And despite no response they quietly changed it so I just sent them thisHello
My name is Paul Dalby and in my leisure time I commit that greatest of sins – I re-enact!!!!
Now yesterday I sent an email via your website to Ms Uli Heisse but as yet have not received a reply.
On your website you feature a “documentary “ you recently made with regard to “Weekend Nazis”. The accompanying image features two of my members in the foreground and a third in the background. The fourth party I believe is a foreign national. Your accompanying text associates these people with the “SS” and this is a misnomer. They are in fact not wearing SS uniform. A surprising lack of research on your part means that you have pictured people in the context of soldiers when in fact they are wearing the uniform of an administrative official or “Beamte” – They are not in fact soldiers but Civil Servants. Many civil servants were not Nazis and were put into uniform quite unwillingly. A far better subject for a documentary but I digress.
The crux of this email is to respectfully ask you to remove the image of my members and possibly replace it with a more suitable image – either of an actual SS re-enactor or an image which does not misrepresent our organisation. One of my members has expressed some distress at seeing himself photographed – In fact he thought at the time he was being photographed privately by a guest at the wedding – NOT an undercover reporter. He has directly asked me to have this removed.
This brings me to another aspect. Why did October Films feel the need to “go undercover” into a perfectly harmless hobby? Why did you prejudice further the already sullied integrity of journalism in this manner? We in the community feel very let down. We are open and would have been happy to assist with a positive programme about what we do. Instead, a silly subterfuge was played out and we are left with a bitter taste in our mouths.
I do hope this mail is passed on to someone who will attend to it in a sensitive and responsible manner. We would like our images removed as it is misrepresentation. We would not wish to take the matter further but AFRA has a great many members and some resource. It is an expanding organisation shortly to encompass a wider sphere of re-enactment and can not be tainted in this manner. So in closing can I make plain – However unwillingly, if October does not wish to work with us on this, we will take steps to ensure our good name is not sullied.
Thank you and Good Day.
Paul Dalby
Chair AFRA
Did send one to Ms Hesse yesterday but as yet no response.Just a short note to say thank you for your swift response to my email. Changing the graphic from an unrelated image on the “Weekend Nazi” post has made a difference to how some of my members view your organisation. It is such a pity that you thought to malign us as you did. Our members are ordinary, everyday people enjoying a fringe hobby that is extremely popular. Our participation at the Midland’s largest WWII event this weekend illustrated this. Indeed I think you would have made much more interesting television had you approached us openly and chosen to film how we prepared for and executed our part in this show. Instead you focussed in on only a portion of the hobby, ignoring and neglecting the wider component parts. You effectively manufactured a non story.
I trust we will not see a repeat of this.
Regards
Paul Dalby
Chair AFRA
they won't be able to resist the limelight at somepoint 
