Living history at Reigate Fort
1860s to WWII era living history displays at
Reigate Fort, Surrey
|
Time |
Activity |
Performers |
|
11.00 |
Living history commences, sentries posted Victorian Tommy Atkins - the uniform, equipment, weaponry and drill of a late Victorian East Surrey infantryman |
AllCraig Appleton |
|
11.30 |
Talk about the fort, and mini tour
Maxim gun talk and demonstration |
Victor Smith, author and expert on the late Victorian London Defence Scheme and mobilisation centres.Richard Knight |
|
Noon |
Victorian 16- pounder gun* display A talk on Rifles and badges of the militia of Surrey and London |
Portsdown Artillery VolunteersJonathan Lewis, Historic Breech Loading Rifle Society |
|
12.30 |
Talk about the fort, and mini tour WWI soldiers and weaponry (including firing Vickers gun) |
Victor SmithThe Great War Society |
|
1 |
Musket and cannon firing Reigate Fort during WWII, and B17 crash site – talk and tour |
The Fort Cumberland Guard
Tim Richardson and Craig Appleton |
|
1.30 |
Talk about the fort, and mini tour |
Victor Smith |
|
2 |
Victorian 16- pounder gun* display Victorian Tommy Atkins (as 11am) |
Portsdown Artillery Volunteers Craig Appleton |
|
2.30 |
Talk about the fort, and mini tour Maxim gun talk and demonstration |
Victor SmithRichard Knight |
|
3 |
Musket and cannon firing Manning the magazine (talk/demo) A talk on rifles and badges of the militia of Surrey and London |
The Fort Cumberland GuardPortsdown Artillery VolunteersJonathan Lewis, Historic Breech Loading Rifle Society |
|
3.30 |
Talk about the fort, and mini tour WWI soldiers and weaponry (as 12.30) |
Victor Smith The Great War Society |
|
4 |
Firepower from the Victorians to WWI (chronological display) |
All groups with firing weapons |
|
4.30 |
Event closes, sentries stand down |
All |
* kindly loaned by The Royal Armouries, Fort Nelson.
Ongoing activities:
v Military living history from the various groups staging timed displays
v A pair of Victorian redcoats of the The Royal Sussex Living History Group
v A detachment of the Royal Canadian Electrical and Mechanical Engineers. (RCEME) Circa May 1944, preparing for D Day, with period vehicles and weapons.
v WW2 YMCA Tea Van from the Blackout Volunteers
v A display of relics from WW2 aircraft crashes in the area including the B17 that almost crashed into the fort in 1945, killing all on board. Presented by the East Surrey Museum of Aviation.
v Local Scouts of the 8th Reigate (Royal Alexandra and Albert School) Troop, commemorating the members of the Scout Association that used the fort between the world wars and after WWII.
On-site co-ordination on the day by Tim Richardson of Touch the Past.
Back to event introduction
1 August 2007