Spetchley Park
We chose this event to be this year’s outing for our relatively new 3rd British Infantry Division Association. Made up of three individual WWII British Infantry re-enactment groups ( Suffolks, Warwicks & East Yorks regiments ) we had tried this out at the Victory Show last year where it had worked well so Adam and I were looking forward to seeing another successful outing for the combined group.
Spetchley Park is a fine Georgian stately home and grounds in Worcestershire just off the M5 south of Birmingham. After an early start on the Friday evening we managed the trip from Castleford in two hours twenty minutes which appeared to be the shortest travel time for any of the attendees. Horror stories of delays and roadworks and traffic jams and one trip taking in excess of five hours suggested we had got off lightly.
After getting beds set up in the 14 man tent we spent a pleasant evening under the dining shelter and later at the beer tent. The pop-up bar ‘The Wheatsheaf’ was there again giving a representation of what the inside of a period boozer would have looked like.
This event is a multi-period event and covers re-enactors from the ancient Greeks all the way up to WWII with just about everything in between. This year they even had a group re-enacting the Texas Revolution of 1835/6. I have not seen that re-enacted before. For those not in the know this was a rebellion of colonists from the United States who joined forces with Texas Mexicans to take up armed resistance against the Mexican Government (Remember the Alamo!). It ended with Texas becoming independent from Mexico and then later Texas applying for and being granted permission to join the Union of the United States of America. Anyway, history lesson over now. What I was trying to say is that it is an event which literally has something for everybody.
In view of the event taking part in the landscaped grounds of the house, we were not allowed to dig in and show ‘troops in the field’ as our display. Instead, we depicted a tent city of troops in lockdown in holding camps prior to embarkation for Operation Overlord. It worked – a tent city it was indeed. We even had a medical aid section and the ATS working to fix a problem with the transfer box of a Jeep.
Saturday morning was intense. Parades, introductions, rifle drill and square bashing started the morning off. With the numbers from three different groups, we had more than a full strength Platoon including an Officer and appropriate NCOs. I could tell that this was going to be a good weekend. The morning finished with the groups splitting into separate sections and repeatedly practising the left/right flanking movements. This was time well spent and paid massive dividends later.
After lunch, we were given some time to ourselves to look around and see the other re-enactments/mock battles ours being last of the afternoon and scheduled as a ‘skirmish’. Seeing thirty plus WWII Tommies in full battle order is not something you see often and we received many comments of approval from the audience as we moved into place ready for the skirmish to begin. I thought it was probably going to be a bit one sided as there were only about twelve German Fallschirmjagers against us.
As to how the skirmish went, well I can’t tell you from a first-hand account. I guess it was like that back in 1944 as each individual soldier only saw his little bit of something much bigger. It seemed to go well to me and I had seen the other sections moving independently under the control of the Officer. Then, after the action was over and we lined up at the crowd line for safety checks and to receive applause, the commentator on the public address system could not contain himself and went wild with appreciation.
Shortly after when we joined in with the final parade of all the re-enactors we had many complimentary and appreciative comments at what we had done.
As to how the skirmish went, well I can’t tell you from a first-hand account. I guess it was like that back in 1944 as each individual soldier only saw his little bit of something much bigger. It seemed to go well to me and I had seen the other sections moving independently under the control of the Officer. Then, after the action was over and we lined up at the crowd line for safety checks and to receive applause, the commentator on the public address system could not contain himself and went wild with appreciation.
Shortly after when we joined in with the final parade of all the re-enactors we had many complimentary and appreciative comments at what we had done.
With the public departing as the afternoon concluded the rain clouds gathered and it turned rather wet. Adam and I had intended to put best kit on to go the Beer tents. Not wanting to have to spend the following day in a damp heavy woollen serge battledress, we changed into modern (comfortable) kit. This was a wise move.
Across the evening we again received many appreciative comments regarding our skirmish. Somebody commented that it was the best WWII battle the event had ever seen to the point that we didn’t look like re-enactors. No, we looked like real soldiers.
Sunday morning started dull but brightened as it went on. After a spot of square bashing, we had a walk through how a platoon attack works with the three sections moving independently to support each other. Now I could understand how and why the public, the other re-enactors and the commentator were so impressed.
The Sunday skirmish came a little earlier and started off with us being caught in a cloudburst as we formed up, just to make it unpleasant. However, this had blown over by the time the skirmish started. Lessons had been learned from the previous day. Adjustments were made to the shape and the events of the skirmish. Again it went well to me but this time the commentator was even more excited and enthusiastic saying it was even better than the previous day!
The Sunday skirmish came a little earlier and started off with us being caught in a cloudburst as we formed up, just to make it unpleasant. However, this had blown over by the time the skirmish started. Lessons had been learned from the previous day. Adjustments were made to the shape and the events of the skirmish. Again it went well to me but this time the commentator was even more excited and enthusiastic saying it was even better than the previous day!
After another final parade of all the re-enactors,
Again it was about two hours and twenty minutes home and after swiftly unpacking we paid a trip to the pub for a final beer before bed where we talked and talked about how good the weekend had been.
This was indeed a very successful weekend and has again proved the concept for combining groups to form a Divisional Unit. I think it is the future for WWII British Infantry re-enacting and understand plans are already in hand for similar events next year. I can’t wait!
Article by: PTE Dale Heaton. All Photographs Courtesy of David Hartland of the AFPU Reenactment Project
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