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chthonia

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Dec 18, 2005 20:13

Today has been rather a waste, though it's getting better. After not getting half the things done that I meant to get done today (who am I kidding? I didn't do a damn thing today), I've given up, poured a margarita (or 3 or 4) into a coffee mug (dishes being one of those undone things) and am now sitting by the flickering Christmas tree lights, ( Read more... )

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montieth February 17 2006, 02:17:56 UTC

Ok, I was peering back at your journal just now and this struck me as odd....

"They've been calling me every few minutes to ask me stupid questions about everything from WWI artillery strategy. "

One doesn't typically meet women that knowledge of period artillery. Do you have a secret arsenal of 18 pounders or something?

chthonia May 13 2006, 11:28:39 UTC

I wish! No secret arsenal...well, not one of 18 pounders anyway. :> I do have a fascination with WWI and with the developments in artillery tactics during that period.

montieth May 13 2006, 15:20:53 UTC

Seems to me, if I was going to prod anyone into starting up an ACK ACK Girl WWII re-enacting group, it'd be you.

chthonia May 13 2006, 15:58:49 UTC

I could totally get into that. I thought about doing WWII re-enactment for a while, but it seemed that there wasn't really a place in it for women unless they played Russians. Feel free to tell me more...

montieth May 14 2006, 02:23:41 UTC

Well, it'd depend on the locale but there are lots of events year round where a Home Defense WWII brit womens unit would be appropriate. If you got a group together and could scrape the funds together, you could easily get an AEC Matador and a 3.7" HAA gun and do a very good looking impression at WWII events. There are quite a few dog and pony shot events where people setup and show off the gear, talk about the history and talk to the public. There are the occasional events where there are battles either private or public, but, in the case of WWII, you could get a good impression of the Ack Ack girls together, playing with artillery and looking good for the history.

There are in fact WWII anti-air craft guns for sale every so often. I saw a 3.7" HAA for sale a while back in the UK and the AEC Matadors are 'easy' to get too.

It'd be a killer impression.

montieth May 14 2006, 03:17:03 UTC

If the 3.7" and the AEC Matador are too much, then a CMP LAAT with a Bofors QF MkIII would be lighter and more practical.

chthonia May 14 2006, 04:22:38 UTC

Wow! I could really get into this! It would take me a while to save up, though. Maybe I could do a Russian infantry impression in the meantime. I've seen at least one woman at the CAF airshows doing that. I wanted to try to talk to her, but I was working the airshow and was assigned to the Vickers machine gun display (by virtue of being the one who exclaimed, "A Vickers!" while all the men were shouting, "A Gatling gun!" when it showed up), so I couldn't chase her down.

montieth May 14 2006, 04:34:14 UTC

Re the Ack Ack Girls. during the battle of Britain, there were thousands of women that were trained on the Anti-Aircraft Guns, Searchlights and of course the more pedestrian Radar Operators, Spotters and such that were part of the British Air Defense Network. The Ack-Ack Girls of course, ran the various fixed and mobile Anti-Aircraft Guns around Britain and quite a few died in the raids too. See http://www.mkheritage.co.uk/bpt/Women/Luftwaffe.html for a bit more. Sadly, it seems like there's not that much written about them.

Personally I think it'd be great to see an Ack-Ack Girl unit show up at shows.

montieth May 14 2006, 04:36:16 UTC

Info on Chain Home:
http://www.radarpages.co.uk/mob/ch/chainhome.htm

And you've seen this page right?
http://members.tripod.com/~nigelef/

chthonia May 14 2006, 23:01:59 UTC

Thanks for the references (I had seen the last page). This does look like a lot of fun, though, as I said, it's not something I can afford right now. I'm having a wonderful time picturing my neighbors' reactions if I wheeled one of those things up to my house! And they thought my 26-year-old F150 was bad...lol!

montieth May 14 2006, 23:20:18 UTC

I doubt they'd say anything directly to you after you brought home a 40mm Rapid Fire Anti-Aircraft gun. You could build a sandbagged revetment out front complete with ready use ammo. Of course the kids in the neighborhood would be tickled pink.

chthonia May 15 2006, 03:11:46 UTC

Heeey...I do have sandbags...yeah, this could work! You know, it just occurred to me that I live under the flight pattern of PDK airport, and a lot of my neighbors are really upset about the airplane noise (not me; I love it!) and constantly arguing with politicians and airport management about it. Oh, this does have potential! Lol!

You are sooo going to see me on the evening news someday!

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