WW2 British Army In NW Europe, Beyond The Basics Part I - Reenacting Tips

[@Palaemon907]

With the p39 etool, I have pictures of guys in North africa, waiting for the invasion of scicily with them, nearly every 1 in 3 guys has one.

[@RiflemanMoore]

Yes, they seem to turn up until around 1943 with some troops in the Italian Campaign.

[@66kbm]

Thanks for the info on the "E-Tool"...I did not know that earlier ones had no bayonet attachment.

[@RiflemanMoore]

Indeed so, a very common mistake amongst reenactors.

[@RobertSmith-gm7dv]

Thanks for doing the video I asked for it's really appreciated

[@RiflemanMoore]

No worries, most welcome!

[@andysanger7723]

Great set of videos very interesting and informative 👍

[@gunnerjames1056]

Thanks for another informative video!

[@RiflemanMoore]

Glad you found it interesting.

[@kyrantjuh6519]

Is there any chance you could make a video on the extras you need as a brengunner?

[@ZvZd]

For late 1939, early 1940 BEF IN Francve, the 39 pattern shovel is pretty much the only option? Not every guy had them though right? The 39 shovel seems pretty hard to find.

[@RiflemanMoore]

The only option, indeed but by no means essential. As you say they are difficult to find.

[@ramseygreen808]

Interesting subject that I’ve looked into. The previous 08 intrenching tool was removed from the set in 1923, troops were expected to dig with pioneering tools issued from within unit stores (Shovels G.S., for example). It’s only in December 1939 that the Entrenching tool gets re-developed based on the German design. We believe that they took 4 months to start being issued, so for that reason, you don’t see many at Dunkirk, as it seems only fresh troops going over in May 1940, just before Dunkirk, were issued them. There’s only about 3 photos of them being used before June 1940.

[@MichaelR58]

Thanks for sharing !

[@RiflemanMoore]

Most welcome!

[@madmeerkat1158]

Very informative. Thanks!

[@RiflemanMoore]

Glad you found it so.

[@andrewjohnston4127]

I think it's gotten a bit crazy with the prices of the real entrenching tool covers. I've got a new lad in my group that's been looking for an original one but the prices are putting him off getting one especially when the rest of us picked them up complete for around 35 quid. I'll have to suggest the repro cover to him as an affordable option

[@RiflemanMoore]

As said it would be best to pick up at a show with a comparison to an original if possible to make sure the size etc. is right. SoF kit can vary from batch to batch quite markedly in my experience.

[@andrewjohnston4127]

@@RiflemanMoore yeah he's planning on going to YWE with us so we'll take him to their stall and have a look

[@RiflemanMoore]

Excellent, I hope they have some decent examples.

[@kevinofishero]

Brilliant video and really helpful to a newbie getting his first kit together..

[@RiflemanMoore]

Glad you found it so!

[@adriaankoster7760]

Very good video, thank you very much! You speak a lot of pictures of the time. Do you know any good websites or books with pictures of that time or of certain events? And are you going to make a video about blanco colours and where they were used in the future? I would really love to learn more about it. For now thanks for all the video’s you have made and all the information you share :)

[@RiflemanMoore]

The Imperial War Museum online archive holds many many photographs which are well worth a search. Their website is fairly easy to navigate. Regarding blanco it's certainly something I'd like to cover in the future, yes! I'm very glad you're finding the videos interesting and informative.

[@adriaankoster7760]

Rifleman Moore thank you for your helpful answer

[@ottoman_reenactor_ct]

Might be bit too late asking you this but do you plan to ake a simillar series on first world war reenacting? Or for other theaters of war?

[@RiflemanMoore]

Possibly so. Other theatres would be harder as there really isn't decent repro kit available as a basis in many cases, particularly the Far East so it becomes more an issue of collecting before you can accurately reenact.

[@mattmagee180]

Is the entrenching tool in the video is acceptable for the Dunkirk retreat?

[@RiflemanMoore]

As said in the video the entrenching tool shown was reintroduced in 1941 so no, it isn't.

[@mattmagee180]

So if the 1939 Pattern "german type" tool was rarely found in france during the retreat, what entrenching tool was being used instead?

[@RiflemanMoore]

There was no entrenching tool on individual issue at the time. It was intended that men would rely on tools held as unit stores, full size shovels, picks, etc. much better for digging but not always to hand.