Royal Navy Beachhead Commando Re-enactors
29.06.2021
02.08.2020
16.11.2019
Repair Time
Our long reenactment season is finally over so now it's time for repairs and refurbishment. The 2019 season took its toll on our equipment and there is a long list of period equipment to be maintained. First on the list is a commando training kayak that lost an arguement with a car.
29.03.2019
Let the season Begin!
The opening weekend of The Romney Marsh Wartime Collection Marked the beginning of our reenactment season, giving us a chance to dust off our kit and get some practice in for the busier events. We also took the chance to test out the toggle ropes we have made by forming a basic bridge across a large ditch.
15.03.2019
Convoy!
We are very pleased to introduce our second Bedford MW, bought by AB Alan Reynolds and restored with help from other group members. Alans truck is a lovely example of the later model of MW with an enclosed cab. Be sure to come and see it at one of our many events this year.
30.07.2018
War & Peace Survival 2018
Last week was spent at The War & Peace Revival, our biggest show of the year. Despite scorching weather and plenty of dust, we had and excellent show. This show also saw our first battles as a group, with The Navy having a key role in the overall battle.
We were offered some exciting opportunities, including towing and manning a 2 pdr. anti-tank gun and firing a few others, plus much more.
21.05.2018
All Aboard
This weekend was spent at the Kent & East Sussex Railway for their 1940s weekend. We were based at Bodiham, though took some time to travel the line to see the whole event. This was also the first show for our newest recruit, A/S Adam Kerr, who has joined us as a Sick Berth Attendant, who would've provided medical care in the days and weeks after a beach was captured.
14.05.2018
All Videos
A Visit From the BBC
Last weekend we were joined by a reporter from the BBC, who spend the morning talking to L/S Ruffhead.
Check it out here.
23.04.2018
Let the Season Begin
A good weekend at the Knoxbrige Inn Military Show near Staplehurst in Kent. It was a good way to blow away the winter cobwebs and prepare for the busy season ahead.
It was also the first trip out for our newly refurbished vintage bicycle (Site Light Utility Transport). Beachmasters were advised to equip themselves with bicycles as a rapid way to move about on long beaches.
07.03.2018
Lights, Camera, Action!
Last Wednesday we were invited along to model for a photography club in Farningham, Kent. Five of us went along with a small set up of equipment and weapons and then rotated between group shots and solo portraits. We had an excellent evening and are very impressed with the pictures produced, a few of which are shown here.
Are you a photographer or director? Do you need models or actors? Email us at rnbcr42@gmail.com
23.02.2018
Back in Uniform
Today, 4 of us took the truck and a some kit along to Sandgate Primary School to help the Year 4's learn about World War Two. We had them doing a variety of activities including marching, semaphore, morse and building a machine gun emplacement, before looking around the truck.
Read the full write up on their blog here: http://sandgateyear4.primaryblogger.co.uk/uncategorized/a-step-back-in-time-with-the-rnbcr-for-year-4/
16.12.2017
Christmas at the Castle
We created a new camp set up for our training camp display at Dover Castle this weekend. An encampment of this complexity would probably only have been used for longer deployments but for a weekend when the temperatures dropped to minus 5 it was ideal.
Living history in these conditions really helps us to understand what our forefathers had to survive even before they were being shot at!
27.11.2017
Home For Christmas
The Christmas reenactment season started with a cold weekend at the Museum of Kent Life for their Christmas on the Homefront weekend. This was a change for us as it focused more on the civilian life and so we changed our set up to create a war department training camp. This was by far our hardest bit of camping we have done with temperatures reaching minus four during the nights.
We also welcomed Alan to the group, and he quickly got stuck in with the working, joking and engaging with the public.
21.10.2017
An excellent write up in this month's Gun Mart magazine.
Gun Marts John Norris found us at The War and Peace Revival this year and joined us for a mug of tea to find out who we are. Praising us on our display, he wrote this article, accompanying it with some excellent pictures.
We changed the name of the group soon after this interview to reflect the fact that some of our group now came from further afield than Romney Marsh. We decided that the change was best made sooner rather than later in the group's development.
25.09.2017
Ladies of the RNBC Join in at 'Fort in The Forties'
Every man serving in the forces longs for his leave when he can see his partner, but this time the ladies joined us for a day in Gravesend.
Judith and Kate vary their characters from The average civilian, to the S.O.E. agents and French Resistance Fighters hat would have aided the Allies in Europe.
Keep an eye out for them at our future events.
21.09.2017
"We shall fight them on the beaches"
So last night (and tonight) we had the privilege of being asked to attend the first screening of the digitally remastered original Dunkirk film from 1958. The film was originally shot on the beach at Camber Sands so it was a great experience to be on the original location.
Whilst Royal Navy Beachhead Commandos did not exist until 1942, Royal Navy Beach parties certainly were ashore during the evacuations. We were asked to help add to the ambience of the event and our 1939 Bedford MW is exactly right as many were left behind by the troops.
This was also the first appearance of LS Harry and P.O. Andy Meredith.
Thanks to Studio Canal and 'Vintage' By Hemingway for Inviting us and putting on such an excellent event.
11.09.2017
Brothers in Arms
As an integral part of the Combined Operations Force, the Royal Naval Commandos worked closely with the other allies. This was especially true during the landings in Sicily, Italy and Normandy where close liaison was required on the beaches. Often British Navy Combined Ops personnel were responsible for landing US forces and running the beaches.
At shows you will regularly see us with US Combined Ops personnel.