Victory in Europe Reenactment Association

VA Home Guard Make The Papers!

2011-08-30T09:11:00.002+01:00

VERA's Home Guard unit attended the Stephenson Railway Museum last weekend and managed to make the papers! Thousands turned out to see the attractions including our Vickers Armstrong Home Guard unit doing there stuff. Please follow the link for the full story, well done lads!

Thousands attend North East weekend fun - Chronicle News - News from @EveningChron

VERA's War and Peace Show Photo's

2011-07-31T22:27:00.000+01:00

Well, the weather was poor on Wednesday and Thursday but the sun shone down on us for Friday, Saturday and Sunday!! Crowd numbers through the wooded area where we, and all the other British airborne groups (Just Ordinary Men, Battle for Europe and Chalk) were located were excellent, far better than last year and to top it all off we won FIRST PLACE in the Best Small Display group!! As usual, as I was the only photographer in our midst then we only have a few pics to show for it but hopefully some of the professional photographers who were milling around should have some to offer? I'll keep an eye out and try to show them here if they come up. Cheers Matt.

VERA take part in Market Garden DVD!

2011-07-31T22:18:00.003+01:00

Some time ago I contacted Battlefield History Television after seeing that they were intending to make a series of documentary DVD's dealing with Operation Market Garden. I offered our services as a living history group specialising in British Airborne troops circa 1944. We eventually agreed that the War and Peace Show would be an excellent location for the filming to be done, and also this way we would be able to involve some of the other British Airborne living history groups who were attending; Just Ordinary Men and Battle for Europe. The DVD should be launched in the new year 2012 by Pen and Sword so make sure you look out for it. Below is an example of the cover that BHTV have prepared. Cheers Matt.

Operation Varsity - Better Late Than Never!

2011-06-07T14:37:00.001+01:00

Sorry for the delay in getting these posted up. As has become a custom for VERA and Thunder From Heaven every March, we once again joined forces to commemorate the crossing of the Rhine airborne operation; Varsity. With TFH depicting U.S. 17th Airborne Division and VERA depicting 12th Battalion, Devonshire Regiment, British 6th Airborne Division. Although small in numbers for various reasons, I think VERA managed to pull it off. Enjoy.

We Win First Prize at Wings and Wheels 2011

2011-05-15T19:27:00.002+01:00

This year VERA displayed at the Battlegroup North Wings and Wheels Show held at Elvington Air Museum near York. We displayed British and German weapons and equipment over the two day show, and A.J. was able to show off his replica Airborne 6pdr Anti-tank gun which was received well by all who saw it, many people not realising it was a replica! An already excellent weekend was then topped by our winning of the 'Best Diorama' award. Let's hope that this is a good omen for the rest of the year! :)

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

2010-12-22T12:54:00.000Z

Hi all, as you'll know the season is pretty quiet for VERA, but we'll be back in the New Year with plenty of events to keep you all entertained! :)

A couple of us are planning on attending the annual Commando march held at Achnacarry in Scotland in April, there's talk of having a super huge British Airborne display at the Victory Show 2011 (watch this space) and plans are afoot for us to attend the War and Peace show alongside our old companions from Just Ordinary Men!

I'll post more when I can but for now its Seasons Greetings to you all, enjoy the holidays!!

Cheers

Matt

War and Peace Show 2010

2010-07-28T12:54:00.004+01:00

This year VERA teamed up with Just Ordinary Men (www.justordinarymen.org.uk) to recreate the Oosterbeek perimeter during Operation Market Garden, September 1944. Our adversaries for the week were FJR6 (www.fjr6.co.uk) who were dug in on the other side of the wood and insisted on attacking us just as our tea was brewing! On Saturday we were also joined by members of the Oxf & Bucks LI (AB). The week was an excellent mix of living history (we lived and ate in the woods all week), public battle displays, and of course the hundreds of militaria stalls and displays which made up the rest of the show - superb! Enjoy the pictures. Matt.

Muckleburgh Multi-front Event

2010-06-28T14:22:00.003+01:00

VERA were happy to rebadge as Royal Artillery Airlanding Anti-tank for this two day event at the Muckleburgh Collection museum in Norfolk over the weekend (26th-27th) and were accompanied by the Vickers Armstrong Home Guard. The weather was hot, hot, hot as both units dug in (thankfully the soil was sandy and easy to dig - so people tell me). The Airlanding Anti-tank lads were loaned a 17pdr Anti-tank gun by the museum as a centre piece to their display and VERA member Andy Johnson provided six superb 17pdr ammo boxes, and these along with the crews slit trenches made for a pretty impressive display. The Home Guard section yet again provided an excellent display and entertained the organized truck rides by asking visitors for passes before being allowed to continue on their journey!! The Airborne lads also took part in a small 'skirmish' on both days supported by the museum's Sherman tank, much to the delight of the watching crowds who braved the intense sunshine to watch the spectacle. Enjoy the photos, I will upload more to the Photobucket account as soon as I can. Cheers.

VERA's Multi Period 'Scotland at War' Event

2010-06-01T12:29:00.011+01:00

Historic Scotland again hosted its popular 'Scotland at War' event at Caeverlock Castle near Dumfries in Scotland over the Bank Holiday weekend - May 29th to 30th. Several groups were in attendance from Romans through to VERA's World War 2 time-line display (BEF 1940 to Burma 1945) along with Vickers Armstrong Home Guard. The weather on Saturday did its best to keep the crowds away but we eventually presented to just over 400 people, Sunday was far better weather and we had a public attendance of over 1000. As usual, follow the 'Caeverlock Castle' link in the 'Event Images' section to see more photos. Cheers all. Keep your eyes peeled for Muckleborough at the end of June - this looks promising.

Vickers Armstrong Home Guard Defend Blyth

2010-06-01T11:54:00.008+01:00

The weekend of May 22-23 saw VERA's very own Vickers Armstrong Home Guard section turn out in force to show the public how it was done. Please follow the 'Blyth Battery' link in the 'Event Images' section for more photos. Cheers.

More Operation Varsity Pics!

2010-04-17T14:01:00.003+01:00

Just a few more pics added to the 'Event Images' section. Courtesy of Mark at Thunder from Heaven. Enjoy.

Varsity Operation Reenactment

2010-04-06T14:28:00.011+01:00

Sunday March 28th 2010 saw V.E.R.A. taking part in the now, annual reenactment/photoshoot to mark the 65th anniversary of the Rhine crossing which took place on 23rd/24th March 1945. Operation Varsity was the large scale Airborne element of the crossing in conjunction with Operation Plunder; the amphibious crossing. Units attending the weekend were: V.E.R.A. (12th Devons, 6th Airborne Div) and Thunder from Heaven (U.S. 17th Airborne Div) The weather was fair (a miracle after the rain we'd had all week), expert planning of the day made the event itself go smoothly. All the groups looked excellent and behaviour was fitting for such an important occasion. Please click on the 'Operation Varsity 03.10' link to view a slideshow. Cheers.

VERA Home Guard in Troon, Ayrshire.

2009-12-15T15:24:00.002Z

In November the VERA Home Guard section travelled to Scotland's west coastal town of Ayrshire to display their excellent collection of HG uniforms, weapons and equipment. Although the weather may have been cold our plucky chaps stayed nice and warm in their woolen Home Guard capes... Please click on the 'Troon 11.09' link. Enjoy.

VERA Attend Arnhem Anniversary 2009!

2009-12-15T15:18:00.003Z

First of all, I'm sorry for this post being so late. I have no excuses, its just very late! Back in September VERA took a trip to Arnhem to mark the 65th anniversary of the battle for Arnhem bridge; Operation Market Garden. Please click on the 'Arnhem 09.09' link to see a selection of pictures. Thank you.

Solway Aviation Museum A Roaring Success!

2009-07-29T09:36:00.008+01:00

Solway Museum's Veteran's weekend was a great success, the weather was superb (except for a brief rain shower in the middle of the day). The event was visited by a huge amount of public and the VERA lads were literally run off their feet, with no time for lunch! On Saturday - the day before the actual event - we were treated to a short air display by the Yak52 Air Display Team who landed at the airfield to refuel before roaring off to their next appointment.

In the afternoon, all eyes were skyward once again searching for signs of the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight Spitfire and Dakota. Then we heard that the Dak had engine problems and had returned to base which was disappointing to say the least, however, our spirits were raised by the appearance of the Spitfire who did several passes of the site before landing and the pilot coming up to speak to us. We were then informed that the Dak was on her way and would be with us shortly. Sure enough she came in right on time and we were fortunate enough to be able to take part in a promotional photoshoot and guided tour! The pilots and crew of both aircraft were excellent blokes and we all felt truly privileged.

Wartime and post-war veterans also attended the event and many of them appreciated our efforts and enjoyed showing their families the weapons and kit they'd used in their youth. One outstanding individual was John “Chalkie” White of 2 SAS (pictured below with some VERA chaps) who had once been Lt Col Paddy Mayne's driver!

The museum itself is also worth a visit, with some interesting static aircraft on display including a Phantom F4, Gloster Meteor, Canberra, Sikorsky S.55 Helicopter, Vampire and of course the Vulcan. The volunteer staff are very friendly and knowledgeable. For more information contact them via: info@solway-aviation-museum.co.uk. Cheers.

VERA At Solway Aircraft Museum July 5th '09

2009-07-03T08:51:00.006+01:00

VERA will be making an appearance at Solway Aircraft Museum's Veterans Day this coming Sunday 5th July. Entry is free to all visitors and there is the promise of a fly-over by the BBMF Dakota and Spitfire (weather permitting of course). VERA will be attending as 1st Battalion (Airlanding) and will be displaying vehicles and kit. If you have the time this could be a worthwhile day out, and if we've never met then come over and introduce yourselve! Photos of the Day will follow. Cheers.

All Goes Well at Carlisle Castle

2009-05-13T08:30:00.003+01:00

VERA managed an excellent attendance for this years Carlisle Castle Regimental Weekend, with members portraying; Home Guard, BEF, Sicily, North Africa, Europe and the Far East. Although the weather was poor on Saturday, there was a marked improvement on Sunday and the sun shone all day! The local Cadet Force were extremely keen to get their hands on our collection of weapons and kit (some of which they actually brought back), and it was nice to chat with veterans both old and new, and members of the public alike. Saturday night was used as an opportunity to hold the group AGM with some good ideas brought up for the future. All-in-all it was a good weekend, always good to catch up with other members and have a nosey around the museum. Please follow the Carlisle Castle 09 link for pictures. Cheers.

Carlisle Castle - May 9th & 10th

2009-05-04T11:56:00.005+01:00

May 9th/10th will see VERA attending the annual Regimental Weekend at Carlisle Castle. Home Guard are in attendance as is Border Regiment through the war from BEF to Sicily, Italy, Normandy, Arnhem and Burma. Let's hope the weekend is advertised better than on previous years as its always nice to see plenty of public and veterans alike. If you're in the area over the weekend why not come along and say hello? Last year's weather was superb so fingers crossed we get a repeat for this year! Photos will follow the event so please check back. Cheers.

Operation Varsity images added to Photobucket!

2009-04-20T19:45:00.004+01:00

Hi all, we've created a slideshow of our favorite Operation Varsity pictures on Photobucket. Just click on the link in 'Event Images'. Enjoy.

Operation Varsity Event a Success!

2009-03-31T16:21:00.009+01:00

The weekend of March 28th/29th 2009 saw the simulated battle reenactment of the Rhine crossing 23rd/24th March 1945. Operation Varsity was the large scale Airborne element of the crossing in conjunction with Operation Plunder; the amphibious crossing. Units attending were: V.E.R.A. (12th Devons, 6th Airborne Div), Thunder from Heaven (U.S. 17th Airborne Div), Airborne Recce (12th Devons, 6th Airborne Div) with German reenactment group; 'Grossdeutschland' providing the defending Germans. The weather was perfect (except for some slight hail on saturday lunchtime), as was the location, planning and the event itself. All the groups looked excellent and behaviour was fitting for such an important occasion. Wreaths were laid on the Sunday with a minutes silence being observed on behalf of the men, of both sides who gave their lives 64 years ago. There should be plenty of photos from this event, here are just a few, please keep checking back to view more. Cheers.

2009 Season!

2009-02-16T14:30:00.006Z

VERA are now preparing for the start of the 2009 season. March will see the first outing for us as we rebadge once again as 12th Devons, 6th Airborne for an Operation Varsity anniversary weekend to commemorate the 1945 Rhine crossing operation. The weekend is primarily to be used as a training event but will also enable us to gather as many photographs as possible, so watch this space. The year seems to hold plenty to offer us so lets hope for better weather! Stand by for further updates. Cheers.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

2008-12-22T16:50:00.001Z

VERA has stood down for Christmas but will return in the New Year which promises to be extremely busy so watch this space for more details! Cheers.

Thorpe Thewles Village Hall 8 November 2008

2008-11-10T10:25:00.006Z

Local History Exhibition & DVD Launch - A day long exhibition that focused on various aspects of life in and around the Thorpe Thewles area within the C20th. The exhibition covered many aspects of life in the village including the roles played by key institutions such as the Post Offices, Public Houses, School, Church and Parish Hall. In addition the exhibition featured aspects of lost village traditions plus the effects on the village and its surroundings with the outbreak of the Second World War. The exhibition was timed to coincide and act as a venue for the launch of a Lottery Funded local history DVD. A copy of this DVD was made freely available (by collection) to each household within the Parish of Grindon.

The exhibition contained many wonderful photographs and maps covering the period 1900 to 2000 which have come to light as part of the DVD's research. In nearly all cases this was the first time these images have been shown publicly.

A visit by the Major of Stockton-on-Tees at 10:30 PM followed by the official presentation of DVDs to the villages oldest resident and the last resident to have been born in the village during the twentieth century.

Sedgefield 'World at War' Event October 2008

2008-10-29T17:23:00.004Z

As the UK reenactment ‘season’ winds to a close a few stoic VERA members took a trip to Sedgefield, Co Durham to support an event organised by Sedgefield Village Veterans Association.

Located at Sedgefield Racecourse the two day event was marred by poor weather. Gale force winds on the Saturday cost V.E.R.A. dear, as two tent flysheets were ripped in strong gusts. The biting cold wind even managed to cut through our thick woollen BD's. Sunday proved a better day with less wind, but sudden and heavy rain showers put paid to the ususal high standards that is to be expected of a V.E.R.A. static display.

The show was poorly attended by the public, one presumes they were put off by the inclement weather conditions - perhaps late October is ‘too late’ in the calendar for such an event.

Operation Market Garden, Spanhoe 2008

2008-09-22T13:57:00.010+01:00

The weekend of September 13th/14th saw us team up with Thunder From Heaven at Spanhoe Airfield to mark the 64th anniversary of Operation Market Garden. TFH had prepared a signals tent flanked by slit trenches to depict Brownings Corps Main HQ, manned by U.S., British and Polish signallers and defended by members of the Glider Pilot Regiment. The weather behaved (for once this year!) which went along way to making the weekend a success, VERA members attended in strength and as usual the standard was hard to beat; many positive comments were made by members of the public and other groups alike. The air shows on Saturday and Sunday were superb; Spitfire, Mustang, Dakota and Messerschmitt to name a few along with breathtaking Acrobatic displays saw everyone walking around with a permanent 'crick' in their necks! The public display battles on both days were well thought out and were a pleasure to take part in, I hope the public enjoyed the show as much as we did! Unfortunately, Nobby fell from the back of the Recce jeep and fractured his pelvis at the beginning of Saturdays battle and spent the duration of the show laid on the battlefield, refusing any help until the show was over and even loosing off two sten magazines at the 'enemy'! good show Nobby! There were also some excellent displays by other Living History groups and as well as our own Home Guard section manning a Bofors 40mm AA gun there was a Comet tank, Daimler armoured car, 17pdr AT gun, 6pdr AT gun, 75mm Howitzers, 25pdr Field guns, many jeeps, motorcycles, light aircraft and of course Tiger 1s'; Stug III, Sdkfz251 Halftrack and their Tiger tank (with all three taking part in the public battles). Everyone agreed the show was the highlight of the year and our thanks go to the organisers, veterans and everyone else involved. Although many photos have been shown on the usual forums I'll prepare a Photobucket folder full of collected images for those of you who haven't seen them.

The Denix Replica M1928 Thompson

2008-08-09T15:36:00.012+01:00

I recently received one of the Denix (of Spain) replica's namely the M1928 Thompson SMG (as shown above with some Burma Campaign kit, for effect). For the price (which is low in comparison to a dated deac) I was very happy with it, after a little 'weathering', the addition of some sling swivels and a sling (its not a Thompson sling, I know) the overall look and feel is very good, ideal for public shows and events.
The weapon can't be stripped down but does cock and 'fire' the wood furniture is also of a good quality and finish. Denix also produce the M1A1 Thompson, Garand, Lee Enfield SMLE and there's talk of an MP40 in production! I've requested a Sten MkV but not heard anything yet, watch this space.

PLEASE NOTE: THIS INFORMATION IS FOR USE BY REGISTERED COLLECTORS AND REENACTORS. PLEASE CHECK THE LAW BEFORE BUYING OR CONVERTING ANY REPLICA FIREARM. THANK YOU.

An attempt at Jungle Green webbing...

2008-07-06T20:20:00.015+01:00

As my Burma impression proceeds (I've even got my own slouch hat now Gaz!), I decided I wanted to have a more accurate set of webbing. I'd managed to get together one or two Indian made pieces plus some unblancoed British made bits, I wanted a realistic mix of the two types rather than solely one or the other - interestingly I'd bought a 'full' set of webbing on impulse before I joined the group, I paid over the odds and was dissapointed to find that most of it was the inferior Indian made stuff, its turned out alright in the end though. The process of dying this set was really 'trial and error' as the only other method I'd heard of was the boiling method and since I didn't want to dye my kitchen and I don't have a outdoor gas cooker or a large enough pot I went for the machine wash/dye method. First off I needed to buy Dylon Dark Green Washing Machine Dye, 500g of salt (to fix the dye) and, of course, some rubber gloves.

Full instructions on how to use the dye are included in each pack so I won't go into all that here, except to say that one pack will dye 600g of material (that's only about two shirts) so as I was dying a shirt, trousers (originally from Sanjay but I never did like the 'minty' green colour), wash roll and assorted webbing I bought three packs. I soaked everything in the bath tub prior to dying, below you can see a shot showing the items in their undyed state.

I then 'chucked' the lot in the washing machine (at this point I checked to make sure SWMBO was not likely to come home anytime soon!), switched it on and stood well back. The shot below shows pretty clearly why this isn't a task to be undertaken lightly, there is no danger of the dye damaging the machine but the cost of all the stuff in it is quite considerable if this doesn't work!

As I don't bite my nails, smoke or drink I had to sit around eating all the chocolate in the house until the final spin cycle had finished and I could see the end result. Everything was dyed beautifully, too beautifully! The webbing looked brand new and not 'dark green' but 'bottle green', oh bugger! The only thing to do now was to rescue this the best way I could, bleach, not too good for the planet I know but this is serious! I gave the shirt and trousers another wash through the machine and hung them in the sun/rain since as these were resupplied quite regularly I was happy enough with the colour, but after rechecking all my colour references I wasn't happy with the colour of the webbing. I filled the bath with water, added a large glug of bleach, submerged the offending articles and left them for about an hour. Then I gave some items a good scrub with a brush but left some of the others alone, in this way I hoped to end up with a more varied selection of kit, giving the impression that it had been built up over time and not look like it had just been issued, which actually would've been accurate for the start of a campaign but this isn't what I wanted to portray, I wanted a more 'weathered' look. See below for 'before and after' images.

I spread everything out on a table in the garden and left it to the elements (mainly rain). If the sun ever does come out and the webbing actually dries I'll show you the results. Overall I'm happy enough with the way the stuff looks, I just need to add a couple of the pouches to the side of the large pack (a common modification in Burma, not only done by Chindits either), wait for my Denix Thompson to arrive and I'll be more than ready for the next event! When is that again? Cheers all.

Livemap added to the site!

2008-07-04T11:50:00.002+01:00

Just to point out that I've added a function known as 'Livemap' to the bottom of the page. This allows us to see where in the world we are receiving hits from, it doesn't let us know the identity of the visitor but its interesting to see. I'm looking at the possibilities of adding video links as we have some film clips of the group 'in action' which would be good for people to see. If anyone (group members or visitors) would like to see any particular links, functions or if you have any ideas for the site, just let me know. mattjyates@yahoo.co.uk

Renishaw Hall rain stops play... but only for a short time.

2008-06-23T20:47:00.010+01:00

Saturday 21st and Sunday 22nd June was Renishaw Halls 40's weekend which was attended by VERA's 1st Battalion Border Regiment and 1st Battalion VA Home Guard. Our location was a good one being on the approach path to the cafe and entertainment stage. The weather was rainy on Saturday (not as bad as last year though!) but turned to sunshine on Sunday accompanied by strong wind (probably all the beans). Although Saturdays weather was wet the public still managed to turn out and plenty of Veterans were on hand to regale us with their memories of National Service, one chap had pulled guard duty at Spandau Prison where a number of the surviving Nazi War Criminals were kept! Our plans to run through a training exercise with the Vickers MG was scuppered thanks to the rain so during one of the light shower moments we patrolled the grounds and had a lesson in hand signals (something which was new to me!), whilst the HG boys showed the local Air Cadets and spectators a few tricks of the trade when it came to rifle drill! Pics at the link opposite. Cheers.

VERA at Royal Armouries, Leeds!

2008-06-16T00:04:00.006+01:00

Saturday 14th June was Veterans Day at the Royal Armouries Museum in Leeds. VERA attended in force along with 4th Indian, Russian Guards, Duke of Wellingtons plus various smaller living history units. The day started quietly with hardly any public visitors but once the rain had cleared people started to appear so all was not lost. Entertainment was provided by the Spitfire Sisters who sang a number of Wartime songs and the Museum gave one-man performances of soldiers through the years. As the weather was changeable nothing too exciting took place but everyone had a nice day catching up with old mates and even making some new ones. Please visit the 'Royal Armouries' link for more pictures. Cheers.

VERA join 12th Devons at COAM

2008-06-10T20:43:00.008+01:00

The last weekend of May saw four members of VERA travel to North London for a weekend of 'first person' living history at Chiltern Open Air Museum (COAM). As the name suggests this is a fascinating working museum of original buildings set in pleasant english countryside, the buildings are 'rescued' from redevelopment sites, dismantled bit-by-bit transported to COAM and faithfully rebuilt, they consist of barns, cottages, gate houses, a church, a village hall, a 'prefab' and even a toilet block! Gary, Andy J, Nick and Matt temporarily joined 12th Battalion, Devonshire Regiment in a scenario depicting the build up to D-Day 1944. Also on site were: US forces, Intelligence Corps, Military Police and 43rd Wessex Recce along with others such as REME, Home Front 'villagers', civilian police, a Vicar and many more! Making this a superb and professional weekend. British Airborne (12th Devons including VERA) were billeted in an excellent barnyard with period civilian vehicles, goats, a horse, spiders and, of course, rats!

The group spent all day Saturday on Sunday split into three sections with two sections learning about the Vickers Medium Machine Gun; how to transport it on the march, assemble it, sight it, fire it and basic maintenance, whilst the third section either rested or patrolled the area allowing the visiting public a chance to see us in 'action'. The weekend has been voted a success on various forums over the past few days, something I'm sure everybody who attended would agree with! Here's to next time. More photo's on the COAM link. Cheers.

Excellent turn out for Carlisle!

2008-06-04T12:36:00.006+01:00

May 10th/11th saw VERA attending the annual Regimental Weekend at Carlisle Castle. Home Guard were represented whilst Border Regiment members depicted the Regiment through the war from BEF through Sicily, Italy, Normandy, Arnhem and Burma. David Irving represented the Regiment as First World War with Keith providing an impression of Malaya. Visitor numbers were low although the weather was superb - this event needs better advertising next year! Group members were able to chat to several veterans from wartime and post war service who were impressed with the overall turn out and accuracy of the VERA group, something which I'm sure made all of us proud. On the Saturday evening we were asked to walk in front of the assembled crowd, the Mayor, and the Lord Lieutenant whilst Stuart (museum curator) gave a description of the various units via the PA system. We'd like to thank Pete for the catering on site and Stuart for the museum's assistance and help over the weekend. Click on the Carlisle link for more pics. Cheers.

1st Btn, Border Regiment in 'the thick of it' at Dukes Covert - Now with Pictures!

2008-04-30T13:45:00.018+01:00

At last! The first VERAblog posting! April '08 saw the first outing of the year for VERA at the Dukes Covert private battle. The weather was fair(ish), with a cold wind but at least the rain held off until Endex on sunday afternoon. The highlight of everyone's weekend had to be the Maxim MG! It became difficult to spot the approaching enemy for all the photographers stood around trying to capture the muzzle flash! If the rounds were fed correctly this beast 'blatted' away like an angry mother-in-law otherwise it became a very expensive, very heavy bolt action rifle! Seven VERA members attended in the Airborne Role, although more would've been welcomed - as this event takes place again in October perhaps you too could add to the numbers? We are always looking for new recruits so why not get in touch with us? Contact Gary Allen on email: bordergaz@blueyonder.co.uk for more information.

Click on the Dukes Covert link to see images of the weekend. These have been run through a filter in Photoshop to give the impression of newspaper pictures, I will also upload some original colour versions but would be interested to know what people think of the filtered ones?