Dragged the book out, Fahnrich or Fahnen Junker were Unterofficer Ohne Portepee - ie Junior NCOs.
"Persons holding the rank title of Fahnrich served in the ranks of the German Aremy first as a junior NCO and then in the subsequent grades equivalent ot Unter, Feld, and Ober Feldwebe .
An officer in the making, the German rank of Fahnrich had, and still has no equivalent in the British Army, although the French had a parallel rank known as Aspirant . An Oberfahnrich was afforded the distinction of being allowed ot wear officers silver cap cords and silver Potepee which was normall only granted to officers and Haupt or Stabs Feldwebel . "
I was under the impression Sven is about 25.
The old un is 33.
Sven a was a vagrant pre war so of age for the time (say 16 minimum) and by the time of most the books would be at least 20.
"I think we are in rats' alley - Where the dead men lost their bones."
From Svens own webby
Biography Sven Hassel
The Author Sven Hassel was born in 1917 in Fredensborg, a small village of Denmark. He was raised in the traditional scenario of a Danish working-class family. At the age of 14 Sven embarked in the merchant navy as a shipboy. In 1936 he did his military service, and the following year, due to the great unemplyment in Denmark, he joined the German army as a volunteer. Initially he served in the 2nd Cavalry Regiment and furthermore in the 11th and 27th "Panzerregiment". He fought in all the frontlines except in the North of Africa. Consequentialy Sven was wounded eight times. From 1945 to 1949 he was POW and was subject to Russian, American, French and Danish prisoner camps
Older than I imagined !
Dragged the book out, Fahnrich or Fahnen Junker were Unterofficer Ohne Portepee - ie Junior NCOs.
"Persons holding the rank title of Fahnrich served in the ranks of the German Aremy first as a junior NCO and then in the subsequent grades equivalent to Unter, Feld, and Ober Feldwebe .
An officer in the making, the German rank of Fahnrich had, and still has no equivalent in the British Army, although the French had a parallel rank known as Aspirant . An Oberfahnrich was afforded the distinction of being allowed to wear officers silver cap cords and silver Potepee which was normall only granted to officers and Haupt or Stabs Feldwebel . "
Rite cheers i will just get a Unterofficer slide.
If its passed 9 there is a 95% chance im pissed.
Porta = A Gregory
Tiny =P gregory
Old Un/ Von Barring = Oldsweat
Wolf = Major
Legionare=Gliderrider????
Sven=me
If its passed 9 there is a 95% chance im pissed.
Yeah but look at the Charicters we have at the moment, all S/NCO's.
Yeah but we all know only Obergefreiters count for shit !
Sven was a Fanhrich , aspirant officer , not a rank that translates into English as we don't have them . effectively an JNCO with an extra band on his shouldertabs . He was also supposed to be the youngest of the bunch no idea if this fits with you?
In The first of the books, legion of the damned he was the lowest of the low, serving in a penal unit because he was a deserter, in a later book it was said that all NCO's in the penal battalions were attached to the penal units from regular units, but he is serving in a penal unit because he was a "convict" so what are we going to say is correct?
I think syd as the legionnaire is probably the worst bit of casting i can imagine.
he's supposed to be a wiry ultra athletic tanned eunuch....
"I think we are in rats' alley - Where the dead men lost their bones."
TBH mate, I fit any of those roles, and any WW2 role for that matter like a very large square peg into a very small round hole.
With the exeption of a few Peeps though
Laker Armsby in "The Eagle Has landed"
Goering
Churchill
None of it is 'correct', for start they dont go around giving shiny new kit like panthers to convicts.
AFAIK 27th penal panzer is entirely fictitious
Add to that that the only book you can consider vaguley 'real is the pseudo autobiography 'legion of the damned'
the rest are just collections of anecdotes given narrative flow.
Its pretty apparent as characters have inconstant life paths, the books are not chronological and tiny must lose an ear at least eight times...
At 16 Lewis you'd be lucky to be a gefreitor mate.
"I think we are in rats' alley - Where the dead men lost their bones."
TBH mate, I fit any of those roles, and any WW2 role for that matter like a very large square peg into a very small round hole.
With the exeption of a few Peeps though
Laker Armsby in "The Eagle Has landed"
Goering
Churchill
Perhaps a bit harsh on yourself Syd, its just the legionnaire is supposed to be very svelt and able to do somersaults etc.
Maybe Gucci would be a good legionnaire, he can do loads of martial arts and is pretty thin but strong.
I'd see major more as von barring
Syd might make a good chief mechanic wolf!
"I think we are in rats' alley - Where the dead men lost their bones."
Agree with you about the accuracy. But as for being harsh, I dont think so, compared to my weight ten years ago I am a giant.
And am sure you not alone syd, some of the whippersnappers on here will be a giant compared to their size 10 years ago... mainly as they'll have still been in primary school 
Fair point but I refer to my Love Handels(they aint handels, its the whole dam couling), rather than grown up size.
I don't remember seeing you at the weekend but guessed thats what you meant, I was being nice 
The silly commando who got captured and started making a brew, but didnt actually get a drink. Their is no need to be nice Mrs helga, I call a spade a spade, eaven if its a rake, now is that why I failed "Horticulture" class at school?(It was the posh name for weeding the head masters lawn)
I have a tan i have just come back from Holiday.
If its passed 9 there is a 95% chance im pissed.
as gadge said all sven hassel is bollocks anyway
thats why its good to reenact, youve got COMPLETE ARTISTIC FREEDOM
anyone can wear/use anything and get away with it.
whos gonna be albert anyway 
the "african man eater", lots of boot polish needed, or a genuine coloured person, but ive not seen any at ww2 events in the uk yet???
"Take that you rotton helping of strawberry flan!"
Joseph Porta to "strawberrys and cream", in the sven hassel book ,ogpu prison
Why not put an advert on ascuk, "Big Black Bastard needed for nazi re-enactment?"
LOL @ SID
your not politically correct there sid.
"Take that you rotton helping of strawberry flan!"
Joseph Porta to "strawberrys and cream", in the sven hassel book ,ogpu prison
Saw a couple of black guys in a American 'Uk wwii airborne' re-enactment group once.
Out of interest are re-enactment groups legally allowed to discrimainte you on race or sex.
If a black woman wanted to join a wehrmacht re-enacment group could they legally refuse her or could she sue their arses off if they did?
"I think we are in rats' alley - Where the dead men lost their bones."
