Foreign Field Living History Group

04/07/2025

Repeat after us! "Burke and Hare were NOT body snatchers!"

18/06/2025

Chalke 2025 map has been released! Come find us in the same spot as last year, near the Mainsail Stage and the Forum!

🔍 Plot your course, history awaits!

The 2025 Chalke History Festival map has landed.

Planning your perfect day starts now.

Download the map and get all the info you need ahead of your visit:👉 www.chalkefestival.com/faqs

14/06/2025

The Dead & the Destitute: Body Snatching at The Workhouse, Saturday 14 & Sunday 15 June.

Join us for a family-friendly and morbidly fascinating re-enactment by living history group, Foreign Field.

With performances throughout the day, this is a free event and no booking is required. Admission into the property applies.

Full details at www.nationaltrust.org.uk/theworkhouse

24/03/2025

OTD- today Mark's the 80th anniversary of Operstion Varsity the crossing of the river rhine and final leg into germany.
It was the largest concentration of airborne forces of the entire war with hard learnt lessons from previous drops being put to good use.

Early in the morning on March 24, 1945, two airborne divisions, one American and one British, flew over the Rhine River. This was the first airborne mission ever conducted into Germany. The Rhine was the final barrier keeping Allied forces from the heart of Germany.

The US 17th Airborne was to land in the southern portion of the XVIII Airborne Corps zone, and the British 6th Airborne was headed for the northern portion. The entire area was only 5 miles deep and 6 miles wide, and a total of nearly 18,000 airborne troops had to be inserted, making the airhead east of the Rhine the most congested airborne assault ever attempted at that time.
A total of 9,387 men of the 17th Airborne Division were transported in 72 C-46s and 226 C-47s, while 610 C-47s towed 906 Waco CG-4A gliders.

The British lift consisted of more than 8,000 men aboard 42 Douglas C-54s and 752 C-47s, with 420 Airspeed Horsa and General Aircraft Hamilcar gliders. In all, the sky train stretched nearly 200 miles and took two hours and 37 minutes to pass any given point. A protective blanket of 676 fighters from the U.S. Ninth Air Force and 213 fighters of the Royal Air Force escorted the armada.

On March 24, 1,070 members of the 17th Airborne and the 6th British Airborne Divisions were killed and thousands more wounded.

Source: Article in World War II by Bart Hagerman (1998)

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15/02/2025

Hi folks, the reenactment season 2025 is upon us! Kicking things off with "The Victorian Gentleman's Guide to Self Defence" at the National Emergency Services Museum, Sheffield, all weekend, with shows at 11:00, 12:30 amd 14:00!

08/10/2024

Rory gives Chalke the lowdown on 19th Century self defence

17/09/2024

80 years ago today – 17th September 1944 - saw the first wave of landings by the British 1st Airborne Division just outside Arnhem, the beginning of Operation Market Garden, the ambitious Allied plan to push deep behind German lines and hasten the end of the Second World War.

In my painting, Horsa gliders are unloaded while others approach to land on the crowded landing zone, prior to the advance into the town to take the bridge across the Rhine...

Painted for the Osprey book 'Operation Market Garden 1944 (2)', this original painting has sold, but others are available. See my website for full details - https://www.studio88.co.uk/acatalog/Operation_Market_Garden_paintings.html

17/08/2024

And were off again this time at the stunning wrest park for their ww2 and ww2 event.
If your in the area pop in and say hello.

24/06/2024

And were off! It's that time of year again and were back at Chalke History Festival for another week of history and talks in our favourite field in broad chalk.
Come down and see the festival (and us) on any of the days for a massive verity of talks and shows. We'll be doing our usual capperings in armour, boxing and battle dress with the inclusion of a brand new show debuting at chalk so watch this space!

19/06/2024

Day 12 (we made it!)

On the twelfth day of raiding the vikings took from me:

12 sturday oxen

11 shining gem stones
10 peasents farming
9 saxon ladies
8 slaves are shreiking
7 pounds of silver
6 kegs of mead
5 gold rings!
4 candle sticks
3 squawking hens
2 braying mules
AND a monk hiding in the belfry!

18/06/2024

Day 11

On the eleventh day of raiding the vikings took from me:

11 shining gem stones

10 farming peasents
9 saxon ladies
8 slaves are shreiking
7 pounds of silver
6 kegs of mead
5 gold rings!
4 candle sticks
3 squawking hens
2 braying mules
And a monk hiding in the belfry

17/06/2024

Day 10

On the tenth day of raiding the vikings took from me:

10 peasents farming

9 saxon ladies
8 slaves are shreiking
7 pounds of silver
6 kega of mead
5 gold rings!
4 candle sticks
3 squawking hens
2 braying mules
And a monk hiding in the belfry