82nd Airborne Division,
505th Parachute Infantry Regiment,
3rd Battalion
1st Squad, H- Company
This unit is based in Auckland New Zealand and serves to accomplish its goals through the following activities:
- Technical support to museums and veterans organisations.
- Restoration and preservation of military equipment and other artifacts associated with airborne history.
- Educational Instruction and displays to schools, organisations and the general public.
- Living history interpretations.
This Allied paratrooper unit the 505th PIR.represents one of the most active formations of the American Airborne forces in WW2. The Re-enactment unit is geared up to re-enact as US paratroopers in the Italian and North-Western Europe theatres during 1943-1944. The standard equipment is the M1 steel helmet with paratrooper liner, Airborne M1942 or M1943combat jacket and trousers (with bellow cargo pockets) and Brown Parachute boots.
The basic insignia is the US Flag patch and the 82nd Airborne Divisional Patch and worn on the upper arm. Combat Equipment is the Belt cartridge cal. 30 M1923, Dismounted or pistol Belt M1936, suspenders belt M1936 with Canteen M1910 or M1942 and cover Canteen dismounted M1910. Standard weapons are the M1 Garand, carbine and Thompson S.M.G. Other weapons available have included the Springfield 30-06, M3 submachine gun, Browning Automatic Rifle and Browning medium Machine gun.
The 82nd 505th PIR re-enactment unit has a substantial encampment display and specialised re-enacting troops "in the field" the current unit has a even mix of veterans and recruits.
Our unit manual is downloadable here.