's Demoncase from ASSCOCK !!!
What a bedwetter , his teams webby is even more amusing
H'mm "quality engineer", not a byword for "anal retentive" then ! also have to laugh that he's the only member of the team he leads that wants to post a photograph of himself .....
Don't fucking go there.
My involvement in CiA is conditional on the basis that this prick and any of his so-called team mates are banned from any event we are involved in.
He is a complete and utter idiot.
I wish them all dead.
A little harsh , wishing them all dead
However agree, I only came across it by looking at his ASSCOCK profile, and thought , what a crap loadout / fat twat / faggot.
He's a complete tool on every forum he turns up on. Made himself look like a right dick on Wannabe (which is quite some achievement, given the sheer number of retards on there) Pity that the thread got deleted. Was sheer comedy 
Pvt Chapell is REALLY starting to annoy me as well...
When we were a Kingdom it was run by a King
When we were an Empire it was run by an Empress
Now we're a country we're run by a..........
Yep and PD's return is irritating. the bloke is such a fucking know it all .
Ignore him, anything else just gives him the attention he seems to crave.
When we were a Kingdom it was run by a King
When we were an Empire it was run by an Empress
Now we're a country we're run by a..........
It seems Jamie (F&O) has invited Paul Dolby to the opening of the Manchester urban site - very curious...
Weird.
Deleted an incredibly distasteful post by Chappel which had a doctored dig for Britain poster which said:
Dig for Britain, grave are needed.
Twat.
I can't get my head around Chappel.
He says he's got four kids and runs (or even owns) a print company, yet he comes across like a 16 year old wannabe?
Delusional maybe?
Why the fuck can't he hire a car this weekend instead of scabbing a lift.
He's now PMd me to tell me that he's not getting into Cardiff until 19.54.
Pfft.