Last weekend saw me back down in Chatham at the the Royal Engineers Museum taking part in in their “War Winning Engineering” Weekend event. The event also coinsided with the Royal Engineers Memorial Weekend.
I had been asked if I could bring my WW2 Mines display, I’ve done this for the museum twice before. Having increased the number of mines and equipment, as well as revamping the way that I display photos and diagrams it was time to try and adjust the display.
Having requested 2 tables I set about creating a display that allowed me to talk as a Royal Engineers Mine Trainer. The First table would focus on the German mines – Anti Tank and Anti Personnel- the capabilities and the differences of the types and the changes of the development.
The second table would then focus on the detection process, how to clear the mines and how to check if the mine is booby trapped. If the mine is booby trapped then I would go through how it was dealt with.
The display boards worked well and the location on the walk way next to the Cafe area was pretty good for the foot fall visiting the museum.
To add to the display I was kitted out as a RE Major of the mid to late War period and it fitted with the aim of the display to be delivering training to troops prior to D Day.
The engagement with the visitors was good, with a real mixed crowd across the weekend from young to old and it was good to try out a number of different approaches and methods of talks with the public. A lot of it depended who the individual or group were and what their backgrounds were. Its good to have a display that allows for you to ramp up or dial down the detail to suit the visitor.
There was a good few other displays which provided some really good talks, of particular note was Rob Crane and his display and talks on the COPP Survey unit. Cracking information on this unit that was largely Royal Navy and Royal Engineers and they carried out recce and evaluations of beach’s for suitability for Amphibious landings.
There was also Sapper Shand with his RE Clay Kickers display which is about the Royal Engineers Tunnellers of the Great War, during this weekend he was particularly focused on the mining work at the Hawthorne Ridge of the Somme 1 July 1916. A really good display and worth the time of the visit on its own. Also the 39-35 Living History Society were also in attendance with their brilliant Kent Fortress Company RE display.
I also took the opportunity to walk round the museum as there is always things that you spot that you missed on previous visits. On this occasion there was a change spot of a Hornsby Ackroyde Safety Oil Engine used by the Corps in the Late Victorian period. Now the reason that this was a important and excited spot is that this has appeared in my research into the development of the Holts Tractors that were used to great effect in WW1, these static engines were an important link in the transition from Steam Engines to the combustion engines for Agriculture and military use.
The other spot was that there were several vehicles brought in for the Weekend, one of which was a Daimler Dingo and I took the opportunity to have a good look around it, having seen one several times before this was the first time that I could have a really good poke around it and to see the internals.
It was a good weekend and always good to go and help the museum with their events, hopefully I’ll be back down soon to access the archives as well as come back next year for a few more displays and events.