Personal connection to a project?

[Legate]

"What I personally find distasteful is those WW2 gamers who are obsessed with the SS, I play WW2 but there are no SS in my German forces, too many atrocities committed to include them in a game."

These units are a part of history, and the atrocities commited by them should never be forgotten.  I have modelled a SS unit (12th SS) for BKCII because they were the "Big Enemy" my Countrymen faced in Normandy in '44 (I'm Canadian incedently).  If I were to start work on an Italian Front Canadian force it would be modelled on the Princess Pat's, my Dad's old Regt.

My interests are based pretty much on the academic side of things.  I game the eras that I have personally studied over the years.  I personally have not, thank God, had any direct connection to a world conflict.

[GordonY]

Nah not me, I game whatever looks pretty 

[gregernest]

My great uncle was in the US 1st ID, during the Bulge.  As a result, I've got US infantry and 12.SS as I've been able to pin down my uncles' company to a particular part of the overall battle.

I found all this out years after he passed away; I was at his funeral and saw the color guard, but he never talked about his experiences in the war, IFAIK.

As a second related project, I'm looking ahead to the 30 Years War in the coming months.  It's got a religious connection for me, but I won't go into that here. 

[nikharwood]

Nah not me, I game whatever looks pretty 

Yep - pretty much the same for me; I've got a few links - including some contemporary ones in-theatre - but nothing's got in the way of me gaming them...

@Leon: I've sent painted ultra-moderns out to a few guys I know in Iraq / 'stan who've used them to game with on their tours. There's a certain Major Fielder who knocks around here sometimes who's been known to pack figures for painting in his kitbag 

[Dave Fielder]

I've gamed some ancient games ... does this mean I'm really old?

Back to the original question: I've never felt the desire to re-create any operations I've been on, mainly because my gaming interests lie in more historical gaming such a Napoleonics, ACW, mid 19th Century. I do play and enjoy 20th century and modern games (the tribal leader Fizwallah was the last victim of US-NATO forces led by my brilliant military genius) but have used my military career mainly for military tourism (thanks Mr Taxpayer much appreciated) e.g. I was on an international exercise in Ukraine and used the opportunity to visit Sevastapol and the battlefield of Balaclava and of course have been to Normandy many times:
http://exmouthwargames.blogspot.com/2007/06/this-is-for-brett-lovely-lovely.html
http://exmouthwargames.blogspot.com/2007/06/d-day-6-june-2007.html
http://www.blitzkrieg-commander.com/Content/Gallery/default.aspx?Page=3

[capthugeca]

I've gamed some ancient games ... does this mean I'm really old?

Looking at your profile, you're not there yet... but well on the way. 

Well, I do fantasy.      Some would claim that most of the time I'm away with the fairies!

But seriously, I interest myself in genres that are sufficiently fictional (fantasy, scifi, pulp) that there can't be any personal connection.

[Orcs]

What I personally find distasteful is those WW2 gamers who are obsessed with the SS, I play WW2 but there are no SS in my German forces, too many atrocities committed to include them in a game..

WhileI agree with Sandanistas comment, there were plenty of atrocities commited by all sides.  My Ex wife's uncle, was German and he was defending the beaches.  When his unit tried to surrender  to Canadian troops  they machine gunned everyone in the trench .  He dived to the floor of the trench and lay under his dead comrades until dark, then found some Yanks to surrender to.  40 years later with a landscape gardening business in Australia the Canadian Embasy asked  to maintain thier gardens - His reply was unprintable, he was not even  interested in taking thier money becuase of it.

[Rob]

Slightly different but the same type of thing, if you know what I mean. I’m currently spending around 3 hours a day at the moment travelling back and forth to work so I’m re-reading some old books.

The one I started today was about the Iran v Iraq war in the 80’s. Now I’ve been down this path before thinking what a great wargaming period. A chocolate box of kit with a choice of Chieftains, M60s, T62s, T55s, BMP etc, etc all rounded off with attack helicopters and for good measure Iranian human wave tactics!!

As I look deeper you have Iraqi and Iranian regulars with Iranian Pasdaran irregular infantry carrying out fanatical massed infantry attacks.

All that’s OK but then again I read about the Basij. The Basij were school children as young as 12 who Khomeini as a special favour allowed to fight for their country. Mullahs would actively go into schools to recruit these kids. The Basij were basically cannon fodder sent in to clear mine fields by getting blown up or exhaust the ammunition of the defenders by suicidal attacks.

Apart from almost pulling my hair out at the attitude of these people  I think do I really want to wargame that? No, it would be just distasteful I think.

So I have no personal involvement but still decide not to wargame it.

Cheers, Rob 

[Leveller Mutineer]

Take it you don't just mean a personal connection to 'shiney shiney'.  Otherwise that's all of us.

I love history, particularly military history.  Therefore anything's game as long as I can get the 'shiney shiney'.  I've just ordered some WWI stuff because someone's been putting batreps up and talking about it and I've just read a book, seen a documentary and stuff. 

The only stuff I don't do is modern, as I'm an ex-squaddie.  No war stories or anything just don't seem right somehow.

N.B.  Plastic soldiers are not 'shiney shiney' and therefore should be avoided like like a menopausal leopard or ice in a single malt whiskey.

[Nosher]

The only stuff I don't do is modern, as I'm an ex-squaddie.  No war stories or anything just don't seem right somehow.

N.B.  Plastic soldiers are not 'shiney shiney' and therefore should be avoided like like a menopausal leopard or ice in a single malt whiskey.

With you on most counts except Whisky. A drinks not worth drinking unless it has substance - i.e. its a MEAL

I'm an ex-squaddie too - just not one of those 'orificer' type's who drinks girls drinks.

Bring on the gorilla snot! Baileys, Lime and Peanuts.... normally followed by a visit to the glasshouse and an invite to the Really Scary Monsters office on Monday morning with a short, sharp exchange of one way words followed by ROPES and more extra duties than you can shake a shitty stick at

[J.S.]

WhileI agree with Sandanistas comment, there were plenty of atrocities commited by all sides.  My Ex wife's uncle, was German and he was defending the beaches.  When his unit tried to surrender  to Canadian troops  they machine gunned everyone in the trench .  He dived to the floor of the trench and lay under his dead comrades until dark, then found some Yanks to surrender to.  40 years later with a landscape gardening business in Australia the Canadian Embasy asked  to maintain thier gardens - His reply was unprintable, he was not even  interested in taking thier money becuase of it.

That's quite an interesting observation concerning war memories..some people bear their former enemy a grudge, some don't.
I rember very well when we German youngsters were in England for the first time and stayed with a host family near London. They were an elderly couple and he took part in Operation Market Garden 44' (and could tell the most amazing war stories  ) I've sent him a painted 54mm British Paratropper as Christmas present years later; sadly, they quit writing us last year and we fear one of them might have passed away since they both were already quite old when we were there many years ago.

[Ben Waterhouse]

A very interesting topic. My take is really a mixture of the above; a love for military history, a connection to a number of British regiments and their antecedents I have been around one way or another ( in no particular order DWR, RRF, RHAMPS, HAC) tend to end up on the table. WWII is usually desert and Eighth Army as my father in law served in the Royal Regiment '42 to '47 - ending up as infantry RA fighting Greek communists on the Bulgarian-Greek border (Now there's a game idea), and 11 RHA (HAC) were in the desert also. Plus the usual megalomania - I "am" Napoleon...

[robert]

I have two strands of thought on this - my dad served in the Royal Signals attached to 51st Highland Div. as part of 30 Corps - he was in North Africa, Sicily, Normandy and all the way up to Bremen via the Rhine bridges and Ardennes - 51st were everywhere!  I intend to 'do' WW2 by using scenarios to 're-enact' some of the famous actions the Division and my Dad was involved/partially involved in.

Currently I am on holiday in Alnwick and am taking in the wonderful local countryside - in particular the area around Embleton on the coast - an absolute must for AVBCW/Sealion scenarios:

Embleton has a fantastic beach - perfect for German landings - we knew this so bulit several pillboxes to cover it and they are still here - the local golf club, Dunstanburgh Castle, would not allow engineers access to demolish them after the war    try Google earth for the area - just inland is Brunton airfield and then immediately you have the North-South rail line parallel to the beach then half a mile or so inland the A1 trunk road.  All of these can easily be fitted onto a wargames table (when scaled down!)

Embleton is a sleppy northern coastal village - lovely old Norman church and another pillbox in the corner of a field next to the church, covering the crossroads up from the beach.  The personal connection is being able to do the walks my wife loves to do whilst planning wargames inmy head using the local scenery - stone walls, small hedges, copses, beaches etc.  Perfect relaxation - keeping her content and playing games in my head:)

[Hertsblue]

Embleton has a fantastic beach - perfect for German landings - we knew this so bulit several pillboxes to cover it and they are still here - the local golf club, Dunstanburgh Castle, would not allow engineers access to demolish them after the war    

How right they were! At Dawlish Warren in Devon the local club allowed the Royal Marines to blow up one of the three pill-boxes on the sand-spit the course stands on. Result - pill-box still standing (virtually undamaged) and the club picking debris off the greens for several years after. 

[MooseDontBounce]

All that’s OK but then again I read about the Basij. The Basij were school children as young as 12 who Khomeini as a special favour allowed to fight for their country. Mullahs would actively go into schools to recruit these kids. The Basij were basically cannon fodder sent in to clear mine fields by getting blown up or exhaust the ammunition of the defenders by suicidal attacks.

Apart from almost pulling my hair out at the attitude of these people  I think do I really want to wargame that? No, it would be just distasteful I think.

So I have no personal involvement but still decide not to wargame it.

Cheers, Rob 

Rob:

   I've played some Iran-Iraq war games and have a small Iranian army.  I agree with what you said about the Basij.  In the game I'm working on, a human wave night attack, I give the Iranian player a number of points.  Since it's a night game, the Iranian player allocates the points to a part of the battlefield.  If the Iraq player chooses to destroy the points, that position is revealed.  If not, then a certain amount of minefield is removed.
  There is NO way I was going to paint children to be slaughtered. Maybe a 'cop-out' on my part but that's how I choose to represent it.

  I used to game with a person that would not use flame throwers in any of games.  That was his personal 'line in the sand' and I respected that.

Dale