Britain at War

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Britain at War at Chiltern Open Air Museum

On 10 and 11 August, 10am until 5pm, local heritage site, Chiltern Open Air Museum, in Chalfont St Giles, Buckinghamshire, has a multi-period re-enactment event covering periods of war throughout Britain's history. You can visit the living history camps and watch a variety of displays from across the nation's history. There will be combat demonstrations, firing displays and dancing!

Learn about war in medieval times by visiting the apothecary living history encampment and seeing warhorses in the arena. Watch the arming of the knight, see warhorse re-enactments with some skill at arms, and mounted combat displays.

Explore the English Civil War with Sir Marmaduke's Rawdon's Regimente of Foote living encampment. Talk to civilian & military re-enactors including musketeers, artillery and pikeman.

Meet Napoleonic soldiers and find out about the life of a Rifleman in Wellington's army during the Peninsular War. Visit the living history encampment and learn how the soldiers' families lived. Watch a thrilling display of military skill in their firing display.

Re-enactors from The Rifles Living History Society and the 10th Essex WWI Living History Group will show what life was like for the soldiers during the Great War and how the British home front played a vital role. There will be demonstrations of the Leach Trench Catapult. You can also step back in time in COAM's Nissen Bow Hut, designed during World War I to meet the need for a building that was cheap and easy to build in different locations.

On the Saturday, there will be the opportunity to listen to a talk by Ben Wilberforce, author of Furze; Sweethearts and Swan Songs. The book is a retelling of Ben's great-grandfather's hand-written diary he kept during WWI. It intertwines the cruel realities of war and the contrast of a soldier's first love.

Members of the Oxford Home Guard Group will be demonstrating what life was like on the home front during the Second World War including the roles of ARP Wardens and the Women's Voluntary Service.

Meet the Land Girls in the Dig for Victory Allotment, discover the RAF briefing room in our WWII Nissen Hut, and join the team from Doing their Bit: Life on the Home Front as they show us what it was like to be bombed out.

The American Infantry Association will be demonstrating a field Headquarters for the 35th Infantry Division stationed in England prior to D-Day. There will be a US Army Chaplain in the field with his wartime Jeep and trailer and a living history encampment from the US 82nd Airborne Division.

Jeep, Jump, Jive will be creating a party atmosphere with popular 1940s music playing from their US Army Air Force Jeep. There will be Lindy Hop social dancing and the opportunity for everyone to get involved with fun classes for all ages.

This engaging event has something for the whole family. Book tickets at www.coam.org.uk