Second Battle Group
Encyclopedia
The Second Battle Group is a World War II
Living History
and Historical Society. The Second Battle Group re-enact the 1st SS Division Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler. The SBG became established in 1978 making it the first group of its type in Europe and have appeared in countless films and documentaries, including Saving Private Ryan
.
The SBG is a non-political group whose remit is to increase public awareness of the fighting prowess and camaraderie of the Waffen-SS
. The group aims to achieve this by living and fighting at both public and private shows throughout the year, in a manner as close as realistically possible to the conditions prevailing at the time.
Many members are former soldiers. They also enjoy a close relationship with other Axis and Allied reenactment groups in the UK.
reported that children of SBG members, wearing the brown-shirts of the Hitler Youth
, had been selling Adolf Hitler mugs at a war-games exhibition in London. The SBG maintain that the children were actually part of a German home front display and that the mugs were on sale elsewhere.
The SBG were the focus of a BBC documentary broadcast on the evening of the 27 August 2007, entitled Weekend Nazis. Two SBG members were covertly filmed expressing racist views. The SBG later issued the following statement through their lawyers:
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
Living History
Historical reenactment
Historical reenactment is an educational activity in which participants attempt torecreate some aspects of a historical event or period. This may be as narrow as a specific moment from a battle, such as the reenactment of Pickett's Charge at the Great Reunion of 1913, or as broad as an entire...
and Historical Society. The Second Battle Group re-enact the 1st SS Division Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler. The SBG became established in 1978 making it the first group of its type in Europe and have appeared in countless films and documentaries, including Saving Private Ryan
Saving Private Ryan
Saving Private Ryan is a 1998 American war film set during the invasion of Normandy in World War II. It was directed by Steven Spielberg, with a screenplay by Robert Rodat. The film is notable for the intensity of its opening 27 minutes, which depicts the Omaha Beach assault of June 6, 1944....
.
The SBG is a non-political group whose remit is to increase public awareness of the fighting prowess and camaraderie of the Waffen-SS
Waffen-SS
The Waffen-SS was a multi-ethnic and multi-national military force of the Third Reich. It constituted the armed wing of the Schutzstaffel or SS, an organ of the Nazi Party. The Waffen-SS saw action throughout World War II and grew from three regiments to over 38 divisions, and served alongside...
. The group aims to achieve this by living and fighting at both public and private shows throughout the year, in a manner as close as realistically possible to the conditions prevailing at the time.
Many members are former soldiers. They also enjoy a close relationship with other Axis and Allied reenactment groups in the UK.
Controversies
In April 2007 The Jewish ChronicleThe Jewish Chronicle
The Jewish Chronicle is a London-based Jewish newspaper. Founded in 1841, it is the oldest continuously published Jewish newspaper in the world.-Publication data and readership figures:...
reported that children of SBG members, wearing the brown-shirts of the Hitler Youth
Hitler Youth
The Hitler Youth was a paramilitary organization of the Nazi Party. It existed from 1922 to 1945. The HJ was the second oldest paramilitary Nazi group, founded one year after its adult counterpart, the Sturmabteilung...
, had been selling Adolf Hitler mugs at a war-games exhibition in London. The SBG maintain that the children were actually part of a German home front display and that the mugs were on sale elsewhere.
The SBG were the focus of a BBC documentary broadcast on the evening of the 27 August 2007, entitled Weekend Nazis. Two SBG members were covertly filmed expressing racist views. The SBG later issued the following statement through their lawyers:
The views alleged to have been made by members of the SBG are, in the opinion of the SBG, fascist, racist and utterly reprehensible and as such are views we strongly oppose.