The Re-Enactor Issue 20, August 2010
Ambush in The Ardennes-The Ill-fated charge of the 14th Cavalry Group
Readership 1061 Look out for the FOUR competitions in this issue
Greetings All Welcome to the latest issue of the ezine, there are 4 free to enter competitions in this issue, so I hope to see plenty of entries Congratulations to John who won a copy of David Alderman‟s book, it is winging its way to him from the USA as he read this! I am also after other prizes to give away so if anyone has something they would like to donate as a prize in return for lots of free advertising space please do get in contact with me. I have just returned from a superb weekend at Berkeley Castle, there is a short report on the archery competition I entered in this issue. I am taking the ezine to a few events over the month of August so please do come over and say hello. You‟ll find me sat behind a table somewhere on traders row or in the beer tent on the evening. Just
Pictures from the museum at Ardennes
I am still on the look out for more groups, traders, event details, stories, articles and reports. Please contact me at the normal email address with details! Jason.okeefe@btopenworld.com
Features This Month 1: Ambush in The Ardennes 2: The Berkeley Castle Archery tournament 3: Competitions 4: Poets & Lepers by Jerry Bird 5: The Battle of Nations 6: The Battle of Mortimer‟s Cross 7: New Book: Medieval Battles 1047-1295 8: Military and Flying Machines Show 9: Event Listings 10: New Book: Traitors Blood 11: Bewl Water Event AMBUSH IN THE ARDENNES – POTEAU 1944
Competitions: All competitions are free to enter Winners will be selected at random on the 15th of each month for the relevant competition. Winners will be notified via email shortly after the draw takes place. No correspondence will be entered into. The editor’s decision is final.
AMBUSH IN THE ARDENNES – POTEAU 1944
The Ill-fated Charge of 14th Cavalry Group By D. John Sadler BA (Hons) M.Phil FRHistS FSA (Scotl.) I write during one of the great hours before we attack … full of expectation for what the next days will bring. Everyone who has been here the last two days and nights (especially nights), who has witnessed hour after hour the assembly of our crack divisions, who has heard the constant rattling of Panzers, knows that something is up … we attack and we will throw the enemy from our homeland. That is a sacred task. That Image Perhaps the most famous or iconic image from the photo archive generated by the Battle of the Bulge is amongst those filmed in December 1944 at Poteau and showing a group of German soldiers posed in front of an abandoned US armoured car. An SS MG42 machinegunner stands with two paratroopers (Fallschirmjager), he is a young soldier, weary perhaps but with all the dogged professionalism and perhaps fanaticism of his corps. Around his neck a belt of ammunition, captured cigarette classically between compressed lips and holding a captured pistol. This has frequently been described as a Colt .45 but is in fact a Belgian Browning 9mm (Axis number P640(b)) [1] – a sidearm still in service with UK and NATO forces. In the Ardennes ‟44 Museum at Poteau a badly corroded Browning 9mm forms part of the exhibition – could this tantalisingly, be that very pistol shown in the photograph? US 3rd Armoured Division captured film shot by German cameramen showing gripping combat sequences against prominent traces of sharp action in which a US column had clearly been worsted. A variety of locations were subsequently suggested as the film contained no accompanying identification. It was not until the late „seventies that the author of the After the Battle - Battle of the Bulge Then and Now publication, identified a stretch of highway between the hamlets of Recht and Poteau, some 20 km west of St. Vith [2], an important crossroads where the routes to/from Vielsam, Recht and Roth intersect. This sequence of images is a gripping and compellingly immediate record of war. The faces of the victorious Germans, many of whom are unknown and identified only by letters and the urgency of action, command our attention. The fight was that which broke out on 18th December between elements of US 14th Cavalry Group and Kampfgruppe Hansen in the „fog of war‟ which confused fluid events during the key, early stages of the battle. The German soldiers who feature so memorably in the footage are from 1st SS-Panzer Division who contested this ground for a relatively short space and as US 7th Armoured attempted to regain the vital crossroads. Background – Wacht am Rhein Saturday 16th December 1944 would have been an ordinary day in an otherwise quiet sector, the hilly country where five states, France, Belgium, Luxembourg and Germany meet. It was through these undulating tree covered slopes that the Panzers had crashed to stunning success in the „Lightning War‟ of 1940, rolling on to victory at Sedan. Few on the Allied side would have perceived that, in this final bitter winter of the conflict, Germany had sufficient will and
resources left to mount a fresh offensive in the west. The year had been disastrous for Axis forces – in the west „Overlord‟ had seen the Allies establish a beach-head in Normandy then, after bitter fighting a successful and for the Germans, infinitely costly, breakout. The dash through Northern France and Belgium had ended in the late summer with failure at Arnhem and murderous attrition in the Hurtgen Forest. In the East Army Group Centre had been shattered in a Russian summer offensive and the Red Army was now pressing on the flanks of the Reich. However, in the cold pre-dawn at 5.30 a.m. a terrific bombardment erupted. The Battle of the Ardennes had begun. Across a front of some 85 miles from Monschau in the north to Echternach in the south, no less than 25 divisions, ten of which were armoured, stood poised to attack. The strategic objective was to smash through the Allied lines, cross the vital river barrier of the Meuse and drive towards Antwerp, thus inserting a wedge between the Americans in the south, British and Canadians to the north. To defend the Ardennes sector the American garrison comprised a mere six divisions, scattered in outposts, under-strength, exposed and largely bereft of significant armoured support. The Allies had experienced much hard fighting and long marches since D-Day, problems of supply were acute and divisions in the overall command framework palpable. The British and Canadians of 21st Army Group were drawn up on the Maas with Simpson‟s US 9th Army on their right, Hodges exhausted 1st US Army, which had sustained fearful losses in the struggle to take Aachen, was next. This concentration of forces left Major-General Middleton‟s VIII Corps very extended across the Ardennes. In the south Patton‟s 3rd Army had made vigorous advances but the Allied high command failed to perceive this weakness in the centre. Their German counterparts had not. General Jodl, Chief of Operations Staff, had begun to look at the possibilities for a significant blow as early as September. Though aware of the limitations imposed by Allied superiority, particularly in the air and increasing logistical difficulties Jodl perceived that the Allies were becoming increasingly exposed. Their forces were strung out without a substantial reserve in hand, a shaky centre and dissention in the overall strategic planning which could severely hamper a swift riposte. Hitler was much enamoured of the idea of an Ardennes offensive and his grip on the high command had tightened after the July 20th plot. He believed a repeat of the glory days on 1940 was possible and that driving an armoured spear between the Allies might fracture their fragile alliance. By 11th December Axis units were moving toward their start lines. In the north Hitler‟s gladiator Sepp Dietrich, leading 6th Army, commanded four Panzer Divisions, one Parachute and four Volksgrenadier divisions. Hasso von Manteufel with 5th Army was on Dietrich‟s left also with nine divisions, including a further four Panzers (though all under-strength @ 60 – 80 percent). In the extreme south General Brandenburger commanded 7th Army of five divisions. A substantial strategic reserve was kept in hand to be unleashed on the Fuhrer‟s specific order alone. These forces totalled some 275,000 men, 1,900 guns with 950 armoured vehicles. Against this the Americans, whose battle this was to be, could initially field only 75,000 troops. Even before the full weight of the blow was felt Major-General Alan Jones considered his 106th Division to be dangerously exposed. His fears were fully justified – on the right of Von Manteuffel‟s proposed advance General Walter Lucht‟s LXVI Infantry Corps was ordered to clear the Schnee Eifel salient, ground presently held by 106th Division and move on to seize St. Vith. This area constituted a mini-bulge of its own thrust into German territory, a region of small towns and villages, hills and sweeping valleys. The ground was difficult to defend
and US positions were completely unprepared for the weight of the blow that fell, beginning on 16th December. Confusion was the German‟s ally when the fury of the bombardment and subsequent assault fell on the exposed US outposts. Many were overrun, some fled and others attempted to hold firm; the strategic pattern was fragmentary. Almost unintentionally the American deployment was to prove the counter to Blitzkrieg – outpost defence in depth, an element of the Pakfront tactics the Russians had found to be effective in the East. Such subtleties of grand tactics were not immediately apparent to the hard pressed GI‟s of 14th Cavalry group who came under early and heavy pressure from the tip of General Lucht‟s spearhead, 18th Volksgrenadier. In confused fighting the Americans recoiled, opening up the opportunity afforded by the now exposed Losheim Gap and separating US forces from their artillery support. General Jones became increasingly beleaguered at St. Vith as German gains threatened to isolate and surround his division. Ambush & Aftermath Poteau is a small, rural hamlet comprising a few dwellings and an old customs house (now replaced by the museum), it had a key strategic significance in that the crossroads offered the only available route toward St. Vith which the Axis were in the process of investing. General Hasbrouck, commanding US 7th Armoured, attempting to relieve the pressure, had allotted the task of securing the crossroads to Colonel Rosebaum. In consequence, confused and savage exchanges with elements of 1st SS-Panzer and 9th SS-Panzer continued after the initial clashes until 24th December. On 17th December, the greatest obstacle to US 7th Armoured as the struggled to advance eastwards was the motley of units attempting to flee westwards, choking the narrow country lanes. At this point elements of 14th Cavalry were part of the stampede, an HQ barely established in Poteau, surrounded by seeming chaos. The men were frustrated, fearful and disorganised, large quantities of vehicles and materiel had already been lost. That night, fresh orders were received instructing the Cavalry to re-take Born, their previous base which had so recently and in such unseemly haste, been evacuated. Colonel Mark A. Devine, Jr. commanded 14th Cavalry Group and the disparate elements of 18th Cavalry Reconnaissance Squadron which had been placed under his aegis on 11th December. Astride the Losheim Gap less than a thousand troops with their vehicles had been distributed in penny packets, a series of rather weakly defended positions or „sugar bowls‟ as the men labelled them [3] On the evening of the 17th in Group HQ by the night-shrouded crossroads Devine was missing, away to confer with 106th Divisional Command Post and (eventually) leaving Colonel Augustine Dugan in command. When General Jones, in St. Vith, had heard of the Cavalry‟s precipitate withdrawal from their previously held positions he summoned Devine to explain and, as dusk descended on the short winter‟s afternoon the commander of 14th Cavalry group drove eastwards in a party of three jeeps and a single armoured car [4]. Dugan, at this point accompanied his CO with operations officer Major Smith. The extreme congestion forced the diminutive column to detour by way of Recht to approach the town of St. Vith via the N23. Once he finally reached the divisional HQ Devine was given orders to regain his former position. Returning by the same route and at the Kaiserbracke crossroads the Americans noticed suspicious silhouettes of what appeared to be Axis armour, When a sentry challenged in German one quick thinking officer blasted the man with his .45 pistol at point blank range and the air was immediately
alive with .50 cal. tracer which illuminated a leaguer of AFV‟s. In the confusion, precipitate reversing by the US armoured car forced Devine‟s jeep off the road, the Colonel‟s driver and the other two jeeps fled leaving Devine and Smith to make a hurried escape on foot. It was not until midnight that Devine regained his own HQ in Poteau where he appears to have succumbed to nervous exhaustion, effectively handing over command to Colonel Damon of 18th Cavalry Reconnaissance Squadron – by dawn Devine had been evacuated. Damon‟s first order, direct from the General, was a re-iteration of the imperative to resume the unit‟s former positions. An attempt was made to turn the 32nd Cavalry Reconnaissance Squadron around as it traversed the crossroads heading west; the sole result of this was a massive and concerted slew of hopelessly jammed vehicles. To pile further confusion onto an already dismal situation yet more orders arrived summoning the unit commander to an urgent conference at Bastogne. This directive was intended for Devine but it was Damon who now had to comply. The Colonel duly delegated local command to Colonel Ridge of 32 nd Cavalry Reconnaissance Squadron. Barely had Damon departed than Colonel Dugan re-appeared and, on the basis of seniority, took charge. In a few hours the US forces jumbled in and around Poteau had experienced no fewer than four changes in CO! Very soon afterwards, Ridge who‟d returned to his own HQ in Vielsalm, was classified as a casualty and evacuated. Up the road to the east, there was consternation at Recht. Here were elements of 7th Armoured under Lt. Colonel Warren who was alarmed to learn from a recce patrol during the afternoon on 17th December that Ligneuville, only a few kilometres north, had fallen to the Axis. Warren, with Major Sweat his operations officer, drove up to find out for themselves, but ran into retreating supply personnel from 9th Armoured. There was no room left for doubt and the Colonel hastened to St. Vith to acquaint 106th Division HQ with this dire intelligence. They reported first to their own commander General Hasbrouck, who immediately instructed both officers to return to Recht and prepare for defence. With his supporting infantry deployed elsewhere Warren was wary of committing his tanks without support but there was none available to spare. Colonel Matthews, 7th Division‟s chief of staff, had also encountered German troops outside Ligneuville and had died as the attackers opened fire; his driver stumbled into Recht that evening with the bad news [5]. In fact the Germans involved were from Kampfgruppe Peiper and not headed for Recht, Warren could not know this and assumed he must be attacked shortly. If Recht fell then the road to Poteau and beyond that important crossroads Vielsalm lay exposed and St. Vith could quickly be isolated. Besides, though Peiper‟s units were moving westwards and to the north elements of 1st SS Panzergrenadier Regiment, commanded by Colonel Max Hansen, which had previously been held up by massive traffic congestion eastwards, were now converging on Recht prior to moving on Vielsalm. At around 2.00 am on the morning of the 18th German Panzergrenadiers, relying on small arms and their Panzerfausts, put in their attack on Recht. Warren had a single company of medium tanks from 17th Tank Battalion with three reconnaissance teams of 14th Cavalry. The fight in winter darkness was sharp as the enemy infantry probed and soon penetrated the defences, using flares to pinpoint US armoured vehicles. After less than an hour Warren, fearing annihilation, withdrew, Recht was now in German hands. The American tanks fell back south-east toward their battalion leaguer by Feckelsborn and established a strong defence that saw off further attacks after daybreak. The 14th Cavalry survivors with Warren‟s HQ withdrew towards Poteau where they contributed to an almighty jam; had the Germans pressed on their heels the whole mess would have fallen into their hands. Warren and his
officers exercised best endeavours to unblock the impasse but failed and, abandoning their jeeps, made for Vielsalm on foot in the final hours of darkness. Meanwhile in Poteau itself Colonel Dugan, latest in the quick-fire succession, was also trying to get the flow of traffic moving. His task was twofold: First he had to disentangle the crossroads and then attempt to comply with orders by returning his available forces to the previous block on the Wallerode-Born axis. This would roughly be along the stretch of railway which lay between the two hamlets. Dugan was initially unaware that the speed of the Panzers advance had frustrated his instructions, Recht, already in German hands lay to the west of his proposed positions. When the Colonel realised Wallerode had gone he sought further guidance from divisional HQ; General Jones issued fresh orders for an advance toward Born which the General believed key to St. Vithâ€&#x;s shallow defences. Jones was not disposed to listen to further argument or prevarication so Dugan had to attempt to build a task force from the units at his disposal. Most of 32nd Cavalry Reconnaissance Squadron was on its way to Vielsalm, snarled in the epic jam that precluded any hope of recall. What could be readily assembled comprised remnants of Troop C and others from 18th Squadron. Some 75mm self-propelled anti-tanks guns from 820th Tank Destroyer Battalion were available. Major J.L. Mayes would command the task force bearing his name and attempt, at first light, to move toward Born. The prevailing slew of vehicles still crowding the narrow roads left only one approach to Born – the road due east through Recht. Critically, neither Dugan nor Mayes was aware the Germans had taken the village and were now advancing west on a collision course. Dawn on the 18th was still a little way off at 7.00 a.m. Fog shrouded the road to add to Mayes difficulties as his column, comprising jeeps, half-tracks, M8 armoured cars and M5 light tanks, set off eastwards. They did not proceed very far. Barely 300 metres east of the straggle of houses a Panzerfaust blasted one of the leading vehicles [6], which immediately burst into flames. One of the armoured cars was hit next and the rush of flames showed the deadly shapes of SS Panzergrenadiers moving over the fields. German assault guns had rumbled through the woods to deploy along the track running south of the road and which afforded an excellent field of fire. Mayes force disintegrated as vehicles desperately sought to get off the horribly exposed ribbon of highway. Most simply abandoned their charges and retreated precipitously into Poteau. Within minutes Task Force Mayes, so laboriously assembled, had ceased to exist, leaving a stalled procession of abandoned US vehicles to the victors. Rarely had the Panzergrenadiers scored such an easy success. Photographic evidence would suggest the cavalrymen escaped the scene of the ambush with any wounded, no prisoners or US dead are shown. It is clear some of the the M8 armoured cars and M5 tanks attempted to get off the exposed shooting gallery of the road and escape over the fields. In this they appear to have failed – a couple of the cars were bogged and at one M5 set on fire. Given that an M5 features in the subsequent fight for the crossroads, it is thus possible, perhaps probable, that at least one did escape. A single 76mm anti-tank gun was unlimbered but abandoned before firing It has been asserted that the Americans got their vehicles or the majority o0f them back into Poteau [7] but it appears clear from the subsequent German photographs that most if not all were simply abandoned. Though the retreat had all the hallmarks of a rout it did not extend past the village which Dugan now resolved to hold. As the Panzergrenadiers supported by
self-propelled guns closed in the cavalrymen greeted them with a storm of small arms. They did so with gusto, Staff Sergeant Woodrow Reeves remained outside the turret of his M5 tank, the better to direct fire. Even when ordered back inside he demurred averring he was otherwise occupied shooting at Germans [8]! Colonel Dugan who had begun with energy continued with élan, trademark cigar butt firmly clamped in best Hollywood mould. His calmness under fire and good humour stiffened men‟s resolve. When the attackers established an MG42 in a key position atop a wooded knoll covering the crossroads an impromptu fighting patrol knocked it out. With radio contact maintained the defenders were able or call down fire from 7th Armoured‟s guns. The battle, becoming steadily more unequal as additional German forces were committed, lasted till midday when Dugan prudently decided it was time to break out via the road to Vielsalm. One effect of the firefight at Poteau had been to galvanise the great caravanserai of stalled vehicles standing westwards, some withdrew in good order, others in unseemly haste. Some 8 inch howitzers of 740th Field Artillery were simply abandoned by the fleeing gunners [9]. As the 14th Cavalry continued their dogged withdrawal as far as Petit Their, Captain North with Staff Sergeant Gregory occupied the church steeple as a handy vantage from which to direct artillery fire onto the crossroads they‟d just vacated. This was sufficient to deter close pursuit and the survivors fell back unmolested. Dugan‟s task had been an impossible one; to create order from chaos after a sequence of shifts in command and then to occupy a position already overrun. If Task Force Mayes attempt was a dismal failure the stand at Poteau contributed to the final blunting of the German offensive. For this the Colonel received scant credit, the stock of 14th Cavalry was running very low, the gallantry and initiative displayed at Poteau were insufficient to redeem and Dugan became a casualty of the ritual decimation that followed. He deserved far better. This was not the end of the fight for Poteau, merely a curtain-raiser. The ground was fought over for the best part of a week, during which time the crossroads were re-taken by US 7th Armoured. Those elements of Kampfgruppe Hansen which had spearheaded the attack had been withdrawn and 1 SS-Panzer was redeployed more to the west in support of Peiper. By midday on the 19th, however, elements of 9 SS-Panzer were advancing to contact. Panzergrenadiers were soon launching fresh attacks from the surrounding woodlands and the area remained „hot.‟ On 21st December a determined assault by Kampfgruppe Telford came from the east with Panther tanks spread on both sides of the road. This proved to be the reverse of the earlier ambush as the weight of concentrated American firepower knocked out five. Subsequent strong attacks were put in, including that of 24th December. By now Allied airpower was evident and the assault vehicles were badly shot up by US Lightnings. On the same day however, 7th Armoured was withdrawing its own tanks from Poteau and the Germans, their assault disrupted by the planes, were unable to harass the American armour; once again German troops occupied Poteau. An aerial photograph taken a month afterwards still clearly shows the debris from the battle blocking the highway; numbers of Task Force Mayes hulks remain whilst three of the knocked out Panzers stand abandoned in the surrounding fields. The Site and Museum Today That remarkable sequence of still photographs and cine film, subsequently captured by US forces and which has now been identified as located at the scene of the action appears to
combine a mix of live action and re-staged images [10]. The film was shot on 18th December as lead elements of Kampfgruppe Hansen moved westwards toward the village of Poteau. The markings „1 A 18 C‟ clearly visible on an abandoned M8 show the vehicle was previously owned by 18th Cavalry Reconnaissance Squadron, part of 14th Cavalry Group. It is clear therefore that the bulk of Task Force Mayes vehicles were simply abandoned in the course of the initial ambush. We know that the Americans suffered only two fatal casualties in this phase of the action, (both of whose names are recorded on the memorial, unveiled on the site in 2004). Whilst a number of the photos embody a degree of creative licence some, like that showing a Jagdpanzer IV/70 roaring down the entrance to the track which runs parallel to the road, are not. The self-propelled gun, finding the highway blocked by burning or abandoned vehicles, outflanks the jam. This picture has the urgency of damage and the vehicle has suffered some rough handling, suggestive of recent action. Other pictures show the slew of abandoned US vehicles which testify mutely but eloquently to the haste of their owners‟ departure. Throughout this remarkable sequence some ten individuals, mainly SS grenadiers [11] are featured. The abandoned convoy testifying so pleasingly to an American defeat would provide an inviting backdrop. It is clear from some images than the German soldiers are retiring back towards Recht, included with the Panzergrenadiers are a trio of Luftwaffe who are harder to identify as, in theory no Fallschirmjager were deployed as part of Kampfgruppe Hansen. Most likely they represent elements following the advance or, more excitingly, they were Skorzeny‟s men [12]. One survivor SS Gruppenfuhrer Priess later recalled that; „During the first few days of the offensive I encountered elements of „Group Solar‟ on the roads. They were dressed in Luftwaffe uniforms and described themselves, if I recall correctly, as Luftwaffe field replacement battalions‟ [13]. The images, unintentionally, show the makeup of the troops deployed for Wacht am Rhein – highly professional SS with a mix of less enthusiastic conscripts, often very young in cast-off greatcoats and helmets tailored and manufactured for larger men who‟d already left their bones across Europe, Russia and North Africa. One of the casualties of the fighting was the former Prussian Customs House which stood on the eastern periphery and suffered extensive damage. Now rebuilt it forms the core of the superb „Ardennen Poteau ‟44 Museum‟ – this houses a fine collection of vehicles, small arms, equipment and photographs. Several vehicles including German and US half-tracks are runners and used for visitors on site. Inside a restored Ford Greyhound M8 and M5 Stuart are the undoubted stars. In the extensive grounds lie the remains of a Belgian bunker from 1940 and, to the east, stands the monument to 14th Cavalry which was unveiled on the sixtieth anniversary of the ambush – 18th December, 2004. Rob and Jaqueline de Ruyter, who own and manage the collection, are a Dutch couple whose enthusiasm for restoring military vehicles stretches back several decades. Their work here is highly commendable; the museum is friendly and intimate but offers a wealth of information with a superb collection located, quite literally, on the site of the fighting. Traces of which can be seen in the woods to the left of the road at the eastern tip of the ambush site; here foxholes and weapons pits are clearly discernible. One of those places where the visitor can truly touch upon history. Notes: [1] „b‟ is for „Belgische‟ as these weapons continued in production at the Belgian FN works under the Nazi occupation.
[2] The present road to St. Vith is the N675 and, from the crossroads in Poteau, the N659 goes to Recht – it was on this road that the fight occurred. The area lies between two main arterial highways, to the west the A26 (E25) – exit 50 and, from the east A27 (E42) – exit 14. [3] So called apparently as the defended areas offered some shelter from the biting winds that swept down from higher ground – a temporary relief from the elements that did nothing to improve their defensive capabilities, see MacDonald, C.B., The Battle of the Bulge (London, 1984) p.p. 103 – 104. [4] MacDonald, op. cit., p. 330. [5] Ibid. p. 332. [6] This may have been either an M5 tank or a 75mm assault gun. [7] See MacDonald, op. cit. p. 334. [8] Ibid. p. 334. [9] These were, however, subsequently recovered. [10] See, Pallud, J.P., Battle of the Bulge Then and Now (England, 1984) p.p. 208 – 225 [11] From 2 Kompanie, 1st Battalion, SS Pz.Gren.Rgt 1 and the SPG came from SS-Pz.Jg.Abt 1, see Pallud, op. cit. p. 224. [12] Lieutenant-Colonel Otto Skorzeny, architect of Operation „GREIF‟ – se MacDonald, op. cit., p.p. 87 – 89 et seq. [13] Cited in Pallud, op. cit. p.p. 224 – 225. Further Reading MacDonald, C.B., The Battle of the Bulge (London, 1984) Pallud, J.P., Battle of the Bulge Then and Now (England, 1984) http:www.museum-poteau44.be
The Berkeley Castle Archery Tournament, July 24th 2010 A warm summers evening saw around 35 archers take part in this year‟s Berkeley Castle archery tournament, organized by Dave Roberts with the kind permission of Chris Bruce and The Plantagenet society. The back drop to the archery range was the superb Berkeley Castle http://www.berkeley-castle.com/index.php The Competition was a simple one: Starting at 20 yards we all had 6 arrows with which to hit the target, anyone who missed was out and we would then increase the range by 5 yards every round until there was a winner. For the first few rounds everyone stayed in but at around the 40 yard range a few had dropped out. At 55 yards there were 9 competitors left At 60 yards there were only 3 The 3 final archers then “loosed” their six arrows and all missed! It was then decided that we would shoot an arrow at a time, if only one hit he would be the winner, but if 2 or 3 all hit it would be nearest to the centre of the target that would take the prize. I drew back my string and loosed and watched joyfully as my arrow struck the target about 2 inches from the centre, the 2 other archers both missed.
Berkeley castle 2010 archery champion is: Jason O’Keefe My prize is shown at the top of the page! I also have £200 to spend on archery equipment
Competition One Set in the Peak District, in 7th century Anglo-Saxon England, The Whispering Bell is both a gripping thriller and a tender love story. Wynflaed, orphaned by famine, is rescued and raised in a hall of plenty, but the peace and security of her life is soon shattered by Mercia's war with Northumbria. She marries Wulfric, a hero of the battle of Hatfield Heath, but he is lost at Mercia's siege of Bamburgh. Wynflaed is cheated and robbed of everything by her greedy brother-in-law. She is enslaved and made to work for Penda's army as it pursues its enemies across the land. When finally she escapes, only an outlaw can help her. ISBN 978-1-906836-01-6
www.briansellars.co.uk Email: brian@briansellars.co.uk
Q: Where is the Whispering Bell set? Email me with your answer and full postal address before September 15th 2010 and you‟ll be entered into the draw.
Competition Two Nidderdale Archery have kindly offered 3 dozen 5” Barred Shield Feathers as shown on their website as a prize for this competition. Just check out their website: www.nidderdalearchery.co.uk and answer this simple question: Q: "In 1878 where was a medieval war arrow found". A quick look around their website will help you find out this answer Email me with your answer and full postal address before September 15th 2010 and you‟ll be entered into the draw.
Competition Three The year is 1453. For more than a thousand years the mighty walls of Constantinople have protected the capital of the Eastern Roman Empire, the furthest outpost of Christianity. But now endless ranks of Turkish warriors cover the plains before them, their massive cannons trained on the ramparts. It is the most fearsome force the world has ever seen. No European army will help: the last crusaders were cut to pieces by the Turks on the plains of Kosovo. Constantinople is on its own. And treachery is in the air. Three people will struggle to determine the fate of an empire: the young Turkish sultan, returned from exile and desperate to prove his greatness; a stubborn princess; and a mercenary captain with a personal score to settle. But of them, it is the hardened soldier Giovanni Longo who will face the worst choice: just as he prepares to make his final stand, he finds he has something to live for after all.
To be in with a chance of winning a signed hardback copy of this book just answer this simple question: Q: Who will face the worst choice? Email me with your answer and full postal address before September 15th 2010 and you‟ll be entered into the draw.
Competition Four Still a few more weeks to enter this competition to win a signed copy of “Landscape of Memory” (Living Folklore in England) by Jerry Bird. I have printed an entire chapter (courtesy of Jerry) over the next few pages, have a read through and answer this simple question: Q: Who introduced William & Dorothy Wordsworth to Culborne? Email me with your answer and full postal address before August 15th 2010 and you‟ll be entered into the draw.
POETS AND LEPERS If you‟re ever in the vicinity of Porlock on the Exmoor coast in Somerset, the invigoratingly steep walk through the dense ancient woodland from sea level at Porlock Weir to Culbone Church, about 400ft above is well worth the effort. The path follows the coast for a short distance and then turns inland to join part of the spectacular toll road up through Worthy Wood that follows the fast-flowing stream. A short tunnel behind the toll house leads to the pathway to Culbone through Yearnor Wood. The path was once the packhorse road from Porlock to Lynton and clings perilously to a ledge on the steep wooded hillside; the roar of the sea hundreds of feet below a constant companion for the walker. The woods here were once the site of a major charcoal burning industry. The original burners were reputed to be a colony of lepers who were forbidden from crossing to the Porlock side of Culbone Water. Stony ruins marking the site of the burners‟ huts and sawpits can still be seen and a network of paths connects them to the main track through the woods. It is a very atmospheric place, full of the ghosts of past travellers and inhabitants. Perhaps it is no coincidence that in 1797 while Samuel Taylor Coleridge was staying at Ash Farm, a little higher up the valley, he received (with the aid of a few grains of opium) the inspiration for his great poem Kubla Kahn. Could this perhaps be the place “where Alph the sacred river ran through caverns measureless to man down to a sunlit sea”? Certainly, the following lines from the poem could well refer to this dramatic and picturesque landscape: But oh! that deep romantic chasm which slanted Down the green hill athwart a cedarn cover! A savage place! as holy and enchanted As e'er beneath a waning moon was haunted By woman wailing for her demon-lover (Kubla Kahn, Samuel Taylor Coleridge 1798) Coleridge introduced William and Dorothy Wordsworth to Culbone at around this time, taking them on the path from Porlock climbing up through the woodland which abounded in “wild deer, foxes, badgers and martin cats”. They spent a great deal of time wandering around coastal Exmoor, and it is during this period that Coleridge wrote The Rime of the Ancient Mariner, and it is thought that he imagined the hermit character‟s cell to have been in the woodland around Culbone, which does seem to have inspired a good deal of his poetry at this period: The hanging woods, that touched by Autumn seem'd As they were blossoming hues of fire and gold, The hanging woods, most lovely in decay, The many clouds, the sea, the rock, the sands, Lay in the silent moonshine - and the owl, (Strange, very strange!) the Scritch-owl only wak'd, Sole voice, sole eye of all that world of beauty! (Osorio, Samuel Taylor Coleridge 1797) The tiny, picturesque church is dedicated to St. Beuno, or Kil Beun, which is the derivation of the current name for the settlement. The saint was the son of a sixth century Welsh princess. He established a monastery at Clynnog on the Lleyn penninsula where he was buried in 640CE. It is likely that St Bueno arrived from Wales as a missionary to convert the
inhabitants of Exmoor, the remnants of the Dumnonian tribes of pre-Roman Britain who at the time had remained stubbornly pagan and probably still spoke the Celtic language, having largely held their own against the Saxon invaders, who did not gain control until 938CE. A form of the Celtic language was still spoken on Exmoor as late as the eighteenth century. In legend he performed a miracle by saving his niece, Saint Winifred after her head was cut off by a furious King Caradog when she rejected his advances. Saints Beuno and Winifred have many sacred wells dedicated to them in their native Wales. A little pamphlet is available in the church which indicates many points of interest: ancient oak pews, the Saxon windows including a strange impish face akin to, but not quite the same as a green man, the nineteenth century slate-covered deal spire and thirteenth century porch. The Domesday Book (in which it appears as Chetnore) and the Guinness Book of Records both make mention of this quaint building, which is regarded as the smallest parish church in England, as well as being the smallest complete medieval church in Britain, being just thirty five feet in its overall length. One amusing piece of folklore has it that the spire was originally the upper part of the strangely truncated spire at St Dubricius in Porlock which was blown off in a gale and transported here by the wind. According to legend, Dubricius was a close friend and advisor of King Arthur, and he officiated at the wedding between Arthur and Guinevere. Some historians are of the opinion that the spire at Porlock is so shaped because it was used as a lighthouse in medieval times. Further west along the coast in Cornwall St Nectan‟s Kieve, a tiny medieval monastic sanctuary once fulfilled a similar role in an almost identical setting to that of Culbone.
Many of the tombstones in the churchyard at Culbone bear the surname Red, a variation on Ridd of R.D. Blackmore‟s Lorna Doone fame; the village of Oare, where the epic romantic novel is set lies within the same parish, just over the high ridge of the moors to the south west. It was apparently a custom in the late eighteenth century for unmarried women to scatter hempseed in the churchyard here at midsummer. Also buried here is the American writer and Christian mystic Joan d‟Arcy Cooper who lived in the hamlet for some years and played the church harmonium. She was of the opinion that the church window with the decorated mullion on the north side of the church was carved out of a single slab of stone which pre-dated the church and may have had pre-Christian religious significance. She certainly believed that the site was once of ancient spiritual importance and in her rather fanciful book Culbone - a Spiritual History, she claims that it had once been the home of an ancient Sumerian sage to whom wise men travelled from long distances to receive his wisdom. She considered Culbone to have been a “spiritual sanctuary” built on the “etheric plane” long before the arrival of Christianity. She also claims that Christ came to Culbone on the occasion of his legendary visit to Glastonbury. It would appear that its past history was not always as peaceful as the present. In the Assize rolls of 1280 it is recorded that Thomas, the local chaplain was indicted “for that he had struck Albert of Esshe [or Ash, the name of a prominent local family] on the head with a hatchet, and so killed him”. By the sixteenth century the church and the local settlement (at that time known as Kytnore, and later, Kitnor) had been abandoned, but were re-established by a colony of lepers who lived by charcoal burning and trading in timber and the skins of feral goats, which still lived in the forest until very recently. Some of these goods were taken to the port at nearby Porlock Weir for export. The community died out in 1622 upon which the site was abandoned once again until,
according to Joan Cooper, a sort of commune was established in 1715 by a group of families from Somerset, who rebuilt some of the old stone dwellings which had become ruinous. In some accounts the settlers were actually a penal colony, dumped here by ship and left to their own devices, as the area was so remote there was no need to fence them in. They were eventually succeeded by Indian slaves who were allowed to work as charcoal burners in the forest for a period of twenty-one years in order to gain their freedom. The hamlet benefited by being close to the packhorse route from Porlock to Lynton, which was widened in the 1800s to allow the passage of carts, and for a time in the nineteenth century there was a small monthly market here and one of the cottages became a public house, known as the Fox and Hounds. A market cross was erected in the churchyard (replaced in 1966). According to the historian James Savage, writing in his History of the Hundred of Carhampton (1830) “A wake, or as it is called in this part of the country, a revel, used to be held annually in Culbone church-yard; but it has been discontinued many years”. The church has been abandoned and restored several times over the years, according to the changing fortunes of the hamlet‟s occupants. The two green man roof bosses in the chancel ceiling probably date from around 1888, when that part of the roof was last rebuilt. It is possible they may have replaced earlier, medieval carvings. According to an old Somerset saying: “Culbone, Oare and Stoke Pero” are “Three Churches Parsons seldom go”, though the little church still has fortnightly services. Culbone is now an isolated sleepy place with just a handful of ancient looking dwellings clustered around the tiny church in a steep cleft of wooded hillside, untroubled except by the occasional group of ramblers passing through. Many of the latter will be Pagans and earth mysteries enthusiasts seeking the many stone rows, circles and megaliths which abound in this area. High above the church stands the Culbone stone. The information panel on the fence next to the style reads: "The Culbone Stone is an early medieaval standing stone approximately one metre in height, which was discovered in 1940. It lies in woodland close to the parish boundary, and features an incised wheeled cross, the style of which suggests it dates from 7th to 9th century. The stone is legally protected as a scheduled ancient monument." I would tend to disagree with this dating. The incised wheel may have had one of its four spokes lengthened in the medieval period, maybe to Christianize a pagan symbol, or perhaps merely to provide a direction indicator for the settlement and church in the valley below. However, a nearby stone row with similar sized stones may indicate a more ancient, preChristian provenance for this small but interesting megalith, which is probably not in its original location, having been re-erected when it was re-discovered in 1940. There are also several cairns and barrows close by in the wood. When I visited it last it certainly had a mysterious, somewhat magical air about it. The Culbone Stone is situated in a clearing amongst a grove of low-growing trees, stunted by the prevailing wind, and despite the rain and wind on that occasion, it had an impressive presence and stillness about it; a place of ancient spirits if ever there was one. Note: I have removed the various pictures which accompany the book to reduce the size of the file. The book itself is full of wonderful pictures which help to illustrate the wonders described within the book.
Dear colleagues-re-enactors! We are glad to inform you that on the basis of the project “Battle of the Nations” world Historical Medieval Battles Major League has been created. It presents historical medieval battle as brand-new elite world kind of extreme sport (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BLCLljsihzk). Major League consists of the best world re-enactors who are not only engaged in making arms and armor replicas but also use them in fierce full contact historical medieval battle which is regulated by the strict rules and principles of results estimation. At this point world Historical Medieval Battles Major League consists of the best fighters-representatives of the living history movement from Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Lithuania and Poland. In the summer months a new base is being formed. Therefore we suggest forming the National team of your country comprised of at least 8 fighters in order to present your country in general and the best club fighters of your country in particular. We as the organizers of the international project “Battle of the Nations” and the coordinators of world Historical Medieval Battles Major League will be happy to give you any help and support in preparation: to share the experience, to give advice or a consultation, to come personally if needed in order to set connections and support in organization of the National team in your country. Several countries have already set the ball rolling. Do enter the world rating of the National teams and clubs and join world Historical Medieval Battles Major League! Take part in Major League, show what the National team of your country is worth! Best regards, The project “Battle of the Nations” organizers: international project coordinator Natalia Trubnikova natsss111@gmail.com +38 050 2856733 chief project organizer Anton Trubnikov battleofthenations@gmail.com +38 096 2330504 The project site: http://battleofthenations.com.ua
The Battle of Mortimer‟s Cross C1461 September 18th & 19th 2010 The Wharf Field, Main A49, Leominster, Herefordshire, UK An annual recreation of this Wars of The Roses Battle, between the houses of York and Lancaster. The Battle of Mortimer‟s Cross was originally fought on February 2nd 1461 in Herefordshire between the forces of the 18 year old Edward, Earl of March and Owen Tudor. Owen Tudor had been on route to join the rest of the Lancastrian army when he was stopped by Edward at Mortimer‟s Cross.
Come and join us: Battle Re-Enactment including archery in large arena Living history encampment Medieval traders Beer tent Food stalls Entertainment including medieval dancing and a barber surgeon!
All authentic groups are welcome, traders too! (reasonable pitch fees) Check out the website for more details Separate plastic camp site, water on site, toilets, wood for fires
www.mortimerscross.co.uk
Medieval Battles, 1047 to 1295, Volume 1 This is an introduction to a series of books looking in detail at the original accounts of medieval battles within the Anglo-Norman realm between 1047 and 1295. The books are primarily based upon first hand translations of Exchequer documents and chronicle accounts. For the first time all the major sources are brought together for the reader to experience what was known of battle in this period. This first volume includes a detailed look at what it was actually like to be a knight or common soldier with first-hand accounts of the life of medieval soldiering. The training, armaments and ethos of medieval soldiers are examined in individual chapters before taking a more detailed look at the planning and events for eleven campaigns along the Plantagenet frontier. Contents Introduction The Sources An Overview of a Medieval Army The Mentality of Soldiering in the Middle Ages The Accoutrements of Armour Changing Fashion Royal and Baronial Seals Cavalry, Knights and Serjeants Knightly Effigies Crossbowmen Archers and Foot Siege Engines and Engineers Mercenaries Trade Tactics and Pay Raising Troops Numbers Naval Transport and Fleets Casualties and Battle Cairns Supply and Logistics Transport, Movement, Speed and Distance Income Wounds Campaigns The March towards Corwen, April to September 1165 The Welsh in the French Wars of Richard the Lionheart The Ceri Campaign of 1228 The Painscastle Campaign of 1231 The Wars of Prince Dafydd The Degannwy Campaign, 26 August to 26 October 1245 The Welsh Campaign of 1257 Cefnllys, December 1262 The Welsh Campaign of 1276 to 1277 The Welsh War of 1282 to 1283 The Regent's Campaign of 1287 Appendixes
A List of Early Effigies containing Heraldry The Cost of Troops from the Twelfth to the Fourteenth Centuries Index of Names General Index Introduction This series of books is intended to give the reader a good grounding in the battles that took place within the Anglo-Norman realm during the Middle Ages. For such an understanding it is first necessary to place yourself in the age when these events occurred. It is of little value to look at ancient battles with the eyes of a modern specialist. Our medieval counterparts had no electronic communications and to them the only weapon of mass destruction was famine and resultant plague - and all sides were happy to use this when it was deemed necessary. It is therefore necessary to attempt to understand how medieval man saw his world. Life held different values in the Middle Ages and death, especially early death, was seen as a part of life, rather than an aberration as it is today. At the head of local society was the feudal knight, holding his land by service to his lord. His lord in turn might hold of another lord and eventually you would reach the tenant-in-chief who held his land directly from the king. The king held all the land. These knights and lords made up the heavy cavalry shock troops that formed the core of medieval armies in this period. At the other end of the feudal scale was the yeoman who held his land from the lord or knight. He might also employ farm labourers or serfs who were legally tied to a piece of land. These men provided the infantry, otherwise known as archers, spearmen, knifemen or simply, the foot. This is a simplistic view of medieval armies and as we shall see there was much overlapping in what was an uncertain and constantly changing world, even if today we tend to think of the Middle Ages as a time of stagnation and fixed ideas. Of particular importance to the study of medieval battles is the size and components of an army. Contemporary chroniclers are often said to have „exaggerated their figures'. Is this true? There is a human tendency, and historians are certainly not immune to this, that allows us to cherry-pick figures and somewhat ignore the caliber and credibility of the sources. A small figure is often accepted, but a large one rejected. In reality the scribes who wrote these figures might have had no clear idea at all of what was a „rational figure'. In some modern works the Crusaders of the eleventh and twelfth centuries are allowed armies up to 100,000 men strong, yet when various sources state that a combination of Sultans put 330,000 men in the field it is an exaggeration. The best answer would appear to be based on an assessment of what is possible and to this end much of the early section of this work will deal with the numbers armies consisted of and the consequent problems of supply. This book is designed to set the stage for later books which will concentrate on the battles of Wales, England, Normandy, Scotland and Ireland. Available now for £29.95. Consists of 398 A4 pages and 147 illustrations and maps. http://www.castles99.ukprint.com/books.html
Editor’s Note: I will have a copy of this book to give away in a future competition!
Event Listings 20th June until 31st August: Camp Chantier Patrimoine-Chateau fort de Guise. http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=119346998088002 22nd June until 31st August: L‟Archange Saint-Michel, Presence dans L‟Histoire Exhibit, Dol-de-Bretagne (35) http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=119994071366989 30th Valnerina Longobarda. Conferenza “Da Faroaldo ai Franchi”, Ferentillo (TR) http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=127106990654512 31st The Medieval Horror Show No 3, Moulin De Saint-Christol – St-Series 34 http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=137568182937671 31st & 1st The Knights of Royal England at Hever Castle, Kent, UK www.knightsroyal.co.uk 31st & 1st The Tournament of Walraversijde, Oostende, Belgium http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=152000491459 31st & 1st Ealdfaeder at Sutton Hoo near Woodbridge, Suffolk, UK For information contact: pete@gippeswic.demon.co.uk 31st & 1st The Storming of Tyr Mawr-battle of Bosworth 525th anniversary event, Ty Mawr Medieval hall, Montgomeryshire, Wales. http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=132470586782824 31st & 1st Agitators and Levellers 1647, Raglan Castle, Monmouthshire, UK http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=140746849271463 23rd July to 15th August Zu Ebener Erde und Erster Stock, Burg Liechtenstein. http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=109420215750127
August 2010 3rd 1 Rievocazione Storica A San Biagio Saracinisco, France http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=115080331873533 6th – 8th The Knights of Royal England at Blenheim Palace, Oxfordshire, UK www.knightsroyal.co.uk 7th & 8th Lurte, Concierto Almogavar, Canete, Cuenca, Espana http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=131508886887291 7th & 8th Midlands History Festival at Stratford Armouries, Stratford, UK www.mid-fest.co.uk 7th & 8th Feathers & Flights, Cilgerran Castle, Pembrokeshire, Wales http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=103269639709469&n= 7th & 8th De fer et de feu, Rebecq, Belgium http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=316716813226 7th * 8th The Royalist Council of Warre, Tretower Court & castle, Powys, Wales http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=108412535876593
7th & 8th Military & Flying Machines Show, Daymns Hall Aerodrome, Upminster, Essex http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=291940703278&n= 7th & 8th Matrimonio di Re Manfredi, Trani, Italy http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=133774093302268 13th La Notte Bianca con I “Turchi di Notte”, Tollo, Italy http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=109834625736202 14th Belton House National Trust WW2 RAF event, Lincolnshire, UK http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=338066422154 13th – 15th The Knights of Royal England at Hever Castle, Kent, uk www.knightsroyal.co.uk 13th – 15th Fight Camp 2010, The Grange near Coventry, UK http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=188787046360 14th & 15th Spetchley Park-Multi-period event, Worcester, UK www.lhiw.org.uk 14th & 15th Lincoln Castle, Lincoln, UK For information contact: plantychrisb@yahoo.co.uk 14th & 15th Carcassonne, La Medievale 2010, Cite Medievale de Carcassonne, France http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=136550006374208 14th & 15th Aarschot 1489 – editie 2010, Domein Elzenhof http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=296931636114&n= 14th & 15th Ealdfaeder at Sutton Hoo near Woodbridge, Suffolk, UK For information contact: pete@gippeswic.demon.co.uk 14th & 15th Barnas Viking Festival, Trondenes/Harstad http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=445461745236&n_= 14th & 15th MSS at Bodium Castle, Sussex, UK For information: http://www.medieval-seige-society.co.uk 20th Bosworth battle, Bosworth battlefield, Sutton Cheney, England http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=126436617385628 21st & 22nd Scotlands Festival of History, The Royal Borough of Lanark, UK http://www.scotlandsfestivalofhistory.co.uk 21st & 22nd Roasting Ears of Corn Festival, Museum of Indian Culture, Allentown, PA, USA http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=383794859553 21st & 22nd The Knights of Royal England at Hever Castle, Kent, UK www.knightsroyal.co.uk 22nd Fete Medievale De L‟Alpe D‟Huez, France http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=105661962798645 25th – 29th Invitational European Championship Horsens 2010, Denmark http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=106580086045154 27th & 28th The Knights of Royal England at Hever Castle, Kent, UK www.knightsroyal.co.uk
27th – 29th Fete Medievales D‟Eguilles 2010, Eguilles, France http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=135406646474518 28th – 30th Herstmonceaux Medieval Festival, Herstmonceaux Castle, East Sussex, UK 28th & 29th Le Futur plus Grand Rassemblement en Belgique Medievale, Poilvache, Belgium http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=113979095316530 28th – 30th Military Odyssy, Kent Show Ground, Detling, Kent, UK. http://www.military-odyssey.com/ 28th – 30th Medieval Spectacular at Pensthorpe Park, Fakenham, Norfolk http://www.blackknighthistorical.co.uk 29th & 30th The Knights of Royal England at Hedingham Castle, Essex, UK www.knightsroyal.co.uk 28th & 29th Balingup Medieval Carnivale, Balingup, Australia http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=124316690938117 28th – 29th September 10 Jahre mim IG Mensch im Mittelalter e.V (63165 Mulheim am Main) http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=273595664687 28th – 30th The 6th Medieval Spectacular Festival, Pensthorpe, Norfolk, UK http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=375662809571&n=
September 2010 3rd – 5th VI Rol en Vivo, Reinos Olvidados, Hereos del Destino, Monzon (Huesca) http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=131279140216486 3rd – 5th Special effects seminar, Oneail FX Studios, Amesbury, MA, USA http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=133254906689529 4th & 5th Campaign of La Boissiere-Ecole 1815 The village of La Boissiere-Ecole situated 17km west of Rambouillet near Paris 4th & 5th Medieval Festival, Leven Prom http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=211600728161 4th & 5th Avalon II, Sant Llorenc de la Muga http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=111501935565477 4th – 6th Medievales Internaionales De St Colomban Edition 2010, St Colomban, Quebec, Canada http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=122447047795701 5th The Knights of Royal England at Knebworth House, Hertfordshire, UK www.knightsroyal.co.uk 10th – 12th V Torneo Internazionale di Castell Arquato di Scherma Medievale Pesante http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=120977151273883 11th & 12th Early Medieval Alliance (EMA) event at Caldicot Castle, Wales, UK 11th & 12th Rivivi il Medioevo, Parco del LungoArda, Castell'Arquato, Italy http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=134003623277398 11th & 12th MSS at Battle of Edgecote & Tournament Spectacular, Chipping Warden, Banbury, UK For information: http://www.medieval-seige-society.co.uk
11th & 12th Caldicot 2010, Caldicot Castle, Wales, UK http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=344037991340 18th & 19th The Battle of Mortimerâ€&#x;s Cross (C1461) Main A49 1 Mile North of Leominster, Herefordshire, UK For information: http://www.mortimerscross.co.uk 18th & 19th Colin Richards wrestling, dagger & shieldwork seminars, Oneail FX Studios, USA http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=138670992826410 18th & 19th The Knights of Royal England at Leeds Castle, Kent, UK www.knightsroyal.co.uk 25th Legnano 1176, Liberia Feltrinelli Milano, Italy http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=128683167154355 25th & 26th The 17th International Napoleonic Fair 2010 www.internationalnapoleonicfair.co.uk
October 2nd & 3rd Fete Medievale des Vendages, Pierrevert (04860) France http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=106808456027168 16th & 17th The Norfolk Living History Fayre, Mannington Hall, Norfolk, UK http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=343838790024 17th MSS Autumn Clout Shoot, Bodium Castle, Sussex, UK For information: http://www.medieval-seige-society.co.uk 22nd – 24th Tournament of The Pheonix 2010, PVRA, 14336 Tierra Bonita Road, Poway CA 92065 USA http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=129008113807424 29th-31st The Living History Fair, Warwickshire Exhibition Centre, UK http://www.livinghistoryfairs.com/ 30th & 31st Medieval Fair & Market, Tutbury Castle, Staffordshire, UK Contact: david.smith34@ntlworld.com
November 27th & 28th Ludlow Castle Medieval Christmas fair, Ludlow, Shropshire, UK Craft fair, medieval traders, combat, have a go archery http://www.ludlowcastle.com/
December 12th MSS Christmas Clout Shoot at Bodium Castle, Sussex, UK For information: http://www.medieval-seige-society.co.uk
www.michael-arnold.net Editor’s note: Check out next month’s issue for a chance to win a copy of this book
Step back in time 600 years for the ultimate Medieval experience at Bewl Water! Where entertainment & education blend seamlessly into one. Located just 10 miles from Tunbridge Wells, Kent, Bewl Water offers tranquil green meadows as well as a stunningly beautiful Lakeside surroundings. On the weekend of August 14th & 15th, 2010, Bewl Water will be transformed into a slice of 15th Century England with the full panoply of medieval life on display. Don't miss challenging Medieval combat in glittering steel armour on foot in a Fight Arena - cheer on your favorite warrior and boo the villains. Fighters wearing Gothic, Milanese and various examples of 15th Century cuirass will be knocking Seven Bells out of one another with a variety of weapons including Medieval Poleaxes, Flails (ball on chains), Flambards - 4ft long swords - bills, glaives and spears The ground will also be thumping and thundering with the beat of 14 medieval warhorses as the armoured Jousters do their best to unseat one another in an afternoon of competition and rivalry. Enjoy the Have-A-Go Archery and take in the sights, sounds and smells of Medieval Living History, cookery, crafts and woodwork. This is an opportunity to Meet The Ancestors - real-live Medieval folk in fully accurate Medieval costumes who can answer all your questions about Life in the Past. There will be coin-minting displays where you can punch out your Medieval pewter coins - plus a chance to poke through the contents of a replica Medieval Toilet complete with rats and archaeological finds! As you wander through the Medieval Encampment Village don't miss the opportunity to try on some of the vast range of replica body armour we have on display, heft the weapons, look at what they can do - you will be closely supervised so you cannot use them on anybody. You can even spend your modern money shopping at stalls belonging to Historic Traders - 15-20 of the UK's top artisan-traders and dealers in reenactment artefacts will be here. Beer, food and refreshments will be freely available onsite. Showers & full camping facilities - both authentic and plastic available to all participating re-enators. FIrewood SUPPLIED. Come for the day or stay for the weekend - it's up to you! Altogether you and your family can enjoy a BEWLiful day! Free entry to participating re-enactors. Please arrange this by emailing: Mrsjo@aol.com