About the Northern World War 2 Association

 
Reenacting is Reenacting we are all pals really

Northern World War 2 Association

Established in 2005 the Northern World War 2 Association is an organisation that unites a variety of 1940’s living history & re-enactment groups. Each group portrays a different aspect of the second world war and by linking these individual groups into a single association our aim is to try to give visitors a feel for what it was like to live through, one of the largest and bloodiest conflicts in human history. Using authentic living history encampments displaying a mixture genuine and replica equipment, weapons, vehicles, uniforms, and by incorporating firing displays and battle re-enactments we try to inform, educate and help people understand the conflict from the viewpoint of a variety of allied and axis, military and civilian organisations.

Our allied groups include….

The Duke of Wellington’s Regt.

Your first thoughts may be scarlet tunics & squares at Waterloo, but during the second world war ‘The Dukes’ saw action at Dunkirk & took part in the North West Europe, North Africa, Italy and Burma campaigns.

6th Airborne Division

with their iconic wings, “Winged Pegasus” patch and coveted Maroon Beret,

Fox Commando

a Royal Navy Beach Commando HQ which could have been found on any invasion beach from D-day to crossing of the Rhine,

61st Reconnaissance Regiment Living History Group

61st Recce the spearhead of 50th Division portrayed during the period of WW2 from D Day to the Ardennes. The aim is to show what these troops endured to remember their sacrifices and honour their memory.

Y Troop – No. 47 (Royal Marine) Commando

Part of the Royal Marine 4th Special Service Brigade, 47 Royal Marine Commandos LHG cover the period 1943-1945 depicting Marines who took part in the Normandy Landings and the liberation of Europe.

The Soviet 13 Guards Rifle Division

recreate the Men and women of the Red Army who fought what is still referred to as the Great Patriotic War.

The Soviet 699 Field Hospital

providing an impression of a Soviet field hospital unit from Stalingrad to Berlin. Most field hospitals were tented so they could be moved easily and would be manned by a few trained medical staff and nurses with rudimentary training. Each field hospital would have had a small detachment of armed troops for its defence.

101st Airborne (502nd PIR) & Charlie Company of the 2nd US Rangers

Activated 16 August 1942 during World War II the 101st Airborne Division was renowned for its role in Operation Overlord, Operation Market Garden and its action during the Battle of the Bulge around Bastogne, Belgium. The group also  also portrays 2nd Ranger battalion and shows the way both units would have functioned during WW2 

101st Airborne (506th PIR)

The ‘Screaming Eagles’ LHG portray a unit acclaimed for its participation in some of the most significant battles of WWII. Pathfinders of 506 PIR led the way for troops with a night drop prior to the D-Day Landings. During Operation Market Garden it was tasked with seizing the Canal Bridges at Zon, then taking Eindhoven, and took part in the tenacious defence of Bastogne during the Battle of the Bulge

The Resistance and Special Operations

depict the brave men and women who operated in NAZI occupied Europe. We also have 1940’s Civilians and Home Front Auxiliaries (Joint War Organisation)

Worcestershire Women’s Land Army (WWLA)

Portray the history of the Woman’s Land Army during the second world war. The WWLA also have Homefront displays and welcome child evacuees, 1940’s Mums/Grans etc.

Our axis groups portray….

1./ Kompanie Panzer Grenadier Division Großdeutschland

portrayed as they would have appeared in the late stages of world war two on the Ostfront. To give a fuller & more rounded impression of the Regiment the group includes GD Feldgendarmerie, a GD Kriegsberichter and a Helferin section (Female Auxiliaries) the role would not have made the ladies members of  the Großdeutschland Division but would have seen them working along side various German units in supporting roles.

4./ Kompanie 1 Battalion Großdeutschland

An elite Division within the regular German army, they served almost exclusively on the Russian front this groups impression is of the front-line combat soldiers of the Eastern front complete with Sd.Kfz. 251 Auf-C  half-track. 

352./ Infanterie Division Stabskompanie

A unit of the German Heer formed in France November 1943. The division defended Omaha Beach on D-Day and was commanded by Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub holde Generalleutnant Dietrich Kraiss until its destruction in July 1944

4./ Kompanie of the 1./ battalion, 1. /Fallschirmjäger Division

the first paratroopers to be committed in large-scale airborne operations. They came to be known as the “green devils” by the Allied forces they fought against.

Trupp 200 (mot) Feldgendarmerie

Motorised Field Police unit for the 21st Panzer division whose job included keeping order among the German troops.

21./ Panzer Division

Originally part of Rommels Afrikakorps, this group portrays a later incarnation that was stationed in France. On D-Day they were thrown into action against the allies, the only Panzer unit to do so on the 1st day of the attack, June 6th 1944.

Panzergrenadier-Division „Feldherrnhalle“ & 18./ Volksgrenadier-Division

Portrayed by Kampfgruppe „Topf“ LHG.  Panzergrenadier-Division „Feldherrnhalle“ formed in southern France in 1943 fought on the Eastern Front while the 18./ Volksgrenadier-Division was formed in Denmark in 1944 saw ation on the Western Front where during the Ardennes offensive it inflicted on the the worst defeat suffered by U.S. forces in the European Theatre on the 106th US Infantry Div.

116th Panzer Division ‘Der Windhund’

In 1944 the 16./ Panzer-grenadier Division ‘Der Windhund’ absorbed the 179th Reserve Panzer Division to form the 116./ Panzer Division ‘Der Windhund’. The new formation faced the Allied invasion of Normandy, was almost destroyed in the Falaise Gap, was then withdrawn refitted and recommitted at Archen. It participated in the Battle of Hurtgen Forest then the Battle of the Bulge, it was caught in the Wesel pocket made its way across the Rhine, before surrendering in the Ruhr Pocket in 1945.

DRK or Deutsche. Rote Kreuz

Our German Red Cross group has recently decided to broaden it appeal. It is now the group to take a look at if you are especially interested in reenacting Axis medical personnel from Nurses to Field Surgeons and Field Medics. As can be seen from the above outline the Northern World War Two Association is a large group made up of like-minded re-enactors. All of whom who have a genuine interest in the history of the second world war however we would like to point out as an association…

  • We are a non political organisation.
  • We do not advocate, promote or tolerate any extreme political views held by any of the actual units our organisation portray.
  • We do not accept members who may hold those or similar views.
  • We do not portray any SS Gestapo or other extreme Nazi units.

If you are interested in joining the Northern World War 2 Association or beginning re-enacting as a hobby please checkout the link “I want to re-enact the Second World War” and check out the individual Units own websites by following the links to their own sites on the left side of this page. You can find up to date information on the Associations latest events by following the “Events Calendar” link If you wish to book the Association for an event or display please use the “events enquiry” link. While we we have a number of dates which are regularly blocked booked a year in advance we are always interested in new enquiries.  We are very happy to talk through your possible requirements no matter how large or small your event might be.

 

 Northern World War 2 Association (NWW2A)

A Reenacting Slide Show