48 Hours in Hawthorne Trench, Great War Living History Kit & Event Report

A review of kit and the event, unfortunately there wasn't really an opportunity to film during the event proper.
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[@RiflemanMoore]

Oxf & Bucks Living History Society - facebook.com/oxfnbucks

[@clockmonkey]

Have read of sniper units using decoys including models that could smoke using a cigarette and rubber tubing. Pretty sure it was in Hesketh-Prichard's book "Sniping in France". Great to see that bit of History brought to life by the group.

[@LivingHistoryUK]

Great video as always Mr. Moore. Pleasure to have you along for the weekend and already looking forward to the next one.

[@RiflemanMoore]

Likewise, definitely looking forward to next time!

[@thomasmusso1147]

Nice 👍. The only established deep Trench I ever slept in (or tried to) was back in the Winter of '68 at 'de Brug' .. the SADF Battle Training Area just outside Bloemfontein, South Africa. As a newly-qualified Para, it formed part of our 'Conventional War Training Phase'. Very uncomfortable in that the section of trench that I was allocated had a piece of rock in the bottom that was impossible to remove (very much the 'Tip of the Iceberg' similar to that which sank the Titanic) and even more impossible to 'get comfortable' around. Thankfully the majority of our Training Skill Set centred around 'Unconventional / Anti-Guerrilla' Warfare - patrolling and setting up 'TB's' (Temporary Bases). A nice Blast from the Past .. thanks for sharing.

[@jakebrowncollection1772]

Bloody brilliant mate and cpl comeuppance is a hero of the empire

[@LivingHistoryUK]

That’s Cpl Comeuppance MC to you!

[@johnshanahan8477]

Looks like a fantastic event hope to make it sometime

[@lawsonperry3818]

Can we get a list of links of were you get your reproductions or web site's. I love your equipment just whant to know

[@Spetsnaz0o1]

He says where he gets it from, just google the names he mentions you'll find them

[@tobiasbourne9073]

When I was doing the trench event with the 10th Essex in June I remember falling face first into one of the shell holes coming back from a raid😂

[@andrewjohnston4127]

I do like how you made the cooker, going to make a few for myself and some of the lads 😀

[@paulgdunsford7469]

Maybe you could suggest one of your roles being a war photographer if you put your modern camera inside a mock period file camera 🎥 ??

[@joewilson3575]

With the lads supping hot vimto on a cold autumn night!

[@petethebastard]

Excellent! I'd love to be a fly-on-the-wall for that weekend...!!

[@ramseygreen808]

You look surprisingly awake in the video mate, I’ve been dead-beat ever since, on my 3 1/2 hours sleep over the weekend!

[@RiflemanMoore]

I did my best to be lucid and clear, I did forget to mention the visit of the MO and the incident with the sniper in the trees though!

[@stuartbennett7614]

Up the oxs and bucks

[@joemorganeatmyshortschannel]

was like 5 minutes from the end before and you pulled it lol still great as always

[@herefordshireregimentalmus8771]

Hopefully be at the next one!

[@The_Jawnski]

Hope a few of you will make it across the pond for Newville.

[@MarkSmith-ev5fn]

A fantastic account, thank you. Fascinated that you are re-enacting the 2nd Battalion Oxf & Bucks, which I do too, in that I portray my great grandfather Pte Job Wilson who was latterly batman to Major Field until Job was killed in early October 1918. There is a facebook page called Great-Missenden-remembers-Job-Wilson-soldier-of-World-War-1 and a similar group too, though they need updating. Would be very interested to talk with you some more about the experience. I did over 24 hours in the replica trench at the Staffs Regiment Museum a few weeks ago, a different sort of event as the public came round in Covid-compliant groups, was the first time I'd worn my B5s for anything like that long (but I did manage to shave...!)

[@XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX981]

An excellent presentation. Certainly the clearest and most detailed analysis of a British infantryman's kit circa 1916 I have ever seen. Bravo! Sounds like it was a very informative event! Was there a rum issue? From the group photo, there seems to be a majority of the helmets worn with hessian covers. Maybe a year or so early for that modification? Just an idea.

[@RiflemanMoore]

The helmet covers are in drill, not hessian, quite common by late 1916 which is what we were going for, post-Somme. There was indeed a rum issue, I abstained as I've taken the pledge. Glad you found the video interesting!

[@XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX981]

@@RiflemanMoore Your content is unfailingly excellent Rifleman Moore and is very refreshing to a UK audience, as high-quality British and Commonwealth re-enacting content on YT appears almost non-existent. Thanks for your work and cheerful courtesy.

[@the_real_Kurt_Yarish]

Sadly, Kendal Mint Cake isn't commonly available in the US, though one can order it off Amazon to be shipped over. Probably the closest we normally have over here are York Peppermint Patties, which are strongly-flavored peppermint confectionaries enrobed in dark chocolate. Wouldn't recommend those for energy in particular, though.

[@spm36]

Mint cake is a real love/hate taste for most, it's not for me personally, we were issued it in the british army in our ration packs, I'd always give mine away

[@the_real_Kurt_Yarish]

@@spm36 Is it more sweet or more minty? York's are an odd combination of very strong peppermint and bitter dark chocolate. There's little to any sweetness, and definitely an acquired taste. I've always been more fond of sweet yet minty candies, like wintergreen-flavored Lifesavers.

[@championjosh3536]

Hopefully will join you lads in the next year 48 hour in a trench! 😉

[@davidbrennan660]

Get used to the smell of bacon, mud, sweat.....watch your feet... have fun. Nice scale of issue . Regarding the use of a straight razor by the inexperienced user...... check out the Monty Python animation on use. Welcome to your co host addition to the channel

[@Fedorov0814]

Very nice and helpful video, can I know the size of the blanket. it seem my blanket is too big to squeeze in the pack. thank you !!

[@nickl2909]

The what price glory rain cape is a very nice piece and the right colour.

[@RiflemanMoore]

The scenario we were covering was 1916 so the Mk VII, which is what WPG reproduced, didn't yet exist.

[@nickl2909]

@@RiflemanMoore they make a British/ Canadian WW1 rain cape and I am not sure if it is the right one but it is a dark macintosh colour

[@B_Squadron_Y_Patrol_Planchet]

Nicely done :) What colour paint did you use for the helmet?

[@willjohnson1273]

Be nice to see some footage of the in trench experience obviously understanding that electronics would not have been in the trench but of course the "War Photographer/Artist" might have been!!!! P.S. were the Stretcher Bearers regimental possibly taken from the band or infantry allocated to task or RAMC Stretcher Bearers?

[@RiflemanMoore]

The stretcher bearers were regimental bandsmen, not RAMC in this instance.

[@Veritas419]

I’ve never tried the Vimto from concentrate just the carbonated version. I don’t think I would enjoy it warm.

[@Droodog127]

keep your head down

[@schoonerist]

Great vid as always. Quick question, where can I get a period clasp knife in as good a condition as your's?

[@RiflemanMoore]

I picked mine up at a show, I'd definitely recommend that as the best way to find one in the condition you're after at a good price.

[@SteveMrW]

An excellent review of kit and the event……….What happened to your other video?

[@RiflemanMoore]

Many thanks. There was a piece of footage which the editing software hadn't flipped before saving so I reuploaded!

[@fractrum7111]

3:40 lovely cat-tree, sir! On a more :on topic" note, I assume that Saint John gospel in your pocket is a reproduction given it's quality - mind sharing what vendor supplies them?

[@XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX981]

Humour alert. A very useful piece of kit, as it even has the date for the end of the war on it!

[@RiflemanMoore]

Definitely so, alas I didn't get chance to read any of it to the boys in 1 Section so it will probably be left behind next time.

[@joshualoynes7408]

Out of curiosity does the handle not heat up with the rest of the mug?

[@tobiasbourne9073]

The handle does get quite hot, so I put a leather lace round my handle and it makes it good

[@RiflemanMoore]

Not particularly, no, especially if you angle the mug off a little. I've not found it to be too hot to hold.

[@DraftTheHippies]

Where did you get your helmet?

[@RiflemanMoore]

It's a Belgian pot fitted with a Military History Workshop liner.

[@DraftTheHippies]

Thanks

[@danieltaylor5231]

Would they have used paraffin wax in a cooker like yours?

[@RiflemanMoore]

As I said in the video I was using hexi in place of the solid fuels available at the time such as 'Kampite' and 'Anglo's Trench Fires', though I'm not certain what these consited of.

[@danieltaylor5231]

@@RiflemanMoore I was just wondering if you knew if they used it back then. I completely agree with using hexi because its easy to get and therefore you wouldn't hesitate to use it. Also its safer in that it stays in its form while burning. Would be quite the time if your fuel melted and ran out the ventilation holes while cooking.

[@andrewfox6631]

Is the bayonet genuine?..As I have a genuine 1907 bayonet

[@RiflemanMoore]

Yes, the bayonet is real.

[@andrewfox6631]

@@RiflemanMoore ok. It's just you can buy repo 1907s from soldier of fortune

[@user-wl1sr5ng4t]

Fruity ....