Premise “Pioniere Voran!”Levisham station is converted for the weekend of the 12th-14th October to a continental (French/Belgian/Dutch) railway station in the year 1943.
Typically stations of this type would have little or no occupation presence.
The premise of the display is:
The German Army of World War II collectively referred to its various engineer units as Pioniere (Pioneers).).
They were first and foremost assault troops, and construction workers second. They were tasked with overcoming manmade and natural obstacles, and in the attack they supported the infantry as specialist assault troops, attacking fortified positions with demolitions and flamethrowers. In defence they constructed fortifications and shelters, erected obstacles, laid minefields, planted booby traps, cleared fields of fire, erected camouflage, and maintained supply routes.
The Pioniertruppen were very important to the German war machine and considered very dangerous to their enemies. “Pioniere Voran!” means “Pioneers to the fore!”
This years scenario is for a pioneer training camp (Pioniereschule) to be established at the station
Living history learning sessions to train the re-enactors in the various skills of the assault engineer (Surmpionieren). Both the public and the re-enactors will learn together!
Each LH display will feature a different technique used by these troops:
Land Mines, (Types, laying and lifting)
Demolitions (Types and deployment)
The flamethrower (Demonstrations of the Type 41)
Anti-Tank Techniques
Bunker Assault
Use of the Assault boat (in the stream)
Additional Lectures
Due to possible “resistance” activity, a security detachment is on watch at the station for suspicious characters.
Pionieren
Twelve 3 man sections will be deployed at the Pioniereschule
Sections will be rotated through various informative and entertaining events
Trains arrive hourly, allowing repetition of events and activities at each area.
Note: All attending re-enactors (excluding a small FG section and station security) will be assigned to a 3 man pioniere team.
If your group wishes to stay together, or put on thier own small display or vignette, then you will need to go to another show.
