Some thank you's

[Chomley-Warner]

Before the 'How was it for you' and 'Photos' posts I just wanted to get some thanks in to those who made Op Jedburgh possible.

Firstly to those that bought kit for game use - Dave B for the Stower, tentage & hot water, Gavin for the jeep, Keith for the Kubel, Jamie for the 101, Josh for BBQ, mortars and other 'life-saver' kit.
Secondly to IED for trusting us with their site (top job by players, not a single piece of litter left behind in camps )
Thirdly to fellow Comrades in Arms organisers for pulling off a fearsome yet deceptively simple event required minute-by-minute spur-of-the-moment decisions to meet challenges and seize opportunities that presented themselves.
Fourthly, and most importantly, the players who stepped up to the challenge and gave everything they had (as well as some things they never knew they had). This was the most mentally and physically challenging event we have ever put on. Players bought into the concept sure enough. But could they meet the mark once on the ground? I'll say so, by heck they did. The Jeds who had a brutal Saturday bounced back with enthusiasm and initiative to carry out objectives, despite having lost their CO the day before. The SAS who had punishing terrain and distance to cover on Saturday yet still achieve covert objectives and raise the stakes on Sunday putting plans into action. The Germans who covered the whole site with endless and fruitless patrols, sentry duty and radio monitoring but finally proved hard work gets results, and there is nothing more satisfying looking at row of dejected prisoners.

I had convinced myself, as I drifted to sleep on Saturday night, that on Sunday we would find a half empty car park. Not a bit of it. Apart from a few play-stopping injuries everyone was still in-game and up for it. The spectre of Churchill's Revenge is firmly behind us now. Players can forget about emptying magazine after magazine at an enemy. They can suffer a little discomfort knowing a hot bath and comfy bed awaits them just a few hours later. And they can go home shattered but well compensated by the feeling of "You know what, I achieved something this weekend and got just a bit of insight into what soldiers went through in 1944 - plenty of discomfort and lack of comforts along with a mix of fear, tedium and camaraderie."

100% spot on effort chaps, a weekend to remember.

[marsha]

I too want to say thank you all who put this together you all did a grand job
once again thank you

[Sgt.Heide]

Well said C-W. I couldn't agree more. It was quite an ask of our players and, they came up trumps. The Jed's deserve particular praise for formulating and executing an effective plan without any organiser input whatsoever and totally outside of any plans made by CiA. Kudos also to Josh and Dai for working through their injuries and causing mayhem at the DF. My personal thanks to my SAS boys for a job well done, I really could not have asked for more.

I too despaired that, after a very gruelling first day, that we would awake to an empty site! However, an all round team effort between players and organisers resulted in a fantastic finale and THE most gritty, realistic and testing WW2 airsoft event I've ever been to.

Congratulations to all. You have made the hundreds of hours put into Jedburgh worth it. Wear your "medal ribbon" with pride for this one .

[HeadShot]

Yes, I'd just like to repeat all of the above and thank the Jeds for a) putting in a sterling effort and not grumbling at all on the Saturday, despite it being VERY gruelling, and b) for taking the initiative and getting out there to complete their objectives when Stu and I struggled to cross the site to RV.

I thoroughly enjoyed the entire event. I shot about 100 rounds in total but must have walked, crawled and dragged my way about 10km around every sort of terrain one could imagine.

I hope all those who picked up injuries are ok.

[MrSlippyfist]

i agree with all of the above , i think the germans did a fantastic job , i know they didnt get much "trigger" time but this event was never going to be about that. I think they acted out there parts brilliantly and the ambush Nearly got me
Well done to ALL of the commanders/organisers for keeping it together in such a professional manner, it really built the atmosphere.
I wish the germans could have switched places with us for a few hours just to get a taste of how hard it was to stay undetected carrying so much gear, as they would then know why im praising them, you made it as hard as it should have been chaps, i thank you all.
I did learn and was on a bit of a guilt trip afterwards that while we did the hit and run in the jeep that i was hit, i didnt actually feel a hit but i was told AFTER i got back in the jeep and it drove off. I apologise for that.
Next i want to thank ALL of the Jeds for carrying on in such a fantastic style , you suprised me , after the walk through such harsh terrain and then carrying the bergens and radios so far i honestly didnt think you had that left, you all looked so tired! But im glad you all pulled together and helped each other.
Im proud of all you.
Next the SAS, awesome, thanks for rescuing me and headshot and letting us stay in your camp, i couldnt have walked any further (especially up hills!) And your attacks on the german supplies were heard from miles away.

Last i want to thank Head shot without whom i would probably just have given up after the ambush.I think we were both equally f***ed by the end of the night but we got through it. Cheers mate

In all this was exactly what i expected, i only fired 50 rounds all weekend but never expected to fire that many. I slept in a ditch, freezing cold, got bitten to hell by insects , buzzed the whole day by flies, harrassed by germans, cut by brambles, wore down by carrying kit... and i bloody loved every minute of it.

thanks to everyone that took part and stayed the whole event.

I'll get ya next time chommers!

[BedsnHerts]

It was the best of times. It was the worst of times.

A big thanks to all the organisers and leaders for putting together such a top-notch event and also to Dave B & Co for all the vehicles and bits 'n' bobs. The old sweats have come to expect all this and it takes a noob (Royal Arty) to point out just how lucky we are to have so many generous and creative members that share their collections,their time and their skills for free in order to make these WW2 events so awesome.

Special thanks to all my Jed comrades who managed to help each other through radio pack pain. The reason the carpark wasn't empty on Sunday morning was because nobody wanted to let the other guys down. Now THAT's some WW2 style camaraderie.

Personally I had one of the toughest events ever - gruelling physical shenanigans, some fantastic highs and some dreadful lows. It really is Airsoft EXTREEEME and not something that I would want to do for every event, yet Op Jedburgh certainly ranks as the best game I've ever had in terms of sitting-in-bath-after-it's-all-over recollections.

Good work fellas

[Wladek]

Well that was amazing, all the same thank yous as above I will echo wholeheartedly. More thanks come to our little group of tents and shelters around our fire pit, it was most atmospheric.

Also to Herr Leutnant Che for being such a great commander for the group of new Germans 'We'll wait for the brass to bugger of then have a drink and fag break' is exactly what I want from a junior officer of our digging detail.

I did feel a tad guilty for being leg-buggered on the morning, but overcame that guilt when the light duties involved defending against a full commando raid, so thank you to the Jeds for that.

On the rounds fired front, I fired 5 in anger, Mindham 3, Scott the same, and Dean none. That was exactly what we should have fired, what we wanted and what we got. Trigger time? Phewey, let's not pretend we want it, or must give concessions to it. We patrolled, dug, swept for mines, garrisoned and patrolled some more, just as it should be.

Spot on chaps, Thank you all.

[Seidler]

As a German in a comfy tent, cot & sleeping bag I have nothing but the highest admiration for the SAS & Jedburgh guys... absolutely top class effort lads well done... another fantastic CiA event

[Snyper]

Blimey! What a rather cracking event.

Firstly, thanks to CiA for putting on such a thoroughly enjoyable (yet totally different) event.
This is probably the most hardcore event I've been to in quite a while, which could well have put people off, but the CiA players rose to the challenge, and what a challenge it was.

Secondly, to those on the Allied side - Jeds for getting back up after taking an absolute kicking on the Saturday and coming back with vengeance, and the SAS for, well, being mental enough to bounce all over the site all weekend. God knows how many miles we covered in total, but it has to be a fair few.

The Germans do deserve some congratulations, even though they were living a life of luxury (we don't need no stinking tents, or camp beds.... or fires... or warm food). The German base was possibly the best one I've seen, even going far beyond those at militaria fairs. You did really well during the day, denying us a lot of ground and generally being a complete pain in the ass most of the time (the bugs take their fair share of that title).

To single out certain people, I'd like to say thanks to Pete for organising this, Steve & Stu for sorting the Jeds out, Martin, John and Stu C for putting up with me all weekend, Josh for being the mad Polish sergeant (complete with convincing accent and realistic sausages) along with Ash and David.

On the German side, thanks to Guy (Sidler) for helping to lug me back to the road after I did my knee in, Keith for the meds (and being quite gentle during the 'short chat'), and Jay for putting up with me there and back.

Thanks to all for attending - you all deserve a big pat on the back for making this event one of the best so far.

I can't wait til the next one!

- A very knackered Scott

[Gunman]

Epic and fantastic. Senario 10/10, effort on props 10/10, site for senario 10/10 and atmosphere 10/10. This was the best airsoft game (outside my own lol ) I have been too.

Fired shots sat None!!! didn't even test fire so was shocked to find I had connected the battery Sat 250rnds and 50 of them were due to my glove being stuck in my triger guard

This was also the most demanding airsoft experience Ive ever played...full stop! And I loved it.

Big thanks to all the CIA top brass for putting on a great weekend and to the Germans for making the event come to life. To my SAS and Jed brothers in arms a huge thank you for being such fantastic team mates and for pure grit and determination, played out a story I wont forget.

I only get one holiday to play a year and this hit the spot.

Lubx

[Kermit]

Full Sitrep and thanks tomorrow - i'm busy as fook dekitting the car and sorting stuff out at he mo, but thanks to all those that attended an extremely tough event. You are the people that make CiA events what they are - we can do all the planning in the world but it's up to how the punters get into it that makes or breaks an event.

Finally, a quick thanks to those that got captured and then interrogated. I was rather abusive to (some) people (Matt "Surrender" Webb jumps to mind ) so if I upset ya, then I apologise. Oh, and some of you did give away useful info - in less than 10 mins too!

Full version tomorrow, when everything is squared away

[che]

Fecking good show all round

I must have a special mention to Caesar squad. I could not ask for a finer bunch of enthusiastic men who obeyed orders no matter how hard they were. And also for there initiative was amazing. Hell they made me look like a competent officer and that takes some doing

[Steiner]

Crikey, where to start? I sit here with a sore left knee, insect-bitten hand, knife-cut hand, throbbing feet (despite soaking in salt water), and a bunch of great memories.

This did exactly what it said on the tin - a damned hard and realistic portrayal of behind-the-lines forces. After the missions to find our ammunition and mortar rounds, I was absolutely knackered. The terrain was the hardest I have ever known, and the heat and the flies (!) were draining. We then headed out with full bergens and 25lb radio packs to go the whole diagonal way across the site to the SAS base. The radio packs were so heavy we passed them to each other at 10-minute intervals. As we reached the narrowest point of the site, we were bumped by a Jerry patrol. Despite carrying our Bergens (and in my case, a radio also), we attacked and defeated them, but lost sight of our commanders. We decided to head to our designated RV point, but were headed off by another patrol, and then another, and we were trapped. Eventually, 7 out of the 9 were captured. As we trudged the huge distance uphill and over difficult terrain to the Jerry base, our only comfort was that the Jerries were having to carry our radios!

At first, the Jerries were nice to us, treating us as fellow soldiers, and offering us biscuits and water. Unfortunately, when the high command arrived, it all turned ugly. After sensory deprivation, being forced to kneel for ages, and other torture techniques and interrogation, we were all taken to a place of execution and murdered by an SS Sturmbannfuhrer. The whole episode took hours, and we were allowed back to our camp, where we set up our shelters, ate food and slept a fitful slumber. (Apart from Webby, who slept like a baby.)

We were informed that a raid would be taking place at 1000 hours on the German base. At 0715, team Frederick left the base, climbed north and then west along to a lying up position. This whole process took 2 hours. We lay up for 40 minutes and were ready to go, but nothing happened. I decided to lead the attack myself. I shot all three German officers within 2 minutes (two were drinking (ersatz) coffee at the time! (Unfortunately, I also shot Lardy because he was wearing a mountain cap and looked like a Jerry!) Another Jed squad also joined in the attack, and within minutes, we had taken over the Jerry base and disabled two vehicles. We then joined up with the SAS in the form of Lloyd and Josh, yomped along the road, avoided a motorised Jerry patrol, and finally arrived at the far-flung corner of the universe - the SAS base.

Many thanks to the organisers, and fellow players (Axis and Allied) who made this event what it was. It was a slow-burner, a ball-breaker, and an exhilerating experience. Many thanks also to the kind soul who brought up the Jed equipment to the road, and to my in-car entertainment system Jimbo, who kept me awake on the 6-hour drive each way.

Major bad point - Headshot's barbecue!! You're rubbish mate - I hope Kirsten can cook!!

[webby]

Nothing like flattering a man's ego Jay! hehe! No offense taken at what was said, it was "part and parcel" of what Milton Hall told us to expect!

Had a great weekend, I call upon the moment when Chomley asked me whether I had enjoyed it... I was trying to find a thing I could tease him about by saying something was rubbish, but even in jest, and regardless of what we went through on Saturday, I found nothing. Capture and Interrogation is part of what commandos faced whilst behind enemy lines, and therefore part of the game! True it was uncomfortable, and a bit of in-character humiliation, but that's what it was!

My only one point from the weekend thats above par would have been the radios, had issues with them being uncombersome, but nothing sharing the load couldn't sort out, it was the fact it was difficult to get hold of people on it! Not an issue that made my enjoyment any less, moreover something to overcome when odds are against you! It's all character building at the end if the day!

Thanks to everyone who organised it, I'm sure every one of those 'hundreds' of planning time made it the success it was!

Finally thanks to my fellow Jeds for great camaraderie! Was good getting to know those who perhaps at another game may not get the chance to talk to, and echoing what Martin said, soldierly spirit is what kept the unit fighting, there was never a mutter of giving up, more like 'don't worry lads, we'll get chance to do it tomorrow!' when we linked up with Josh and Lloydy, my spirits were lifted 'just imagine what we could have done if we'd linked up sooner! That jog across the deforested area in the sun was grueling, kept us infront of that motorised patrol!

Game: 10/10
Execution: only when captured/10
Sportsmanship: 10/10
Enjoyment factor: 10/10
Would do it again?: when my feet have healed/10

Matt 'got bang killed when m1 ran out of ammo' webb

[ Post made via Mobile Device ]

[ Post made via Mobile Device ]

[Zero Bravo]

I'd like to say a big thank you to all of you for making this, my first CiA game an absolutely stunning weekend.
Every contact I had was played with outstanding honesty on all sides, and believe me, one who has to deal with Walk on games every fortnight, is something I have never experienced before, an event that doesn't need marshalls, totally unheard of.
My admiration goes out to the Jeds, who as far as I saw took the brunt of the punishment both physical and mental. I know I couldn't have played your part. The SAS? What SaS I never saw them, they might have been 6 foot away from our patrolling pointing a weapon at me, but I honestly didnt see you.
Thanks also to all the Axis team who worked together so well, extended line search patterns through the woods with clear hand signals, yet nobody had to be told what to do. No previous plans laid, everybody just fell into place and carried out their tasks. Also unheard of!
Finally my thanks goes to the Organisers and commanders of this event. I left the site about 1.30 pm and got home tonight at 9.15 pm.
You guys made that travel time worth it
40 rounds fired including test shots after plugging barrel and sight in dirt this morning