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Fandom on the web ... World War II on the web ... Other TV shows ... Recommended Reading

Various:

Elaine's Web Page
Anne Collins Smith's web pages in tribute to Ann Elaine McKannan, a Rat Patrol fan and friend who passed away last year.

Claudine Longet
A site dedicated to the actress who played Marianne in Last Harbour Raid. Current news, a discography, shopping tips, acting credits and offsite links; biographical data, reviews of her vocal albums, and more details on her film work are planned.

Libya: Our Home
Everything you wanted to know (and see) about Libya, including maps; information about Tripoli, Benghazi, and Tobruk; history of the Italian Occupation and the Libyan Resistance; and ancient history and archaeology.

The real World War:

Long Range Desert Group Preservation Society
The mission of the LRDG Preservation Society is to learn as much as possible about the unit, the men in it and the equipment that they used, and to share that information through reenactment events and the Internet. The group has built a replica of the classic WWII LRDG truck (1942 Canadian Chevy, right hand drive, India format) and outfitted it with historically correct military equipment, gear, provisions, and uniforms. The only requirement for membership is an interest in history . . . and an interest in learning the real-life story behind the Rat Patrol.

Tables of Ranks

D+66: World War II through a single soldier's eyes
For the last five years, Van R. Mayhall, Sr., USAR Col. (ret), has been collecting his memoirs with the help of his granddaughter Robin. He trained at several locations in Florida and Louisiana, starting his service at Camp Blanding, Florida, then served in the European theater and landed at Omaha Beach on D+66 as part of the Texas/Oklahoma "Tough 'Ombres."
German Armed Forces in WWII
Cleanly organised and succinct, this site focuses on the history of the military, paramilitary and auxiliary units and formations of the WWII German and Axis forces. Over 1,200 pages including a message forum; a day-by-day chronology of WWII from an Axis perspective; histories of all German military awards and medals of WWII; interviews with German vets; and a section on the odd history of British Volunteers in the German Wehrmacht.
World War II Website Association
The WW2WA is a group of historians and webmasters organised in response to plagiarism of images and information from World War II websites. Membership includes access to their online forum; e-newsletter informing members of events and including articles and reviews of material on military history; and regularly scheduled online discussions on webmaster concerns and WW2 military history. Any administrator of a WWII website may apply for membership.
Memories of the 1940s
"To be young during a time of war..." Through a threaded message forum, a panel who were young in the 1940's are responding to questions from students and paying testimony to those who quietly endured, and sometimes lost, on both sides of the conflict. It runs across the board from food parcels to teatime in 1942, with answers from the German side, the Polish side, the British side, and the American. It's well moderated as well. Lots of detail.

Other desert visions:

The Desert Peach and Fine Line Press: English | Deutsch
A superlative gem in the comics world, created by Donna Barr. "Set in the North African Desert during World War II, The Desert Peach introduces you to the 469th halftrack and gravedigging battalion, which is as classic a collection of screwballs and misfits as any to grace screen or page. Their commander is Colonel Pfirsich (Peach) Rommel, the younger brother of the famed Desert Fox, Erwin Rommel. An able commander and man of integrity and peace, he finds himself thrust into a conflict he finds appalling." The free samplers of issues 23 and 22 make a good introduction to Donna Barr's vision of WWII.

WWII in the 60s:

The Hogan's Heroes Game
A little "choose your own path"/"name that episode" game using the Quicktime plug-in (high-speed connection a plus). This is fun; I want to make one for Rat Patrol (with a few more choices). Beware of entering this site via its front page; the constant repetition of the drum intro to the Hogan's Heroes theme music will drive you to distraction.

An Honorable Soldier

A web site devoted to Hauptmann Hans Dietrich -- complete with a guide rating Dietrich's role in each episode.

The Bunker

An online magazine dedicated to various WWII television shows and movies. Includes profiles of series and actors and links to related sites.

Combat!

Airing originally on ABC from 1962 through 1967, television's longest-running World War II drama followed the exploits of the fighting men of Company K's second platoon as they battled their way across Europe. Site includes information on fan activities and gatherings.

Episode Guides:

WWII in miniature:

Lanny's GI Joe Page
"One of my favorite shows was The Rat Patrol. I used to thrill to watch the jeeps racing through desert sands and marveled at the accuracy of the awesome .50 cal machine-guns. As a child I had the smaller scale (I believe it was) Marx Rat Patrol set and flat wore it out. It was one of my favorite toys growing up. Its only draw back, it was not the same scale as Joe. (My brother's 5 star would dwarf it by comparison!) ...I began to wonder what my Joe would look like in a vintage jeep with an authentic looking .50 cal mounted. This is where my quest begins..."

WWII in reenactment:

California Historical Group
The California Historical Group World War II Living History Association (CHG) is non-profit educational and historical society dedicated to remembering and paying tribute to combat soldier of W.W.II -- U.S., British, Russian, and German. They preserve period artifacts and research their use, origins, and those who used them. Club events consist of battle reenactments and public displays to educate the general public as well as members on the daily rigors of the common soldier in W.W.II.

Recommended Reading:

COMBAT! A viewer's companion to the classic TV series
written by Jo Davidsmeyer with foreword by Rick Jason

Check back at this page for more recommended books and more links of interest


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