De-acs & Replicas to Normandy

[Max Reheat]

Am planning a trip to Normandy this year for D-Day week (1st to 8th June), hopefully in the Jeep (engine rebuild permitting :undecided:).

 

We will be travelling independently i.e. not with an organised group and won't be based at a fixed camp/event.

 

My lad (14) is into US re-enacting (29th Infantry, D-Day) and has persuaded me to dress as (portly :blush:) Ox & Bucks gliderborne.

 

Questions are:

 

a) can we a take his replica Garand (plus bayonet) & M911 and my de-ac Enfield No. 4 (plus bayonet) on the ferry OK, Brittany Ferries didn't rule it out when I emailed them, they just said contact them after booking.

 

b) will we be able to wander around with these reasonably freely without bother from the police given it's D-Day week, obviously a bit dodgy any other time!

 

Obviously I would have the de-ac cert with me.

 

Excuse my naivety in these matters, it's all new to me.

 

I would be grateful for any advice, especially from anyone who's been there and done that!

 

Cheers,

 

Dave :-)

[arcot1751]

As I understand it the MVT tour states absolutely NO weapons replica or deactivated, as you are going independently you will probably not do as they do, HOWEVER have you thought of the implications of taking weapons of any kind out of the country and the possible complications of getting them back in again ? If it were me I would leave them behind. The police there may not like it either.

[Tony B]

From Goldbeach we have been told De-Acs are OK as long as you have the certificate. Any sort of replica or airsoft definite no. They are even kicking ove licensed Firarms apparently, which contravenes EEC law, but the port officials as I know from last time can be right...awkward.

[Hoseman]

From Goldbeach we have been told De-Acs are OK as long as you have the certificate. Any sort of replica or airsoft definite no. They are even kicking ove licensed Firarms apparently, which contravenes EEC law, but the port officials as I know from last time can be right...awkward.

We are all taking our deacs to Arnhem in September, not a problem with the certs or police!

[Tony B]

Yes but that is Holland. The French can be awkward and as a lot of power is devolved to local level it just needs one pain to make life difficult.

[Hoseman]

Yes but that is Holland. The French can be awkward and as a lot of power is devolved to local level it just needs one pain to make life difficult.

That's because they need to make themselves feel important and to bump themselves up!! It's their only little moment of glory....they got to have at least one in life!! Lol

[MB1944]

That's because they need to make themselves feel important and to bump themselves up!! It's their only little moment of glory....they got to have at least one in life!! Lol

 

Hoseman

Because of the camp you are going to you, will have an official letter printed out from the Dutch Government, which will be replaced with a different one when you have booked your weapons in at the camp. This covering letter must be carried at all times.

The Dutch laws are very strict, absolutely no replicas, and I would certainly not entertain taking my deacs. without the covering letter and certs., it is difficult as I understand it for Dutch nationals to own deacs.

 

Best regards

John

[.303fan]

automatic and semi automatic needs to be cut in half ,

pistols and revolvers milled 1/3 off and welded on a steel plate.

bolt action rifles are welded up fully and these are legal to own.

 

if a dutch man wants to have a uk style deact machinegun or semi automatic there is a gun license for it.

a lot is possible, i learned it to late.

[Davey089]

Don't take them is the easiest way .

I won't go into a long winded run down of the hasssle/grief I encountered with the French Duane at Ouestriham on the 65th.

 

 

I had the de acts registered with the local French Authorities .

I had all the relevant official French paperwork stamped and signed.

 

Weapons while in transit were in covers locked away in the motorhome locker , stopped on the way back home by the Duane(no problem while riding around Normandy with the Jeep) .

 

Showed them all the French Paperwork supported by the de act certs ...............arrogant B*****d wasn't interested :mad:, called in more of his buddies 6 in total confiscated the weapons , 1 No4 ,2 Sten's 1 .30cal plus 2 DENIX Thompsons (there was 5 of us) it only helped when another senior ranked Duane came over , going by the way he had a go I think he bollocked them . The weapons were still taken away and put on the Ferry by them and when I got back I wasted 2 hrs tracking them down to get them back ............not happy when I had another 7 hrs to get home .

 

Worth mentioning our end wasn't bothered about the weapons , just the French

 

Best advice don't even contemplate taking them

Edited April 2, 2014 by Marmite!!

[arcot1751]

I agree, it's not worth it, the 70th is about the veterans and what they achieved why worry about spoiling your holiday by carrying weapons. If the police turn funny you could spend most of your break filling in forms in a police station. The vehicles are enough for most. :-D

[Tony B]

Don't take them is the easiest way .

I won't go into a long winded run down of the hasssle/grief I encountered with the French Duane at Ouestriham on the 65th.

 

 

I had the de acts registered with the local French Authorities .

I had all the relevant official French paperwork stamped and signed.

 

Weapons while in transit were in covers locked away in the motorhome locker , stopped on the way back home by the Duane(no problem while riding around Normandy with the Jeep) .

 

Showed them all the French Paperwork supported by the de act certs ...............arrogant B*****d wasn't interested :mad:, called in more of his buddies 6 in total confiscated the weapons , 1 No4 ,2 Sten's 1 .30cal plus 2 DENIX Thompsons (there was 5 of us) it only helped when another senior ranked Duane came over , going by the way he had a go I think he bollocked them . The weapons were still taken away and put on the Ferry by them and when I got back I wasted 2 hrs tracking them down to get them back ............not happy when I had another 7 hrs to get home .

 

Worth mentioning our end wasn't bothered about the weapons , just the French

 

Best advice don't even contemplate taking them

 

Our problem took the French Presidient's office at 16:00 hrs to sort out! (I kid you not!) The Customs at Ouesterham are known to be horse's rear ends. The Gendarmes who had volunterred to escort us, what a great bunch!

Edited April 2, 2014 by Marmite!!

[commander]

The only problems we have encountered with taking deacts to Normandy has been with the ferry company

if you have not told them beforehand they refuse to let you take them so we always tell them now what we

are taking and a copy of the deact certificates one year they made us take the axes of the side of the vehicles

and put them inside and one year they made us empty any petrol that was in the jerry cans on the jeeps and

Dodges and fill the vehicles to the brim I think it is just who you get at the port when you sail and regarding

Customs/Douane in France they do not accept deactivated or replica grenades or Nazi/SS memorabilia these

they confiscate on the spot

C

[Tony B]

Jerry cans are a concern to the ferrys anyway, particullaly fumes. I just leave the lids up to show they haven't been used in years. Always worth laminating De-Ac certificates, and if you copy them, mark the copy very clearly COPY, it is an offence to copy a certificate with intent to decive.

[Max Reheat]

Thanks chaps for all your advices (including jerry cans too). I think the sensible money says to not take them.

 

Have got an embryonic plan B as my lad has an opaque plastic rifle cover as used by GIs on D-Day so with a loosely fashioned bit of wood inside he'll be (kind off!) happy. May even be able to fit a spare pair if grips to a handle shaped bit of wood to fashion a holstered M1911 too!

 

Cheers,

 

Dave

[Davey089]

Thanks chaps for all your advices (including jerry cans too). I think the sensible money says to not take them.

 

Have got an embryonic plan B as my lad has an opaque plastic rifle cover as used by GIs on D-Day so with a loosely fashioned bit of wood inside he'll be (kind off!) happy. May even be able to fit a spare pair if grips to a handle shaped bit of wood to fashion a holstered M1911 too!

 

Cheers,

 

Dave

 

Wise move , as I said previously they even confiscated the DENIX Thompson's .I don't take any weapons to Normandy anymore since the carry on with the Duane .

[arcot1751]

I think the general census of opinion is to leave the weapons behind and go and enjoy what our fathers and grandfathers fought for, FREEDOM,

[Packhow75]

The continentals will be armed to the teeth - they dont care about the rules... but for that odd occasion you want a nice pic - borrow something from them rather than take it with you.

 

But be careful - last year I borrowed a "deact" from a French reenactor in Provence... which we were able to chamber and fire a blank round through...

 

Am proposing taking my 75mm pack howitzer... the paperwork for that has taken 6 months so far and still no news as to whether I will get the permits or not... without the correct paperwork, the Howitzer will stay at home.

 

 

Tim