Hallo from Grenadier Regiment 211!!
This is our first blog post! Thank you for reading! We are excited about our new website and updates will continue as we find the time to do so.
For our first topic, our discussion is awards and uniform standards and how it relates to what we are doing here at Grenadier Regiment 211. We are aware of a reputation that Florida has received in years past for what reenactors call “farbiness”. Or “farbs”, or “farby”.
Our goals with the 211th is to learn; and teach what we learn about the common German soldier of WWII. We find that a lot of the time, our own personal ego gets in the way of authenticity. If you go to either a public or private reenacting event, look around at the people portraying living history. You’ll notice lots of badges, lots of awards, lots of bling on their uniforms. When you see some of the very elite awards being worn by both lower and senior enlisted, as well as officers, it just screams that farb word. Gold crosses, Close Combat Clasps, Knights Cross of the Iron Cross, gold Wound badges…. These were awards given to people for valorous actions on the battlefield. I just don’t feel these awards have a place in the world of reenacting. Even the Iron Cross First Class, though common, is a prestigious award and the soldat should do something prestigious to earn it. Can a living historian do something that warrants such things?
We would like to honor the veterans of this World War. Not take away from the awards that they earned. In the Grenadier Regiment 211, we will reward our soldaten for their actions. But not in a way that detracts from our mission: To educate. Our soldaten will have awards. But they may even be tailored to the event we are attending. Not only does that add to the authenticity of the event, but it also may give us practice with certain crafts that a German soldier would know by his upbringing. Like hand sewing on a ribbon or rank device to his uniform.
I hope this doesn’t rub anyone the wrong way. Is this too far? What are your thoughts?