FAAA AT WIMPOLE AT WAR

[FAAA]

WIMPOLE AT WAR

 

The last public event of the year found the FAAA at the Event Plan Wimpole at War event at Wimpole Hall just North of Roston Herts.

 

This event has been going for a number of years but this was the first year it was to be run by "event plan" and the expansion of the event was an exciting prospect.

 

This was our first event at this venue and fitted in very nicely with our plans to undertake a late September end of public show season event. This was also for many an event that was not too far away from home bases and especially the support vehicles and group stores.

 

Being the end of season, most had run out of Holiday time and therefore it would be a late afternoon, early evening deployment for the group, which meant a lot of hard work to get set up and be ready for the Saturday Morning. Those who mustered late afternoon on the Friday arrived to more wet weather, however once in the display area the rain stopped and even the sun came out for a short while!

 

First Priority was as always the Field Kitchen. That went up faster than normal, surprising as there was only three of us initially. Once up the Cooker, Tables and chairs went in and the Kitchen began to take shape. Slowly throughout the afternoon and evening troops began to arrive, some finally found us after a drive around the park as even though we had a huge fenced field in which to play, the entrance for the support vehicles was some distance away, through two fields in fact, but what a display location, excellent back drop and room enough to blast round the field in the half track and jeep if we felt the urge, which we did often throughout the weekend. By dark o clock Friday evening all that were to arrive on the Friday were in the camp and either around the camp fire or putting up there Small Wall tents.

 

The half track was due to arrive mid evening, but alas we received a call, to say the Prop Shaft on the low loader had come adrift and the Half Track would be late, probably not until the next day if at all we thought! However when most would have binned it, Jonny Half Track called back a hour or so latter to say he had been recovered and would be transloading the vehicle onto his second low loader, an Arctic and would be starting out again! Commitment!

 

The Half Track fully kitted out for combat arrived getting on for Mid Night on the Friday evening. Once unloaded and parked up outside the camp, Jonny was back in his wagon and heading home, only to get up for a mornings work at six. Jonny would be back to join us in the afternoon of the Saturday and would take part in the late afternoon public display. I too was up early on the Saturday, heading the 40 miles home to pick up 1x Jeep and 1x nurse and wife. Arriving back at base camp around half eight, the camp had been squared away and breakfast was on, troops and nurses were busy in different areas of the camp getting things ready for the public due at 1000hrs.

 

 

The venue allows for many groups to be positioned out of site of each other, certainly not a flat field show. All over the estate allied troops could be found, some small, two or three man units, some larger, by far FAAA were providing the largest contingent and the largest set up.

 

Wimpole hall has an interesting WWII History, not only did the estate border on the 91st Bomb Group’s Airfield at Bassingbourne, providing it with sheltered and camouflaged storage sites, but in late 1944 the US 163rd General Hospital were established here and it was this unit the groups Army Nurses were to represent at this show.

 

Wimpole Hall, note the long avenue taxi -way

 

Location of the 163rd General Hospital

 

Well before the 1000hrs deadline the camp and tactical display locations were ready and the group prepared to recieve their first batch of visitors.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[FAAA]

As the first group of public entered the camp the camp cook called all to breakfast, the public like to see troops eating and we were hungrey Troops.

 

Messing Officer checks the kitchen

 

 

 

 

 

 

With breakfast over the mess hall team cleaned up and the troops of the 41st Armoured Infantry prepared to move out and dig in.

 

 

 

 

[FAAA]

Infantry arrive at their defensive location and dig in.

 

 

 

 

With foxholes dug the Mortar Platoon went on to carry our training in preparation for the firing scenario latter in the day

 

 

 

 

Most of the Saturday was spent around the display area, except for a period when a dismounted patrol was sent out via a half track drop off point around the site to check out the other groups displays.

At 1600hrs the Mortar Platoon mounted up to carry out the Mortar firing display scenario. This involved a simulated fire mission with orders being received from a jeep mounted forward observer.

[FAAA]

The area we had designated for the public viewing had to rapidly be expanded when we were swamped with what seemed hundreds of public, but all was fine in the end and a good professional display was undertaken, culminating in the crew receiving a casualty who was stretched off to the Army Nurses who then carried on with a hospital presentation with the captivated public audience.

 

 

 

 

 

 

After our bit of the display was completed it was to stand-down, but before that weapons were cleaned before stowing away for the night.

 

 

 

[FAAA]

With a dance to attend and a Birthday to celebrate on the Saturday evening, the rest of the Satuday afternoon was spent scrubbing up for a night of dancing, drinking and partying. Even in the field the ladies of the "Army Nurses" found time to prepare.

 

 

 

[FAAA]

At dusk off to the dance we all went and what a night was had by all. Being the very last public event members wore what they liked , making for some interesting impressions!

 

 

 

 

 

 

[FAAA]

After a cracking night a few people were a bit fragile on the Sunday morning, however after a hot brew and a hearty breakfast all were ready for another eventfull day. Unfortunatly Sunday morning brought a little rain, but not enough to dampen anyones spirits.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The event was without doubt well worth the effort and with the social aspect on the Saturday night an allround great weekend was confirmed.

 

It is hoped that we will be back with more troops and kit next year to build on what we achieved this time round, if you did not get to this one, keep the last weekend in September 2011 clear.

 

LM Bowden

 

Photos:

 

Allen

Lee

[Johan Willaert]

Another nice effort, Lee....

 

Just how many times per year do you repaint those bumper markings...

[Sabrejet]

Nice One! Looks like a jolly good time was had by all?

 

Sabrejet :thumbsup:

[FAAA]

Another nice effort, Lee....

 

Just how many times per year do you repaint those bumper markings...

 

 

As and when required Johan :thumbsup:

 

Getting vehicles ready in the New Year for 86th Cavalry Reconnaissance Squadron, but prior to that another 41st Armoured Infantry job for a Jan 2011 show.

 

When is your next visit to the UK!

 

Regards

 

Lee

[Johan Willaert]

When is your next visit to the UK!

 

Thanks Lee....

 

My next visit probably won't be until the next Beltring SHow....

 

I will transfer to a new unit in January and have no idea if I could make it to Stoneleigh... I really should get back, I can't even remember when I visited that show last...

 

JOhan

[FAAA]

Thanks Lee....

 

My next visit probably won't be until the next Beltring SHow....

 

I will transfer to a new unit in January and have no idea if I could make it to Stoneleigh... I really should get back, I can't even remember when I visited that show last...

 

JOhan

 

Hi Johan

 

It would be good to see you at the Stoneleigh event, first one for us in the year and a challenge to do an indoor display, done it for 9 years now.

 

We stay well away from Beltring nowadays, prefering to do the Multi Period event at Kelmarssh the week end before.

 

Regards

 

Lee

[audacia cum prudentia]

This reminds reminds me of that line from the song by Heaven 17 : " I was 37 you were 17 "

 

what was the line now :

 

" Where you lead I will follow "

 

The 2nd armored guys are doing a big, week long, armored trip with mass M8's, half tracks, jeeps, etc across Normandy and Brittany next year as guess what ??!! :

 

 

Yep, got it in one !!

 

86th Recon, 6th Armored division !!!

 

If you want to get an inkling of what the trip will probably be like look up the YOUTUBE VIDEOS :

 

1) half tracks, m8s willys jeeps

 

2) m5 stuart showing off leaving luggage in the process

 

3) allierte befrien maastricht 1

 

4) allierte befrien maastricht 2

 

5) slavnosti svobody plzen 2.5.10

 

Surely the best thing you guys could do is take your track and jeep and link up with these guys ??

[FAAA]

This reminds reminds me of that line from the song by Heaven 17 : " I was 37 you were 17 "

 

what was the line now :

 

" Where you lead I will follow "

 

The 2nd armored guys are doing a big, week long, armored trip with mass M8's, half tracks, jeeps, etc across Normandy and Brittany next year as guess what ??!! :

Yep, got it in one !!

 

86th Recon, 6th Armored division !!!

 

If you want to get an inkling of what the trip will probably be like look up the YOUTUBE VIDEOS :

 

1) half tracks, m8s willys jeeps

 

2) m5 stuart showing off leaving luggage in the process

 

3) allierte befrien maastricht 1

 

4) allierte befrien maastricht 2

 

5) slavnosti svobody plzen 2.5.10

 

Surely the best thing you guys could do is take your track and jeep and link up with these guys ??

 

 

Possibly, but it would depend on costings, dates, who is running it, what we get out of it and how this project might help us bearing in mind we are deploying locally here as this unit early 2011, it might be the best thing these guys could do is link up with us at an event prior to the Europe tour

 

Regards to all

 

Lee

[audacia cum prudentia]

Possibly, but it would depend on costings, dates, who is running it, what we get out of it and how this project might help us bearing in mind we are deploying locally here as this unit early 2011, it might be the best thing these guys could do is link up with us at an event prior to the Europe tour

 

Regards to all

 

Lee

 

 

I believe the trip contact address is [email protected] and it runs from 3rd - 10th September 2011 going from Cherbourg via Utah beach to St Malo, following the 6th armored division's route in 1944. Much of it off-road from what I can gather

 

I don't think the group bothers with small scale events in England as such, they do big scale, long penetration, authentic, hard-core events deep into Europe involving people from many countries and large, ( certainly by re-enacting standards anyway ) armored units, the youtube videos speak for themselves. I couldn't seem to get direct links up to them on here, if anyone can do that perhaps it would be of interest.

 

Seeing as you guys seem to be marking up as the same as that group often seems to mark up as, it seems a pity for you guys not to take the opportunity to add another track full of armored infantry to their column and do it at the right time, in the right place as the right unit too

[audacia cum prudentia]

I believe the trip contact address is [email protected] and it runs from 3rd - 10th September 2011 going from Cherbourg via Utah beach to St Malo, following the 6th armored division's route in 1944. Much of it off-road from what I can gather

 

I don't think the group bothers with small scale events in England as such, they do big scale, long penetration, authentic, hard-core events deep into Europe involving people from many countries and large, ( certainly by re-enacting standards anyway ) armored units, the youtube videos speak for themselves. I couldn't seem to get direct links up to them on here, if anyone can do that perhaps it would be of interest.

 

Seeing as you guys seem to be marking up as the same as that group often seems to mark up as, it seems a pity for you guys not to take the opportunity to add another track full of armored infantry to their column and do it at the right time, in the right place as the right unit too

 

 

Surely you would add a great asset to any trip with a nice looking track and an authentic group of ready to slot in guys and you could take advantage of the professionalism and experience and worldwide contacts the 2nd Armored group seem to have to give your men the experience of a re-enacting life time ?

 

Being part of an armored infantry platoon in an armored column all as part of one unit and being able to look forwards or backwards down the column as it kicks up dust in the Normandy countryside or look around your bivouac and just to be part of almost total authenticity when you already have the assets in place and it is so close to you is an opportunity not to be missed !

[FAAA]

I believe the trip contact address is [email protected] and it runs from 3rd - 10th September 2011 going from Cherbourg via Utah beach to St Malo, following the 6th armored division's route in 1944. Much of it off-road from what I can gather

 

I don't think the group bothers with small scale events in England as such, they do big scale, long penetration, authentic, hard-core events deep into Europe involving people from many countries and large, ( certainly by re-enacting standards anyway ) armored units, the youtube videos speak for themselves. I couldn't seem to get direct links up to them on here, if anyone can do that perhaps it would be of interest.

 

Seeing as you guys seem to be marking up as the same as that group often seems to mark up as, it seems a pity for you guys not to take the opportunity to add another track full of armored infantry to their column and do it at the right time, in the right place as the right unit too

 

 

Have to say its the first we have heard of the 2nd Armoured club doing any 6th Armoured, although I believe they have done lots of other units over and above 82nd Recon, perhaps we missed that one! We did quite a bit of 6th Armoured a few years back, mostly Armoured Infantry and a little bit of 86th Cav.

 

 

http://www.faaa.me.uk/6th%20Armored%20Training%202008.htm

 

If its the same 2nd Armoured outfit I think we are talking about I concure they have no interest as an outfit with the smaller public event as I found out to my cost a couple of years back when organising a 6th Armoured Based Living History event at COAM. If I remember we were let down at the last minuite with Armour that was promised, but we quickly converted to a jeep based Armoured Infantry Recon Platoon and Mortar platoon for the event.

 

We have a provisional event already planned for this period in Holland, but nothing set in stone at this time, so may be interested depending on cost and duration of the event. I think 2nd Armoured know how to contact the FAAA!

 

Regards

 

Lee

[jonheyworth]

always an invite there lads

 

look up

 

undefined

 

 

look especially under the movies sub section at roll on the mass and in the links look at the 4th armored's czech 2010 gallery

 

any critiques or comments by anyone who looks are always welcome as every opinion helps us to improve

[FAAA]

Hi Jonney

 

Yep seen these films before, think for sure some of our troopers are in one or two.

 

Whats the connection with next years deployment as 86th Cav Recon! Other than I guess its the same crew organising it.

 

The trip sounds interesting and I am sure it would be of interest to this group, however our Half Track is a International Harvester model and I hear from some experts in your outfit that this may not be accurate for our portrayal. It has also been noted that our fleet of jeeps are probably a little too clean. We certainly would not like to be responsible for lowering your very high standards of authenticity on any trip.

 

Regards

 

Lee

[jonheyworth]

Well we do like our dirt and mud and scratches and bent wings and bumpers and cracked windshields and our spent cases and litter but after a few days of rain and mud and dust and cross country and living out of , and sleeping besides the vehicles, they all tend to look like that even if they started as pristine !

 

Why 86th Cav ?

 

Lots of interest in another Normandy trip - we havn't been since 2006 - but we wanted to avoid the well beaten routes and units and we have a standing invite to include Brittany so we are going in to Cherbourg and coming home from St Malo and going as 6th Armored division following their route and actions from the Normandy Beachhead through the bocage and down into the Brittany Peninsula, and after the huge distances involved in the Czech event in May which for me was a 1900 mile round trip we thought we would do a trip where we start and finish " straight off the boat " so to speak !

 

You should give it a go, without sounding cocky, and it's not meant to, it's just reality, no one else has the contacts and experience we have to make these events happen over the distance and on the scale and uniformity that they achieve, all the hard work is done, all anyone has to really do is follow the details, turn up and join in.

 

Even jaded as I am at re-enacting I still sometimes look around open jawed at the site of a field in Europe full of a single unit's men and armour and at the site of a European village filled with WW2 hardware or at an accurate and authentic column stretching as far as the eye can see forwards AND backwards and to have people from 15 countries working together to make it happen and work.

[FAAA]

Well mate great sales pitch have to say, however listening to a few others in your gang, they do indeed come across as quite cocky and we would have to ask ourselves would we want to actually share the next experience with them. The concept is interesting, but many other factors have to be taken into consideration, cost is one, duration and support are others.

 

As a group leader I have to look at everything before going out to the team and committing ourselves. It is something I am sure would tick many of the groups boxes, I personally have done it for real and know I would enjoy the camaraderie these type of events bring, however I no longer involve our group in events where I feel we are only making up the numbers for someone else, as has been the case in the last few European deployment.

 

We are a group who have many interests, the Armoured impression is only one, those that know us and the events we run ourselves know we strive as you do for Authenticity, but we are all still learning. Our group consist of many hard core Living Historians, but also not so hard core, but what we do works for us.

 

I guess this thread being Armoured Infantry based is the reason why you have bothered with the passing our way of the Intel, its appreciated, however perhaps any further information on the subject needs to be taken to E-Mail, or get in touch direct, your group know how to contact me on various other Forum, including our own.

 

Regards

 

Lee

[FAAA]

Spoke to several LHA Armoured guys on the weekend, got some detail on the the above event and await more details in regards to timing and cost before going out to the troops, however it might be workable depending on the availability of our Half Track and the interest coming from the groups Jeep Jockeys.

 

Lee