The scene is Ukraine in 1944: The Ukrainian people find themselves in the middle of a three-way struggle during what seems like an endless and brutal war. On the weekend of November 9-10, 2013, this scenario played out at Old Bedford Village in the annual fall battle tactical between Grossdeutschland Division and the 193rd Rifle Division, Worker’s and Peasant’s Red Army. A new feature this year was a contingent of UPA (Ukrainian Insurgent Army) fighters who fought either and/or both of the other combatants. Also this year saw a very good turnout of civilian residents of the village.
Age and health considerations have motivated me toward more civilian impressions as time goes on and that was the direction I and Linda took on this weekend. In the course of the day on Saturday, I changed sides three times, and generally managed to survive. Linda was not so lucky and was shot by the Germans three times as reprisals for UPA attacks on them. The different variations on the scenario were challenging and interesting for everyone.
In the evening, Grossdeutschland provided a hot meal for all the reenactors at the tavern. All in all, a satisfying outing. Dan McMichael and his crew deserve a pat on the back for another well-organized event. Mike Momot deserves some special notice for putting together the UPA group pretty much from scratch. Also, kudos to the Soviet and German reenactors who, as usual, did a great job of portraying their respective sides over the weekend.
Leave a Reply