Harwich re-enactment event brings history to life

The two-day Napoleonic re-enactment took place across Harwich’s Redoubt Fort and Beacon Hill Fort, a 15-minute walk from each other.

Re-enactors dressed as members of the King’s German Legion as well as French forces.

John Theobald, who was part of the steering group behind the re-enactment weekend, said the event went well.

Other members of the steering group included Barry Sharpe for Beacon Hill Fort as well as Phil Merriot, Matt Merriot-Ward, Tony Johnson and Glen Shaw for the Reenactor groups.

Mr Theobald said: “The public quite happily moved from venue to venue. We had a wristband system, people could come and go as they pleased.

“They could talk to soldiers of both camps, see the situation and then get themselves into a safe location for the live firing displays.”

The re-enactors got into their roles by using props while also staging a skirmish at the end of both days.

Mr Theobald, who is a Redoubt volunteer and member of the Harwich society, said: “They demonstrated things, did drills, the French forces had a guillotine.

“There were living history camps at both ends and a trumpet ceremony at the end of the day.

“There was also a French barber surgeon supposed to be on parole in the Redoubt.

“He demonstrated teeth pulling, amputation – in a very kind of amusing the way. The children are always horrified and happy with it.”

Ultimately, the event’s skirmishes had mixed results for both sides of the battle.

Mr Theobald said: “In the scenarios, the French held out mightily on the Saturday but surrendered on the Sunday. It followed those kind of lines.

“The afternoon, we ended up with a skirmish at Beacon Hill between both forces.”

While this year’s re-enactment is now in the books, Mr Theonald said discussions now look to the future.

He added: “We are planning to make it an annual event if we may. The response from the public was very good. The re-enactors liked both venues. We’d like to make it an annual event.”