Battle School & Range
RESCHEDULE DATE PENDING
Van, Texas
We are sorry to have to announce that the "Battle School and Range" and "Burma 1942" events scheduled for October will have to be rescheduled for next year, probably in the Spring, like March. The red tape that Denise has to go through will probably not be completed in time for us to hold events there in October. November is already booked with other people's events at other locations, and we have other events scheduled ourselves that we're running in December (Operation Varsity), January (Battle of El Adem) and February (Bois de Bavent), so we won't be scheduling anything new until March.
The range weekend will consist of zeroing the Enfield No 4 Mk 1 Rifle, qualification with the Enfield No 4 Mk 1 Rifle, bayonet drill, battle drill, and battle school training. The event is open to all reenactors, but is limited to the first ten participants to register.
Arrival will be Friday night and Saturday morning, with training beginning after breakfast. Breakfast and supper are included with the event fee. Lunch must be provided by the participants. Training will continue in the afternoon, with a break for supper, and then after supper, the evening is open for a recreation program. Bring your 'Best BD' for British Commonwealth reenactors, or your 'walking out' uniform for other reenactors for the evening program. Training will continue on Sunday morning and finish Sunday at noon. For participants that don't own a No 4 Mk 1 Enfield rifle with bayonet, one will be provided for you to use.
The cost of the event is $55.00. This fee includes 55 rounds of live .303 ball ammunition for zeroing and qualification, ten rounds of blank ammunition for battle school training, and breakfast and supper on Saturday. The proceeds of the event are being used to purchase a "Battlefield Smoke System" for use at reenactment events hosted by our club. The cost of the ammunition alone is worth $55, so consider your breakfast and supper free, and the fee for this event will go toward making your future reenacting experiences at 6th AARR run events even more realistic.
Arrival will be Friday night and Saturday morning, with training beginning after breakfast. Breakfast and supper are included with the event fee. Lunch must be provided by the participants. Training will continue in the afternoon, with a break for supper, and then after supper, the evening is open for a recreation program. Bring your 'Best BD' for British Commonwealth reenactors, or your 'walking out' uniform for other reenactors for the evening program. Training will continue on Sunday morning and finish Sunday at noon. For participants that don't own a No 4 Mk 1 Enfield rifle with bayonet, one will be provided for you to use.
The cost of the event is $55.00. This fee includes 55 rounds of live .303 ball ammunition for zeroing and qualification, ten rounds of blank ammunition for battle school training, and breakfast and supper on Saturday. The proceeds of the event are being used to purchase a "Battlefield Smoke System" for use at reenactment events hosted by our club. The cost of the ammunition alone is worth $55, so consider your breakfast and supper free, and the fee for this event will go toward making your future reenacting experiences at 6th AARR run events even more realistic.
Upon arrival Friday night, you will fill out your registration form and waiver, and be briefed on where to go and what to do. The accomodations will be a British WW2 encampment, so bring your tentage, campaign gear, toilet rolls and all the other haversack stuffers and living history stuff you have. If you don't have a WW2 British bivi tent, bell tent or other WW2 British tentage, there will be tent space provided for you. If you don't have a WW2 British AB sleeping bag or bed roll, bring gray wool blankets and your ground sheet.
On Saturday morning, we'll wake up and shave and prepare for the day. Make sure you have your safety razor, shaving stick, life buoy soap and wooden tooth brush, etc. At 0700 (7 a.m.), we will fall in, take roll, raise the jack, and move to the mess line. The mess line will consist of correct WW2 pattern british army stoves, cooking pots, thermal boxes, and all the other proper WW2 pattern British mess gear you are familiar with when attending a 6th AARR run event. After breakfast, we will begin the training for the day, according to the correct WW2 British manuals.
No modern vehicles or other modern anything is allowed in the camp area during the event. After you register, you can move your POV to the camp area and unload, and then it must be moved to the parking area. You may not set up your camp with your car or truck in the camp. It must be unloaded and immediately moved. Only WW2 period vehicles are allowed to stay in the camp area during the weekend. If you have a cooler or some other modern luxury that you can't live without, which of course most all of us have, then it must be hidden in a tent or under a blanket or tarp, and STAY THAT WAY. Reach in your tent flap, grab your whatever, and close the flap. If you don't have a period correct undershirt, don't wear one at all. If you have modern glasses and no WW2 correct ones, wear contacts instead.
After the training is done for the day, we will honor His Royal Highness with a celebration, so BYOB and PERIOD CORRECT SNACKS. Bring your favorite beverage, but in keeping with the spirit of the weekend, it is highly encouraged you bring something British, such as Bass or Newcastle, etc.
Upon the completion of the weekend, or if you have to leave early, you must break down your camp equipment and have it ready to load in your vehicle BEFORE you bring your vehicle back to the camp to load it up. Your modern vehicle must be in the camp area only long enough to load up the ready equipment, and then get it out of the camp as quickly as possible.
One of the primary goals of this weekend, along with safety and fun, is to prepare British WW2 reenactors for this year's campaign season. There are several events for WW2 British reenactors this coming season, including "Burma 1942", "Operation Varsity", "El Adem", and "Bois de Bavent" as well as other events. This Battle School weekend will allow you to get back into get back into character for the season before the rush of events kicks in. You can work the bugs out of your camp gear, personal kit, learn basic close order drill, and how to operate as a WW2 British soldier ACCORDING TO THE BOOK. You will learn how to read a map and use a protractor, how to call for mortar fire support, how to talk on a radio or field telephone and use the phonetic alphabet, etc. If you don't have correct stuff, don't sweat it. No-one's going to slam you, just do the best you can with what you have. This is the place to come to learn what the correct stuff looks like, and where you can get it. The experienced reenactors at the event are there to help others, and no question is ridiculous, so don't be afraid to ask! All of us are always learning. The Battle School is the place for the new guy to become good, and the experienced guy to become better.
On Saturday morning, we'll wake up and shave and prepare for the day. Make sure you have your safety razor, shaving stick, life buoy soap and wooden tooth brush, etc. At 0700 (7 a.m.), we will fall in, take roll, raise the jack, and move to the mess line. The mess line will consist of correct WW2 pattern british army stoves, cooking pots, thermal boxes, and all the other proper WW2 pattern British mess gear you are familiar with when attending a 6th AARR run event. After breakfast, we will begin the training for the day, according to the correct WW2 British manuals.
No modern vehicles or other modern anything is allowed in the camp area during the event. After you register, you can move your POV to the camp area and unload, and then it must be moved to the parking area. You may not set up your camp with your car or truck in the camp. It must be unloaded and immediately moved. Only WW2 period vehicles are allowed to stay in the camp area during the weekend. If you have a cooler or some other modern luxury that you can't live without, which of course most all of us have, then it must be hidden in a tent or under a blanket or tarp, and STAY THAT WAY. Reach in your tent flap, grab your whatever, and close the flap. If you don't have a period correct undershirt, don't wear one at all. If you have modern glasses and no WW2 correct ones, wear contacts instead.
After the training is done for the day, we will honor His Royal Highness with a celebration, so BYOB and PERIOD CORRECT SNACKS. Bring your favorite beverage, but in keeping with the spirit of the weekend, it is highly encouraged you bring something British, such as Bass or Newcastle, etc.
Upon the completion of the weekend, or if you have to leave early, you must break down your camp equipment and have it ready to load in your vehicle BEFORE you bring your vehicle back to the camp to load it up. Your modern vehicle must be in the camp area only long enough to load up the ready equipment, and then get it out of the camp as quickly as possible.
One of the primary goals of this weekend, along with safety and fun, is to prepare British WW2 reenactors for this year's campaign season. There are several events for WW2 British reenactors this coming season, including "Burma 1942", "Operation Varsity", "El Adem", and "Bois de Bavent" as well as other events. This Battle School weekend will allow you to get back into get back into character for the season before the rush of events kicks in. You can work the bugs out of your camp gear, personal kit, learn basic close order drill, and how to operate as a WW2 British soldier ACCORDING TO THE BOOK. You will learn how to read a map and use a protractor, how to call for mortar fire support, how to talk on a radio or field telephone and use the phonetic alphabet, etc. If you don't have correct stuff, don't sweat it. No-one's going to slam you, just do the best you can with what you have. This is the place to come to learn what the correct stuff looks like, and where you can get it. The experienced reenactors at the event are there to help others, and no question is ridiculous, so don't be afraid to ask! All of us are always learning. The Battle School is the place for the new guy to become good, and the experienced guy to become better.
Schedule of Events
Friday Night Arrival and registration, establish british camp. Saturday 0630 - 0700 Wakeup 0700 - 0745 Breakfast consisting of a WW2 British Army "Fry-Up" 0745 - 0800 Fall-in and Range Briefing 0800 - 1000 Group A rifle zeroing Group B bayonet drill 1000 - 1200 Group A bayonet drill Group B rifle zeroing 1200 - 1245 Lunch - bring your own 1245 - 1300 Range Briefing 1300 - 1500 Group A rifle qualification Group B rifle section battle drill 1500-1700 Group A rifle section battle drill Group B rifle qualification 1700 - 1800 Supper consisting of British Army Compo 1800 - 2300 6th AARR award ceremony Open range Micro Armour wargame, "Operation Varsity" WW2 music and BYOB (AFTER the range closes) "FUBAR" quiz game Sunday 0630 - 0700 Wakeup 0700 - 0745 Breakfast, bring your own 0745 - 0800 Training briefing 0800 - 1200 Battle School |
MENU
BREAKFAST fried eggs bacon sausage porridge fried bread beans jam tea coffee milk sugar SUPPER meat and veg brown bread pears butter tea coffee milk sugar |
The training will all be conducted out of the relevant WW2 British Army training manuals and pamphlets. The zeroing is a detailed process which consists of firing shot groups, and then changing out the front sight post of the rifle with the most appropriate calibration of sight post for the firer's eye. We have these sight posts available as part of the training. When you finish zeroing your Enfield, it will be properly calibrated for YOU. The targets used in the training will be target-cloth targets of the WW2 British standard. Bring your full british webbing and your gas mask and bayonet, as these are required to properly qualify with the Enfield rifle. The bayonet must be fixed to the rifle while firing, and the mask must be worn as part of the firing. If you don't have an Enfield, bayonet, webbing, or mask, one will be provided for you for the training.
Bayonet drill will be conducted out of the book, using straw bayonet targets with fixed bayonets. Rifle section battle drill will be conducted out of the book for deliberate attack and patrolling.
On Sunday, Battle School training will be conducted using the skills learned on Saturday. The first training lane will consist of rifle section movement along roads and through the woods, reacting to enemy contact. The second training lane will consist of deliberate attack, which will involve movement behind an HE barrage and smoke screen to seize an enemy defended line. There will be an actual pyrotechnic HE barrage and smoke screen, against weapons pits manned by german dummies. Bayonets will be fixed and blanks fired for the advance and bayonets are welcome to be used on the german dummies.
Upon completion of Battle School training, participants will clear the barracks and return home. Participants who wish to bring their other weapons to fire on the range after supper on Saturday are welcome to do so.
Again, the cost of $55 is to generate the funds to purchase a professionally made "Battlefield Smoke System" for use at future reenactment events, and the fee includes 55 rounds of .303 ball ammunition, 10 rounds of blank ammunition, a reproduction WW2 British rifle qualification badge (see photo below), and breakfast and supper on Saturday. All the ammunition, food, and pyrotechnics for this event are being donated by members of the 6th AARR and M. Gilbert to raise these funds.
Bayonet drill will be conducted out of the book, using straw bayonet targets with fixed bayonets. Rifle section battle drill will be conducted out of the book for deliberate attack and patrolling.
On Sunday, Battle School training will be conducted using the skills learned on Saturday. The first training lane will consist of rifle section movement along roads and through the woods, reacting to enemy contact. The second training lane will consist of deliberate attack, which will involve movement behind an HE barrage and smoke screen to seize an enemy defended line. There will be an actual pyrotechnic HE barrage and smoke screen, against weapons pits manned by german dummies. Bayonets will be fixed and blanks fired for the advance and bayonets are welcome to be used on the german dummies.
Upon completion of Battle School training, participants will clear the barracks and return home. Participants who wish to bring their other weapons to fire on the range after supper on Saturday are welcome to do so.
Again, the cost of $55 is to generate the funds to purchase a professionally made "Battlefield Smoke System" for use at future reenactment events, and the fee includes 55 rounds of .303 ball ammunition, 10 rounds of blank ammunition, a reproduction WW2 British rifle qualification badge (see photo below), and breakfast and supper on Saturday. All the ammunition, food, and pyrotechnics for this event are being donated by members of the 6th AARR and M. Gilbert to raise these funds.
REGISTRATION
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