Choosing Your Impression & Starting Your Research

*Disclaimer, this blog is meant to be both educational and entertaining.  The information shared here should not be a substitute for your own research.  Additionally as new information comes to light through books and other reputable sources, facts shared here are subject to revision.  Constructive feedback is welcome as long as it is appropriate and professional*

Now that we got introductions out of the way and you've learned a little more about how I got into the WW2 hobby let's start exploring some topics which might be helpful to those looking to develop their own impression.

Allied or Axis, Military or Civilian?

When choosing to develop a new impression you'll need to answer two questions right away to determine what direction you want to go in.  First and foremost, do you want to represent the Allied side or Axis side?  Portraying an Axis impression is not for everyone but you can't truly represent the conflict and events of WW2 without having both sides represented.

Female Allied Military Impression, photo by Tom Davison

Once you've decided whether you're going to represent the Allied or Axis side the next question to answer is whether you'd like to represent a Military impression or a civilian impression.  Remember as a woman in the hobby you aren't required to do a one or the other although an Allied civilian impression often seems to be the most common.

Female Civilian Impressions at Rockford WW2 Days, photo by Tom Davison

Find the right fit for you

The best piece of advice I can give is to find the impression that is going to be the best fit for you.  You might have friends in the hobby and they may do civilian impressions so initially joining up with them might work well.  You might have a significant other who does an Axis impression and you want to attend more events with them so you're choosing to do an Axis impression.  Or you might be entering this hobby because you want to do an impression that you are passionate about and are doing this for your own enjoyment.  Don't choose an impression because someone told you to do it, if it doesn't fit your personality there are plenty of other options available to you.

I personally thought I could never do an Axis impression when I started researching what direction to go in.  After a lot of contemplation and additional research I did decide to do a German Helferin impression.  In particularly, I chose a Luft-nachrichten Helferinnen impression which is a woman who served in the German auxiliary services of the Luftwaffe branch specifically the Nachrichten role was a communications role.

This impression was not an easy impression to develop or research and required a lot of dedication in order to be successful.  While developing the impression, many suggested I forego it and choose another that might be easier.  As I said above though, you need to choose an impression that fits you and the goals for what you want to get out of this hobby.  I stuck with this my chosen impression and I don't regret it for a moment.

Heer & Luftwaffe Helferin, photo by Matthew Sperzel photography

Now you're settled, what's next?

So now you've settled on your impression where do you go from here.  Before you go to any events it's important to do research.  No matter what role you represent, remember you are representing actual women who lived and served in these roles and they deserve accurate representation.  Going to an event is more than dressing up, sitting around camp or the event site, or drinking and partying.  Thousands of people pay to attend events throughout the country to learn more about this time in our history and several veterans still come out to these events who's history you will be representing too.

The best way to start your research is to start networking within the hobby.  Do you have a unit you'll be joining? Talk to the unit commander, ask them what are good resources they recommend.  Start talking and getting to know others in the prospective unit you'll be joining for recommendations as well.

In today's world of social networking, the power of Facebook can be indispensable.  You can connect with people all over the country or world who may already be doing your chosen impression and can give you invaluable guidance.  If you are willing to listen and learn, there almost always is someone out there who will be able to help you.

Never underestimate an old fashioned book

Sure anyone can do a google search for information or look up a topic on Wikipedia but these aren't always good or accurate sources of information.  Many times in this hobby a good old fashioned book is the best source of information.  If you're new to WW2 go to your local library and check out what they have on their shelves pertaining to the war.  Don't always judge a book by it's cover either.  The title may not appear relevant but sometimes some of the most interesting facts I've found for my impression came from books I wasn't expecting to have anything useful.

For specific areas and beginner research look into the Osprey books sometimes referred to as the Men-At-Arms books.  These are available from online retailers like Amazon in both hard copy version and e-reader versions.  They are good starting points but don't stop there after one book with your research, it's always good to have secondary sources to back up your initial research.

For those that are doing Axis impressions, particularly a German Helferin impression or DRK impression and can read german there are a few good books printed in that language.  They also have several original images of these women in service so even if you can't read german the photographs alone can be great reference material.

Recommended Books

Osprey Books:
World War II German Women's Auxiliary Services
World War II Allied Nursing Services
World War II Allied Women's Services
Women at War 1939-1945
The German Homefront 1939-1945

German Published Books:
Blitzmadchen:  Die Geschichte der Helferinne der deutschen Wehrmacht im Zweiten Weltkrieg by Franz W. Seidler (published by Bernard & Graefe Verlag)
Frauen fur die Front:  Gesprache mit Wehrmachtshelferinne by Rosemarie Killius (published by Militzke)

Remember there are countless other books out there that are good resources, these are just starting points.  Do you have a favorite resource?  I'd love to hear what it is so feel free to share it in the comments!

Taking a tumble down the Rabbit Hole

*Disclaimer, this blog is meant to be both educational and entertaining.  The information shared here should not be a substitute for your own research.  Additionally as new information comes to light through books and other reputable sources, facts shared here are subject to revision.  Constructive feedback is welcome as long as it is appropriate and professional*

Every good story has to start somewhere

As I'm sitting down and actually starting this thing called a blog, I'm trying to think where to begin.  The last year has been a whirlwind adventure and I feel very much like Alice when she accidentally fell down the rabbit hole and into Wonderland.  In September 2014 what I thought would be an innocent trip to the World War 2 Days event in Rockford, Illinois has evolved into a full blown commitment to a new time period and hobby in the World War 2 era.  We'll come back to that very first Rockford later and how it impacted my choice to pursue this hobby, but until then let's start with introductions.

Who exactly is Alice?

So who exactly am I and why start writing this blog?  My name's Sarah and I've always had a passion for history for as long as I can remember.  When I was younger my parents often found me watching historical documentaries on television and reading history books whenever we went to the library to check out books each week.  Although ultimately I didn't pursue studies in history while at University, this passion for various time periods still remains and being able to share knowledge of various periods in history with others.

The time period of WW2 is not my first time period to reenact in though.  I have been a part of The Guilde of St. George for 6 years which portrays the Court of Queen Elizabeth I in 16th Century England.  This group primarily performs at The Bristol Renaissance Faire but also makes appearances at other events in the Wisconsin and Northern Illinois area.  It was through this group that I was taught how to do first person impressions and truly immerse yourself in the historic person you are representing.  In addition to Elizabethan, I have also done the Victorian time period as a member of The Stafford Society.

Lady Elizabeth Howard of the Guilde of St. George, photo by Duchess Cortland

It was through these two time periods I've learned many skills which have helped me greatly in my pursuit of an impression for WW2 and that I hope to share with you on this blog.

How does one end up in Wonderland?

In the story Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by C.S. Lewis, Alice sees a white rabbit run through her garden and when she chases him out of curiosity she takes a tumble down a rabbit hole into Wonderland.  Although I didn't see a white rabbit in my garden I think my experience makes a good comparison to this story.

In the summer of 2014 I asked a friend if he'd accompany me to Rockford's WW2 Days since I knew he used to reenact a German Heer impression in the WW2 time period.  He hadn't participated in an event for a few years but I knew he was familiar with the event and would be a good guide too.  I had a desire to attend this event for several years but was a bit too timid to ever go on my own.  Well I cobbled together an attempt at an civilian outfit to wear and my friend and I picked the Saturday of that weekend to attend.

When I arrived I met up with this friend and we set to exploring the grounds of Midway Village which had been transformed into a occupied French town during the war.  Rockford's event is a great event to attend and if you ever have the opportunity you will not regret going.  Along the way we ran into several additional friends who were attending as guests and reenactors alike.  All in all I was very impressed and having a great time as the day progressed.

Rockford WW2 Days 2014, photo by Tom Davison

And then we ran into some Fallschirmjägers...
Along came some Fallschirmjägers

Now even though reliving every detail of this day at Rockford isn't necessary, I felt the encounter of a few FJs and my experience over at their camp is important to share.  For if it wasn't for this encounter I doubt I'd have ended up pursuing this time period and definitely not the specific impression I settled on.  These gentleman are very hospitable, professional, and overall very good at their impressions, their camp strives to represent an FJ encampment as accurate as possible at an event such as Rockford.

While walking down the street, my friend, who was my escort, was beckoned over to the FJ camp by a few guys he knew from years ago.  As it turned out this FJ unit had an FJ veteran visiting their camp with his wife for the day and we were invited to meet him and talk with him for a bit.  While I nervously stood by feeling slightly out of place, my friend was absolutely enthralled by the honor of talking with this veteran.  Looking back I am very honored I had the opportunity to meet this incredible veteran as well.

Then from behind me I hear in a nice southern drawl, "Ya know you can sit down in one of these chairs, I don't bite."  So I apprehensively take a seat and wait for my friend to finish his conversation,

I reflect at that instance now and think it's rather silly, the act of accepting an invitation to sit down from a stranger, but little did I know that gentleman I sat down next to and struck up a conversation with would be again be so impactful on my upcoming journey in the hobby.  A good analogy for him is the Cheshire Cat since we've been referring to Wonderland in this post.  He appeared unexpectingly, is full of mischief and yet well meaning but ultimately Alice's journey wouldn't have been complete without him coming and going throughout it.

Eventually my friend and I departed the FJ camp, proceeded with other activities throughout the day and evening, and went our separate ways as the event wrapped and eventually I had to go back to the real and modern world.

So why go back to Wonderland?

In the immediate days after Rockford 2014, I didn't think I wanted to pursue this time period and begin reenacting in it.  Despite that the amount of enjoyment I had in one day there stayed with me.  I stayed in touch with a few of the individuals I met at the event including the "Cheshire Cat" who offered me a chair to sit down in and the idea starting creeping into my mind.  Maybe, just maybe I might like exploring this a bit more... and then exploring turned into starting researching impressions...and researching turned into a commitment to develop an impression and start attending events.  By December 2014 I had decided on joining the WW2 reenacting world and had settled on what impression I was going to do.

So if you've made it this far in my tale, I'm sure you're wondering why I'm writing and sharing this information on a blog.  The main reason is simply because it has been suggested numerous times to me.  I spent nearly 10 months researching my impression, compiling lists of reputable resources, and purchasing items for my uniform and kit to ensure their accuracy too.  Throughout those 10 months I ran into numerous dead ends and countless moments of frustration simply because there aren't very many women in the hobby who do my particular impression.  On top of that a lot of the knowledge within the hobby for these impressions is passed on to others orally.  If this blog helps and/or teaches one new woman entering the hobby or a veteran learn something new I'll consider it a success.

Without further ado, thank you for reading and now let's begin.

Coming Up Next:  Choosing your impression.