About our group
Events 2024. (Click on event for details).
Events 2024. (Click on event for details).
Living History has become a very popular pastime in Britain. There are numerous groups around portraying men and women from every period in history. The Great War is a particularly poignant time to recreate. All of us are likely to have ancestors who served in some capacity during this monumental period of our nations history. From nearly
Living History has become a very popular pastime in Britain. There are numerous groups around portraying men and women from every period in history. The Great War is a particularly poignant time to recreate. All of us are likely to have ancestors who served in some capacity during this monumental period of our nations history. From nearly every country in the world men went to war, it was the first truly global conflict. Not only that but it is widely accepted to have been the first proper industrial war, where the artillery and machine guns ruled the battlefield. So why do we want to portray such a terrible war? The reason is the same as why the nation stops to remember it, and all the wars after it, every Remembrance Sunday - Lest We Forget. Everyone learns about the battles and the horrors at school, but what is not often remembered is the men themselves. Who were they? What did they eat? How did they fight? How did they cope with such awful conditions? These, and many others, are the questions that all members of our Regiment want answers to. Hopefully if you become a member you can start to have a greater understanding and can even relay that understanding to the general public at some of our events.
We perform live firing displays using blank ammunition and small pyrotechnics in our demonstrations but what we do mainly is 'living history.' Experienced readers will know what this means, but for those who do not, in basic terms, we try to dress, behave and experience the life of the British soldier at the beginning of the 20th century as accurately as possible.
Events 2024. (Click on event for details).
Events 2024. (Click on event for details).
Events 2024. (Click on event for details).
Uniform, equipment and weapons (under construction)
Service dress cap .
This cap was adopted for use by the British army in 1909. It was worn by all enlisted men in the infantry and cavalry. It was made of khaki serge with a small, re-enforced peak which was green on the underside. It had two small General Service (GS) buttons at its sides to secure a brown leather chinstrap. The cap had a
Service dress cap .
This cap was adopted for use by the British army in 1909. It was worn by all enlisted men in the infantry and cavalry. It was made of khaki serge with a small, re-enforced peak which was green on the underside. It had two small General Service (GS) buttons at its sides to secure a brown leather chinstrap. The cap had a wire stiffener in the crown to give it its smart look. This was often removed by soldiers in the trenches for comfort. The cap badge has a brass slide on the back and literally slips onto the cap. As the war progressed and metals became more scarce, 'economy issue' cap badges were issued, made totally out of brass. The SD cap was replaced in 1915 by a soft cap with ear flaps, known as a 'gorblimey.' However this proved to be even less suitable for trench warfare as it provided a haven for lice! Thus for most of 1916 the stiff cap became the soldiers' standard headwear again until the adoption of the trench cap.
Trench cap .
Introduced in late 1916 this cap was a good solution to the problem of soft headgear in the trenches. While the helmet was worn it could be rolled up and stored in the pack. At all other times it was comfortable and could be smart depending on the inclination of the wearer. The below photographs are of an original cap (badged
Trench cap .
Introduced in late 1916 this cap was a good solution to the problem of soft headgear in the trenches. While the helmet was worn it could be rolled up and stored in the pack. At all other times it was comfortable and could be smart depending on the inclination of the wearer. The below photographs are of an original cap (badged to the Sommerset Light Infantry). Note the black, tarred lining which gave the cap some rigidity while still being pliable enough to roll up. Some caps were made without this liner, but based on surviving examples, seem less common. The chinstrap was made of brown leather.
Steel Helmets
By late 1915 it had become increasingly apparent to the War Office that too many soldiers were dying of head wounds. In the trenches the men's bodies were reasonably protected but as shells rained in from above, head wounds were common, and nearly always fatal. The early steel helmets were 'rimless.' This means that they wer
Steel Helmets
By late 1915 it had become increasingly apparent to the War Office that too many soldiers were dying of head wounds. In the trenches the men's bodies were reasonably protected but as shells rained in from above, head wounds were common, and nearly always fatal. The early steel helmets were 'rimless.' This means that they were stamped out of a single piece of metal with raw edges. They had a 'War-Office patent' liner and a two piece chinstrap that fastened like a belt. These helmets were first issued in 1916. Initially they were kept in the trenches and troops leaving an area gave them to the men arriving. By the first day of the battle of the Somme all soldiers had their own Mk1 helmet. The early helmets ranged in colour through brown and green. The helmet shown below is an original shell with a reproduction liner and chinstrap. If you look carefully you can see the stretch marks around the side of the dome of the helmet. This shows this helmet is a very early one since these marks were made because the production method (heat and pressure used in the metal press etc.) had not been perfected yet. These rimless helmets can be found occasionally (often dug up from France) and relined. However because they are more valuable than later helmets some unscrupulous dealers are taking the rims of MkII helmets and selling them as MkI's. To be sure check for stretch marks as this will prove a helmet to be authentic.
Steel Helmets(cont)
Not long after the issue of the MkI helmet the War Office was working to improve it. The result was the MkII. It had a 'rim' of steel welded around the edge of the shell. The rimless ones were quite sharp and had caused numerous injuries to troops who stumbled into each other in the dark and the mud. The below photos
Steel Helmets(cont)
Not long after the issue of the MkI helmet the War Office was working to improve it. The result was the MkII. It had a 'rim' of steel welded around the edge of the shell. The rimless ones were quite sharp and had caused numerous injuries to troops who stumbled into each other in the dark and the mud. The below photos are of an unaltered original in excellent condition. As can be seen the MkII had a more comfortable liner. Initially a rubber 'doughnut' was put into the crown to add to the helmets comfort (as seen in the below photo). This was quickly removed as a lavish expense but by late 1917 had been written back into the specifications for new helmets. An instruction label (how to adjust the liner) was also attached inside the crown of MkII helmets and is just visible in the lower photo. The chinstrap was made from a single piece of leather, so no loose ends were left hanging. Finally a more uniform colour was attempted. Whilst variation still occurred, most original MkII's that survive with their paint are of an olive colour like the one pictured. As the MkII's were painted, sawdust or sand was blown onto them. This left a textured finish which it was hoped would reduce their shine (however it didn't work and covers were still the best solution). Original helmets with their liners can still be found, but they should not be used as the leather liners are fragile and will be damaged. Instead find an original shell and have a repro liner put in (we can help you with that). The First World War helmet shell was different to that issued in the Second World War. The latter is unacceptable. A proper helmet shell is not round, but slightly oval. Also an example made between 1915-1918 will be wider at its sides than at its front (again due to imperfect manufacturing techniques).
Join us.
We are always recruiting men over the age of 16 to fill our ranks. There are also opportunities for those below this age to take part as musicians. No level of physical fitness is required (although it can be useful), but we do want enthusiasm. There is no minimum participation requirement, but you will be expected to pay the annual membership fee. This contributes to our costs, such as insurance and blank rounds. Finally we would hope that members kit themselves out as quickly as they can. as with all hobbies this can be an expensive exercise (and kit will be loaned to you during this period), but most people manage to put together the basics within their first year. Click on the speech bubble below and send us a dispatch.
"The 48th MAN".
48th County of Lancaster Battalion.
(Ardwick & Manchester).
Home Guard.
The Great war may have ended in 1918 but within two decades the second global conflict would plunge the world into a further period of war. Many of the Veterans who served during WW1 although willing were now unable to join the fight as frontline combatants, through age , illness, or wounds suffered in the first conflict and in many cases they were employed in "reserved occupations".
It was recognised that this manpower could be utilised for Home defence and the formation of the Home Guard was quickly set in to motion, (TBC under construction)