8:30 am on the 26th August, the Blue Gate at the Kent County Showground, Detling and Tony, Brian and I are in the queue for advance ticket holders for Military Odyssey. Fortunately we had arrived just before 8am when the queue was short, but now as we looked back toward the car park, the queue wound all the way past the parked cars.
Military Odyssey, is in my opinion, the premier living history show in the UK, with 3 days of battles, and re-enactment displays from times as far back the classical Greek period (Hoplites), though the Victorian soldier (The Diehards) to WWI (10th Essex), WW2 (groups too numerous to mention in this introduction) to ‘modern’ times. To say that as we waited our excitement was building would be typical British understatement.
So just what were we to see, at Military O 2023…? Rather than more words from me in this event introduction, browse the images on this page, suffice to say though that we were not disappointed.
Around the Show
Next to the crash and thunder of the battles, the part of the show that captures my interest most is drifting around the encampments and coming across the wandering re-enactors and groups marching from the arenas to their encampment. For me personal favourites among the vehicles were the Universal Carrier mounting a 2pdr anti-tank gun and a 90% original Marder III; favourites among the wandering re-enactors were the young man representing a Japanese WW2 aviator, the Georgian ladies, the pirate sporting a modern automatic weapon and Der Stab (The Staff). The latter is a group of re-enactors who dedicate themselves to to portraying Officers and NCOs of a German WW2 panzer battalion HQ.
Southern Skirmish Association
A regular, and very welcome, attendee at Military O is the Southern Skirmish Association, or SoSkan for short. This very talented group represent the American Civil War that took place from 1861 to 1865 between the Union States and the 11 Confederate (Succession) States. Being the largest single group at the show, the camp was most impressive, with many tents as well as artillery and supporting medical and recruitment services.
As usual the group had a forward camp in Murrain Wood, the Union and Confederate soldiers taking it in turns to defend and attack. The arena saw one of the biggest battles of the show, this was generic in nature, with no specific historic setting, but displaying accurate tactics and weaponry. For myself, I surmised the battle to be a precursor to the Battle of Gettysburg – 1st-3rd July 1863, involving 160,000 men, spread over a battlefield of 18 square miles – where two small units heading for Gettysburg come together in an unexpected meeting engagement.
The Die Hard Company
Another regular, and also very welcome, group at Military O were The Die Hard Company, now a part of the Victorian Association. The group represent soldiers from the reign of Queen Victoria, from the Crimea, through the Zulu War to the Boer War. It’s difficult to have a personal favourite, given the high quality of all the re-enactment groups, but the Die Hard Company just make that for me, as a result of my interest in the Anglo Zulu War, from the time of my first viewing of the film Zulu, way back when I was a young lad of 12 years old.
This year the Die Hard Company did not appear in the arena, as with previous shows battling the Boers, instead they carried out a splendid display of drill and weaponry in the Arena 1.
The Great War – 1914-1918
The Great War, also known as the First World War(1914-18), was well represented with the 10th Essex and the CEMA (Centre for Experimental Military Archaeology). Both displays were based on a representation of the trench systems, but with a slightly different take on the presentation. The 10th Essex had an above ground representation of a trench, although once within the experience one did not know. Visitors were taken through the ‘trench system’ in small groups to meet the soldiers who expressed their story.
CEMA were rather different, having a permanent, real trench system the other side of the battlefield. Both British and German trenches were present and facing each other, including barricades and barbed wire. Needless to say re-enactors represented soldiers from both sides and were happy to discuss the period and the experiences of soldiers.
My thanks go to 10th Essex, and Andy Robertson of CEMA, for making us very welcome at both trench systems and giving us private tours so we could take the pictures below without other visitors intruding.
10th Essex
CEMA
During our, early morning, visit a simulated gas attach took place on the German trench,
Sussex Home Guard – 1940-1944
Sometimes underrated, possibly as a result of the most excellent but nonetheless comedy Dad’s Army, the Home Guard deserve a serious place in the defence forces fielded by great Britain in 1940-44. The re-enactors of No1 Platoon, A Company 23rd (Hastings) Battalion, Sussex Home Guard do this service full justice, in both their equipment and knowledge of the period.
The group were as friendly and helpful as they were knowledgeable, kindly agreeing to pose around their Battle School defence post. Fortunately I arrived just in time to witness bayonet practice and later the platoon was inspected by the attending Chelsea Pensioners.
Western Desert – 1942
Hosted in the Main Arena, was a WW2 North Africa Battle, the Allied side fielded the Kent Desert Rats, while for the Axis side the Germans were represented by a number of groups including the Afrika Corps 200FG and the Italians by the group Mediterraneo.
The battle represented a typical meeting engagement, where a Long Range Desert patrol (LRDG) made up of Jeeps is found by a mixed Italian / German force of greater strength. Despite a valiant and spitited response
Vietnam – 1955-1975
Scattered around the site were a number of groups representing the Vietnam War, the largest of these being Rolling Thunder. Murrain Wood, hosted a skirmish, with a scenario where special forces were hunting a mobile Vietcong unit made up of mortars being used to shell a forward operating base.
Giving a balanced view of the war and touching on the political impact was a anti-war peach group, complete with protest and VW camper van
Programme & Event Guide
And finally…..
So that was Military Odyssey 2023; on this page I have tried, through my photographs, to give a flavour of what the event was about, but have by no means covered all of the groups, battles and re-enactments at the show, just a few of my omissions are:
- WW2 Battle in the arena, the biggest and best in the UK in my opinion
- Spearfish Creek, wild west shoot-out
- Viking display
- 2nd Queens & Buffs, Napoleonic display
- Pirate Cove display.
To all the above groups, and any I have not mentioned specifically, please accept my apology for failing to feature you, but sadly I had to make a decision what to include and what to leave out, I shall try to do better for you next year!
I shall end with a picture of me at the CEME trench system, in a ‘shell hole’ taking a picture of the German trench. In the background is my friend and fellow ‘snapper’ and enthusiast Brian, while Tony is behind the camera.
Trains, Tanks & Planes 