Frequently Asked Questions by the new Recruit

W.A.R.S. Das Reich, Re-enactment Society is a non-political Society, we neither promote or support the policies or views of Nazism or the Third Reich nor do we have any racist or revisionist views, this is purely our hobby, we will NOT accept members with extreme political views!

We recruit members from all over the UK

Our membership comes from all over the UK, we even have members from other European countries. We get together at public shows and training weekends held all over the UK, we also communicate by internet web sites, telephone, Email and forums.

Re-enacting is a very social hobby and our society membership comes from all walks of life from professional persons to trades, etc.

One of your first thoughts may be, how much does it cost ?

Like many other hobbies, re enacting is expensive to start with, you can be looking at spending several hundred pounds, on uniform and equipment.

Annual membership of W.A.R.S. Das Reich is £30, this entitles you to full adult membership of the society, you may attend any official W.A.R.S. event and can view our online newsletter and forum, for the latest information.

Membership fees help cover the administration of the society and help pay towards the societies, Public Liability Insurance. It also pays toward society owned equipment and special displays.

The average cost of a private training session is £20.00 for the weekend, plus about £35.00 for the hire of a K98 rifle and blank ammunition for the re enactment. Transport, fuel, food, etc, add to this of course so the overall average cost is £100.

All safety procedures will be briefed to you, including weapons safety and handling. This will be done before any re enacted battle commences.

How old do I have to be to join W.A.R.S. Das Reich?

You have to be at least 20 and in good physical fitness, there isn't a maximum age but do take into account that you can be climbing, crawling and walking a good number of miles over the event weekend, with the added weight from your personal equipment, including your ammunition and weapon.

Members will not be accepted with long hair, pony tails and beards. This is for historical reasons, we are portraying German soldiers of the period.

Uniform and personal kit

Before you start to buy your uniform and kit, consult the uniform requirements in these pages or contact the Unit commander or society authenticity officer, you don’t want to waste money on items you can’t wear.

We can also suggest reputable Militaria dealers to purchase from. Once you have your uniform and kit, it should last a life time of re enacting, but like real soldiers, you will have to look after it properly.

We don't expect you to purchase all your uniform and kit at once; we can lend out kit to new members for a few events, until you have the essential items. See personal kit requirements for a comprehensive listing of required items. We allow new members 12 months to get all the basic kit needed.

If you would like to meet us in person at an event, no problem, send us an Email, tell us where and when. Take a look at the events page, to see our next public event. Most of our existing members saw us at an event first, you will find we are a very friendly group with a good reputation in the hobby.

Our aim is to have fun doing this fascinating hobby and you will make some very good friends with like minded people.