The Victorian Association is made up of a collection of reenactment groups representing the Victorian soldier. Forming an association enabled the groups to better work together to share with us, the public, a better, more complete picture of soldiers in Victorian times. For Military Odyssey 2025 the Association was able to field artillery and medical services, royalty in the form of Queen Victoria, as well as infantry in the form of A Company 24th Foot, who to me will always remain as the Die Hards. In total the association fielded an impressive 70 reenactors in a very convincing tented camp.
Running the Die Hards, usually portraying commanding officers, are Tim Rose and James Dix. Impressive though the accurate uniforms, kit and drill is, I think what is most impressive are the Victoria values that the Die Hards embrace, for these chaps it really isn’t just all about the uniforms and guns.
Every year I visit MO, take lots of snaps and then prepare a photo essay and event review on my website, this website. This year I spent a good deal of time with the Die Hards and the Victorian association and have so much material that I have made this dedicated page. I have broken up the snaps into categories rather than just lump them altogether in a single massive gallery!
A Word About the Images
I don’t consider myself as a professional photographer and don’t have professional camera kit. Almost all of the photographs on this page were taken with a Cannon 90D SLR using a Cannon 18-135mm EFS lens. The photograph taken by the camera is often just a starting point for the image that I will make using Photoshop. Where possible I try to tell a snippet of a story from each image, for example I have reduced the colour on some images greatly where I’m trying to create an image that looks like a postcard of the scene might in Victoria times.
Photography existed in Victorian times but in the military those with cameras were mostly civilians following on behind the army or attaching themselves to the rear echelons. It follows that most of the authentic Victorian photographs of the period were of battlefields after the fight was over, of military posts or posed where they included soldiers; there were practically none of actual battles in progress. I’ve taken advantage of the existence of photography in Victorian times and made some of my images black and white, usually with an aged tint, but have pushed things a little as I have included some ‘in action’ shots. And so now, finally, on to the images…
In Camp
The impressive tented camp was run just like a military camp of the Victorian period with regular parades, pickets and drills, there was pretty much always something going on to entertain visitors.
Marching
As well as performing in the arena and carrying out parades and drills in camp the Die Hards move around the Military Odyssey site marching as a unit both to get to their next appointment and just to show the group off to visitors.
Arena
On all three days of Military Odyssey the Die Hards gave a 30 minute display of the capabilities of the Victorian soldier. As can be seen from the images this included bayonet drill, moving in and changing formation and musketry. The whole display was most impressive pretty much perfect on both of the days that I watched it. The finale to the display was an advance with fixed bayonets towards the audience, especially impressive when viewed at head height sitting on the ground just inside of the arena fence.
Battle Ground
5pm on Sunday 24th August and Military Odyssey was closing for the day and the visitors were heading for the car parks, but in the Die Hard’s camp the troops were forming up in preparation for the short march to the Battlefield and I was falling in behind them. For the next 90 minutes or so field drill would be carried out and I was fortunate enough to go along to watch and take some snaps.
Included in the drills were firing lines, extended firing lines and withdrawing with all round defence. Support was provided by both artillery and Gatling guns. Also present from were Boer reenactors.
There was also a nod to the battle of Isandlwana and the last stand of Captain R Younghusband of the 1/24th 92nd Warwickshire Regiment and his men. The story, mostly from the Zulu side as there were few British survivors, goes that Younghusband gathered around him a company of survivors who held the Zulu at bay for a considerable time, until their ammunition was exhausted. Younghusband then went down the line of his men shaking the hand of each and thanking them for their bravery and steadfastness, then sword in hand he lead his men into the ranks of the Zulu and they were annihilated to a man. Younghusband’s last act of courage and defiance was re-enacted albeit there were no Zulu reenactors to receive the charge.
Portraits
I don’t often take portrait shots but the splendid uniform and poise of the soldiers encouraged me to sneak a few in, most were taken without the subject realising I was doing so.
Royal Visit
At around 12:30 on the Sunday of Mothe Die Hards had a very special visitor in the form of a young Queen Victoria, splendidly re-enacted by Victoria Regina name here>. Queen Victoria inspected the troops, met the officers and received a royal salute.
And finally….
And so my time with the Die Hards at Military Odyssey 2025 was over and as the Bank Holiday Monday came to a close the soldiers of A Company 24th Regiment of Foot and the rest of the Victorian Association marched away. I had had a grand time at the show and especially enjoyed my time with the Die Hards, taking snaps of such a dedicated and professional group is always a pleasure especially when this is accompanied by co-operation in the pose and hospitality in the cook-house. My thanks go to Tim, James, Thelma and all the soldiers in the groups of the Victorian Association.
Trains, Tanks & Planes 