The Re-Enactor Issue 13

Pictures by Markos Spanoudakis

Readership 573

100 Groups listed

78 Traders Listed

52 Events Listed

Greetings all

Welcome to issue 13

In this issue you will find more

groups listed, more traders listed

and details of more events for

2010

I have been visiting various trade

shows and “signing” groups and

traders up to the ezine but I still

want more, so if you have any

details of groups/traders please

let me know.

I would like to take the time to

thank you all for supporting me

with this ezine and to wish you all

a very happy New Year!

Two competitions in this issue

with more to come in future

issues with the support of such

authors as Saul David and Dilip

Sarkar MBE

Contact:

jason.okeefe@btopenworld.com

http://thereenactor.webs.com

Thank you to all those that are supporting this

magazine, without your support I could not

continue to produce the magazine. Please do

keep sending me your articles, stories, pictures

and details.

Features This Month

1: Dilip Sarkambe, “The Few”. Available now!

2: Horse Archery alive today by Markos

Spanoudakis

3: History Boot Camp

4: Justin Pollard Competition

5: Ben Kane Competition

6: War by Saul David

7: Event Listings

8: Hell On Earth by Stephen Davis

9: Wounded-The Film

Competitions: Win the first 2 books in The Forgotten Legion

Chronicles by Ben Kane

Win 3 books by Justin Pollard

17

th Century Life & Times – Group Profile

Available to buy now!

T: 01285 760030

F: 01285 760031

THE FEW

The Story of the Battle of Britain in the Words of the

Pilots

DILIP SARKAR

Author has interviewed more Battle of Britain pilots than any other historian.

‘Dilip knows more about me and the pilots with whom I flew during the Battle of Britain than we do! If anyone ever needs to know anything about the RAF during the summer of 1940, don’t ask the Few, ask him!’ GEORGE ‘GRUMPY’ UNWIN, Battle of Britain fighter ace.

‘Dilip Sarkar understands perfectly the mysteries of air tactics and strategy, enabling him write authoritatively, lively and deeply touching stories of those days when friend and foe met in the air’ PETER TOWNSEND, Battle of Britain fighter ace.

Over 100 historic photographs, most originate from the personal albums of Battle of Britain veterans and have never been reproduced before.

In 1940, the world was shaken when Hitler conquered France and the Low Countries in just six weeks. As Hitler prepared a seaborne invasion of England, only RAF Fighter Command stood against the Nazi dictator, and the world literally held its breath. The Battle of Britain started on 10

th July 1940, ending 16 weeks later on 31

st October 1940. The

Luftwaffe’s intention was to destroy Fighter Command, domination of the skies being crucial to Hitler’s invasion plan. During that fateful summer, young RAF fighter pilots, flying Spitfires and Hurricanes, were scrambled time and time again to face insuperable odds - and the Luftwaffe was, until that point, unbeaten. The enemy fighter pilots, in their brightly painted Messerschmitt 109s, were the most experienced in the world. But somehow the RAF pilots, fighting desperately in a spider’s web of intricate vapour trails, and with sudden and violent death an ever present companion, prevailed. Afterwards, Churchill paid homage to them all: ‘Never in the field of human conflict has so much been owed by so many to so few’. A legend had been born. Dilip Sarkar has been fascinated by the Battle of Britain since childhood and began seriously researching the subject in the 1970s. He wrote thousands of letters and travelled extensively over the UK interviewing the fabled ‘Few’. Over the last 30 years he has interviewed more Battle of Britain survivors than any other author and his archive is a unique collection of veterans ‘voices’. In this new book Dilip Sarkar chronicles the Battle of Britain from start to finish, drawing extensively from his interviews with pilots and support staff.

MARKETING, PUBLICITY, PRESS

Author is an acknowledged expert on the Battle of Britain with over 20 books on the subject to his credit.

Book signings at several major air shows in 2009 are planned.

Reviews in the aviation and history press to include Flypast, RAF News and BBC History Magazine.

Endorsement expected from Professor Richard Overy, author of The Battle of Britain (Penguin) and The Bombing War (forthcoming Penguin 2009).

Endorsement expected from Lady Bader.

THE AUTHOR

Fascinated by the Battle of Britain since childhood, Dilip Sarkar remains both moved and inspired by the story of Churchill’s fabled Few, those young airmen who stood between freedom and a Britain dominated by Nazi Germany. Since the 1970s he has met and interviewed more Battle of Britain pilots than any other historian. He has researched the subject thoroughly and has published over twenty books, titles which include the only biographical works formally endorsed by the families of both Group Captain Sir Douglas Bader and Air Vice-Marshal Johnnie Johnson. In 2003, Dilip was made an MBE for services to aviation history, and elected to the Fellowship of the Royal Historical Society in 2006. He lives in Worcester.

AMBERLEY

The history of the Battle

of Britain in the words of

the pilots from a unique

archive of first hand

accounts.

BIBLIOGRAPHIC

INFORMATION

Publication: June 2009

Price: £25

ISBN: 978-1-84868-215-3

Size: 248 x 172mm

Binding: Hardback

Extent: 336 pages

100 photos

Rights: World, all

languages

PRAISE FOR DILIP SARKAR THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN:

THE PHOTOGRAPHIC

KALEIDOSCOPE ‘An excellent book’ LADY BADER Bader’s Tangmere Spitfires ‘A most diligent and carefully researched account‘ JOHNNY JOHNSON, the RAF’s top scoring fighter ace in WW2 Fighter Pilot ‘This book deserves to achieve success’ DAME VERA LYNN

Horseback Archery By Markos Spanoudakis

- a place of green fields and wide blue skies !

Horseback Archery is primarily for me a place . A place within myself where certain feelings arise and I feel

quite at home.

My journey to this place was a long one. I realized the direction I was taking after I jumped off my first mount, a

wonderfull mare that took my heart away galloping across the Egyptian desert towards the pyramids of Gyza. I

realised right there, that “my favourite place on this earth was on the back of a horse” and although some parts

of the route were not as scenic as others, I am still holding to this view .

It was very soon after that, that the bow also came into my life, bringing with it a mighty figure of a warrior, a

great personality, that made a big impact on my llife - Lajos Kassai.

I first heard about Lajos Kassai when researching to buy a traditional bow. Questions

brought answers and soon I was meeting people who visited his Valley of Horses in

Hungary, I heard stories, saw videos and the excitement was building up. Then things

started to really unfold faster, and soon Lajos was visiting Greece after our invitation,

to open the ceremony for a European Archery Competition, I was invited back to his

Valley and there I was trully amazed to realize it was as if I never left this place at all !

Let me say a few things about the historical background.

Hungarians, or Magyars as they are originally called, are horse people. Their ancestry, as well as their country,

is all about horses. Their history goes back to ancient cultures, the Scythes, the Avars, the Huns, people who

rode on horseback from the Asian plains to Central Europe, following an irresistable urge for freedom and the

open country. They were rugged people, fighting their way through various physical obstacles and this is

perhaps what bonded them so well with the horse, who bears a similar attitude to life. To the eyes of the horse,

these people made good leaders and between them they mastered a way to sweep swiftly through river and dale,

through mighty armies and pleasing meadows to reach the green and lush Great Plains of the Carpathian Basin.

Modern Hungary has a living tradition on equestrian activities. It boast many exemplary riding schools of all

disciplines, from competition riding to carriage races. The Hungarian language is an equestrian thesaurus with

more than 300 words still in use, to describe the colouring and markings of a horse !

The Hungarian Equestrian Tourism Association (MLTKSZ) presents a wonderfully

organised brochure with rated facilities and information for finding the place of your

riding dreams.

The folklore competitions, from which the most famous is the Puszta 5 - where a rider

drives a team of 5 horses, 3 in front and 2 at the end, riding with each foot on the back

of the last pair - keep the traditions alive, while the local cowboys called csikós, still

keep herds of horses in the open.

Amids this equestrian treasury, there‟s a place in which many of the old Magyar traditions are kept alive by a

band of visionaries, people for whom life cannot be anything but freedom, where experiences are marked with

sweat and effort, where life is lived wholely and wholesomly .

Let me introduce Kassai Lajos and his valley !

Master Kassai is a bowyer. But he is much more than that, as, his desire to craft

traditional bows, such as his forefathers bore on their horses, brought him to realise a

much bigger picture of his life. As he explains in his own words,

“ I was born on September, 16th, 1960, in Kaposvár (Hungary). I was six years old when I made my first bow,

bent from a switch of willow. A man cannot always see ahead of him,

what rivers and mountains there are in his path of life. Sometimes, only when looking back

many years later, is it possible to connect these paths to realize his destiny. I think that we

are born into the world not with an empty sheet, but in the majority of cases the original

intentions of our soul are obscured by our superficial everyday pursuits. Only those, who are able to live

unselfishly, leaving behind the reasonable, certain, usual, are able to find the soul. This is how I became a

bowyer. The bow was one thread of silk, as thin as a hair to me, which I collected and followed to the world of

our ancestors. The horses were galloping on the steppes endlessly in my mind, the arrows were whizzing, and

snow-white yurts were illuminated in the sparkling sun-shine. The world inside me was revealed; I knew the

purpose for which I was born, and what the meaning of my life was. Straight and unbroken, the way led to the

creation of horseback archery. My life until now has flown away like a moment. I imagined my performances as

campaigns, and I was wandering through Europe like my ancestors. After this came the United States and

Canada.’’

Kassai Lajos, after establishing himself as a bowyer, created a system/competition/course that involves shooting

arrows on a three-faced target while galloping. This is, of course, not a new thing in Hungary, or even the world

for that matter. The difference is, that, what Kassai is practising in his valley, is more of a way of life, rather

than a sport or a show.

Since the beginning, Kassai performed in country fairs and schools, trying to „breathe

life‟ in the ancestral traditions of his people. And as more and more people were attracted

to his cause, a „school of thought‟ was formed, that allows for extraordinary feats to

happen.

Kassai himself holds three international records.

In the first one, a Guinness validated record, in 1998, he rode for 12 hours, shooting more than 1000 arrows in

286 gallops.

Then in 2002, during the same time frame he made 323 gallops and shot almost 3000 arrows.

Finally, on June the tenth of 2006, he made his third record, in which, riding for 24 hours straight and making

661 gallops, he shot 5412 arrows !

When reading his book for the first time, I was amazed at the depth of his dedication to

horseback archery. Then, after I met him personally and lived in his valley, I realised that

his closing words on his book cover were absolutelly true : “ Horseback archery, which had

once allowed me to fly on a magic steed through space and time, has become a ritual for me

that furnishes the framework for my everyday life. For me, it represents science, art and

religion all in one. I have tried to learn as much as possible about that activity using reason,

then tried to present it in an artistic manner to the best of my abilities and by the time I got

that far, I noticed it had become my faith.”

In the Valley of Horses, everything is set for you to join in the Horseback Archery preparation.

The rolling hills provide just enough cover to hide from you the next step of the training, the next target, the

next riding opportunity. Horses are living free in the greatest part of the valley and the people who live there are

well versed in horse handling – always whistling gently in every turn to make their presence known to any stray

horse. The horses train along with the riders every day to keep their skills honed and ready. The seasons come

and go, allowing colourfull tones to the, otherwise unchanged, everyday routine.

The valley is an area of approximatelly 15 hectars. It provides the grounds for the grazing

land of 12 to 15 horses (most of them stallions), their open stable, a small natural lake, the

Horseback archery compatition course ( a galloping run of 90 meters with the three-faced

target ), a 150 year-old yurt (the ancient round tipi of the Huns), the fantastic buildings

made for the living quarters of Kassai and other functional purposes (most of them designed by a known

Hungarian architect, Antal Gracz) and the covered training arenas.

The whole place, though aesthetically magnificent, is a very simple place. There are no

romantically placed benches, or waste baskets or vending machines. Visitors are asked to

pick up their own trash, guests who visit to train do not have the time to sit idly to ponder

about the valley and although technology provides quite some modern features on the

training halls and arenas, they certainly do not provide shortcuts for anything.

Life in the valley is not about ease or comfort. It is about the beauty of working on yourself to realise an ideal.

Horseback Archery is a strange game of coordination between a horse, a rider and a bow with arrows.

The rider needs to be consious of the horse beneath him, it‟s steady galloping rhythm and length of pace. He

needs to control the horse ( or simply follow the horse…) with his lower body.

In the same time he needs to become one with the bow and arrows that his upper body holds, and “face” the

target with his upper torso while galloping – that is, in front of him, on his side as he goes past it, and on his

back as he rides away from it.

In the Horseback Archery competition, you are allowed to shoot in all of these three

positions, as many arrows as possible whithin the timeframe of 16 seconds – the

maximum time the horse should gallop through the course.

As anyone can guess, the time window is too small if you try to ride and aim and shoot

and reload and try again…... You simply have to exist at this wonderfull place, on the back of a galloping horse,

with the wind in your face and the green plush hills around you and….somehow….there seems to be ample time

to experience the wonderfull feeling of Horseback Archery taking place in you and in front of you!

As Kassai wonderfully explains in his book, in Horseback Archery the horse – the equestrian

part – is all about the motion and the power of the world outside, while the bow – the archery

part – is all about our inner self, our sense of spiritual direction. The Horseback Archer is

similar to the mythological Centaurs of Ancient Greece, part human part horse, and this

wonderfull marriage allows for such an experience to manifest.

In order for all of this to be able to happen, everyone trains and trains and trains…….

There is ground training and riding training.

A typical programme, like the ones one can see on Opening Days (the first Saturday of each month the Valley is

open for a small fee to everyone interested to see what Horseback Archery is all about….) involves the

following:

early morning group work – cleaning the stables and horses, gathering firewood etc.

group ground training – a set of exercises to help correct individual posture and coordination between the

students,

group riding training – to help correct posture on the horse, games between the riders involving balls and soft

clubs, as well as dodging obstacles,

Horseback Archery performance by the senior students and lastly by Kassai Lajos himself,

The horses are trained under the Parrelli system. What was really amazing to see, was a

full scale attack by a band of reenactment knights in full armor against a group of

horses. The charging warriors stoped just in front of the horses and immediatelly petted

them and went back for another charge. The horses were not at all intimedated by this,

had seen it before, and not one of them tried to look away or move away from their

place.

Indeed, this peace of mind was displayed by them in every activity and it was explained to us that a significant

part of their training is targeting to associate the Horseback Archery competition activity as a game rather than

training, for the horses. In this way they will be even more relaxed and willing to comply, than otherwise.

From this first visit in the Valley of Horses, I made a good friend, a Bulgarian horseback archer Vladimir

Mustakerski, without realising how our predestined paths would eventualy have us living and training together.

It was less that 3 months away from this meeting, that I was called to move to

Bulgaria for professional reasons and then I was again pleasantly amazed to see

another heavenly place on earth, not a valley, but a Hill of Horses this time.

Vladimir's farm is a rough mountainous area, shielded by the modern lifestyle by

lush forest and rough terrain. In this paradise his horse herd is living free, more or

less like a wild herd, with the exception that for these lucky horses, man is presented in the true and proper

sense, as a wise, loving, providing leader, that shares with them unique moments of fun and joy !

Life in the hills of Bulgaria is not easy, neither for man nor beast, but nothing in Horseback Archery comes

without cost. And the cost is dedication !

In Vladimir's Hill, much like the Kassai Valley, people come and go, but their heart never leave !

Horseback Archery, although a wonderful fun for horse and man, is a "jealous lover". It means you don't see

many new faces (not many who will spend all their free time on horseback ), but you see a lot of the familiar

one's !

Vladimir's farm has 3 yurts, a wooden cottage( he build himself ), 8 horses, a

couple of dogs, and all of them, along with his wife and son, are part of a very

warm and cordial welcome everyone receives, everytime he reaches his place.

He is the official representative of the Kassai school for Bulgaria, a fully-dedicated

horseback archer, a musician, a thinker and a very warm person.

I was very fortunate to see Vladimir develop as a horseback archer, and I have benefited tremendously from his

instructions. He has a unique ability to watch and "decypher" techniques and after practising himself to a good

level, instruct others. His son, Panajot, and wife, Litka, are also proficient in training both on horsemanship and

archery, thus creating a very powerful nucleus for Kassai Horseback Archery in the Balkans.

I would love to talk to you about the horses, some of which I have known since

their birth, about the dogs and the trees where I rest my bow each time, about the

worn out targets which I helped destroy, about wonderful moons and stars lighting

the wonderfull paradise where we all share precious moments, but I realized lately

that the less said about horseback archery, the better ….. you simply have to

experience it !

I need to say this last thing though, that if it wasn't for Lajos Kassai, the spirit who not only re-established this

wonderfull practise/world in modern times, but also set out - by example - the rules of this universall

association, our individual efforts would not be focused and coordinated.

But through his presence, the experience remains alive in the hearts and guides and inspires everyone to give an

extra "mile" .

Thanking you for taking this tour with me on my "Horseback Archery" place, I would urge all to read Master

Kassai's book and try, at least once to visit his Valley of Horses on an Open Day !

For more information about Kassai Lajos and theThe Valley of Horses you can read :

Horseback Archery (ISBN 963 9337 66 8) , a wonderfull autobiography of Kassai, or you can

visit his web site at www.horsebackarchery.com , a complete guide to the valley and the

Horseback archery equipment of Kassai in three languages – Hungarian, German and English.

The Bulgarian Torz (Kassai school or group or family ) is present in the internet on

www.horsebackarcherybg.com

Editors Note:

A huge thankyou to Markos for this superb article, it is so obvious how much Markos loves

what he does. Well done Markos and keep up the good work.

History Boot Camp

April 9th

& 10th

and 11th

2010 will see the third multi-period History Boot Camp

take place at Phasels Wood Scout Camp near Hemel Hempstead in Hertfordshire.

A completely new and unique concept, it features Master Classes in such useful

and interesting topics for re-enactors as fire-lighting with flint and steel,

the history of make-up, book-binding, calligraphy, forge-work, cooking, and the

medicinal and culinary uses of herbs, as well as archery competitions, lessons and

archery improvement, you can even take the fletching seminar as well as sword

fighting, and the safe use of black powder weapons.

Retail therapy is at hand, as are good food and subsidised beer, together with hot

showers, plenty of proper toilets,

even dormitory accommodation for those who prefer it, and the exclusive use 96

acres of playground – really the only limit is imagination!

Set up and run by Laurie Wignall and David Smith, it has proved massively

popular with those re-enactors who have already tried it, and re-bookings are

already at record levels.

The whole thing is financed by charging a modest £23 per adult camping fee,

which includes most of the classes although some have

a small charge for the materials used.

Traders, many of whom are providing the master classes, get free pitches. Laurie

runs his Trollsbottom Bar from the centrally located “Storm Hut”

and is considering erecting his 12m by 6m Party Tent adjacent to this, as it can get

rather crowded of an evening!

Add in a huge log fire just outside, tarpaulins strung from the trees as wind breaks,

the subsidised beer, and you can see why the social side of the camp is as highly

praised as are the varied and useful classes.

Add to this the excellent food offer situated onsite, not to mention the food

available after the cooking seminars

“It‟s a great kick start to the re-enactment season,” said Mr Wignall, “it gives

everyone a chance to shake out the cobwebs and get some wood smoke into their

lungs!”

A dedicated web site at www.history-boot-camp.co.uk has the details and Booking

Forms.

NNEEWWSSFFLLAASSHH!!

JUSTIN POLLARD’S NEW WORK SECRET

BRITAIN- CHOCK FULL OF INCREDIBLE STORIES

FROM OUR HISTORY IS PUBLISHED 15TH

OCTOBER

2009.

TURN PAGE FOR MORE DETAILS►

History at its fascinating best, published in paperback by John Murray on September 4th

, priced £7.99 each… CHARGE! The interesting bits of military history 'Another fusillade of facts, with some stirring, some farcical and some grisly tales from some of the odder crannies of military history . . . This will keep the dear old brigadier supplied with anecdotes for months‘ — Sunday Telegraph War brings out the very best and worst in people although, frankly, its usually the latter. But for all our thousands of years of practice at this most dangerous art there is precious little evidence that we're either outgrowing it or getting any good at it. It is a book about the smaller tragedies and triumphs that actually go to make up the big picture — toilets that sink U-boats, unsporting attacks on Christmas day, armies that stop for tea, bombs on renegade balloons, drunk generals, blind kings, blind drunk generals, circular warships, and all the joy and misery that such things bring with them.

THE INTERESTING BITS: A treasure trove of history's interesting bits Did you give school history lessons your undivided attention? Even if you did, you’re probably none the wiser as to how exactly Henry II of France came to have a two-foot splinter in his head or why Alexandra of Bavaria believed she had swallowed a piano. Or where terms like bunkum, maverick, John Bull and taking the mickey come from; or how the Tsarina of Russia once saved a life with a comma; or why Robert Pate hit Queen Victoria on the head with a walking stick. Justin Pollard

read Archaeology

and Anthropology

at Cambridge. He is a historical writer/consultant in film and TV. His credits include Elizabeth and Atonement, as well as over twenty-five documentary series such as Time Team on Channel 4 and The Tudors for the BBC. He is a researcher for QI and the author of several books. PRESS CONTACT: Anna Kenny-Ginard on 020 7 873 6438 or email anna.kg@johnmurrays.co.uk

COMING SOON Justin Pollard unveils Britain’s secret history -shhh, don’t tell anyone… SECRET BRITAIN THE HIDDEN BITS OF OUR HISTORY PUBLISHED BY JOHN MURRAY ON 15

th OCTOBER IN HARDBACK, PRICED £12.99

Some of our most intriguing history is missing. Perhaps there has been a conspiracy, a cover-up? Or maybe some stories have been lost, forgotten or were just too embarrassing to talk about at the time? But now they are back, revealed in all their glory: secret passages, events, societies, loves, identities and even dark secrets of the grave. After much sleuthing, Justin Pollard takes us into undisclosed historical waters to discover why the city of Burlington isn’t on the map; how ‘Agent Pickle’ saved the lost treasure of Bonnie Prince Charlie; what Sir Thomas Overbury knew in 1613 that got him murdered with a poisoned enema and how Virginia Woolf sweet-talked her way aboard HMS Dreadnought dressed as Abyssinian Prince. Secret Britain will also reveal the tragic love story behind the Rolls Royce mascot; how agent Garbo managed to get an MBE and an Iron Cross; the sinister properties of the Hand of Glory; the lost smuggling ship Peggy; the Mystery Runner of Nos Galan; the extraordinary history of the Fairy Flag of Dunvegan; London’s only Nazi war memorial and the secrets of the WWII Monopoly board. Secret British places, people and events, Justin Polland reveals underground tunnels, hidden identities and hushed-up

gatherings…among many other fascinating insights into whats gone on behind the scenes of Britain’s history. For further information please contact Anna Kenny-Ginard on 020 7 873 6438 or email anna.kg@johnmurrays.co.uk

Competition

To be in with a chance of winning these 3 books by Justin Pollard just read The Fairy Flag of

Dunvegan (next page) and answer this Question:

What was the name of Harald Hardrada's battle flag?

This Competition will run until February 15th

, the 3 books sit upon Justin‟s desk just waiting

to be signed or dedicated to the lucky winner.

Send your answer and your full postal address to the usual email address

Jason.okeefe@btopenworold.com

The Fairy Flag of Dunvegan" from my book 'Secret Britain

Whilst there is, to be honest, very little hard evidence for the presence of fairies in Britain, at Dunvegan

Castle on Skye is a relic whose supposed fairy origins have, it is said, protected a clan for a thousand years

and whose true, secret history may be just as remarkable as the legend.

The fragment of tattered yellow silk known as the Fairy Flag of Dunvegan was said to have been given to the

clan MacLeod by the wife of the fourth chief of that clan, Iain. He, as legend has it, was lucky enough to

marry the daughter of the fairy king. When the couple returned to this mortal realm after their nuptials to rule

the clan, it was only on the understanding that after seven years she would have to return to her own world.

Of course time flew by; when the seven years were up she tearfully bade goodbye to her husband and the

baby she had just borne. As the couple parted on the fairy bridge she asked Iain to promise that the child

would never be left alone, as the one thing she would be unable to bear was to hear it cry. That night there

was a great feast to take the clan chief‟s mind off a rather depressing day and, being a man, he completely

forgot about his promise. So too did the nurse sent to tend the baby, as she had sneaked out of the nursery to

hear the singing and pipe playing in the hall.

The lonely baby had duly cried and when Iain spotted the nurse in the hall he suddenly remembered his vow

and dashed to the nursery. He was just in time to glimpse his wife who, having heard the cries, was rocking

the baby back to sleep and singing what is now known as the Dunvegan lullaby. The moment he entered the

room she vanished forever but on the baby‟s cot she left a silken blanket.

This fairy flag was said to be able to protect the clan from danger when waved but could be invoked only

three times, on the last of which both the flag and its bearer would disappear. Since then the flag has been

waved twice but, not surprisingly, no one is too keen to wave it again, although Dame Flora MacLeod of

MacLeod valiantly offered to wave it over the white cliffs of Dover during the Second World War, should an

invasion seem imminent. MacLeod pilots in the war were also given fragments of the flag (or pictures of it)

to carry with them for protection.

Although all this may seem a shade fanciful, the flag is undoubtedly a mystery. Made of yellow silk spotted

with red, it appears to be of Mediterranean origin and is around a thousand years old. One suggestion is that

this is the flag known as „land-waster‟, once owned by Harald Hardrada, who was defeated by Harold II at

Stamford Bridge in 1066, shortly before the Norman invasion. He picked up this „magical‟ flag when captain

of the Varangian guard in Byzantium and, according to Snorri Sturluson‟s saga Heimskringla, flew it in the

battle. Such magical „raven banners‟ were often used by Viking warlords, not least against Alfred the Great

whose forces are recorded capturing just such a talisman, although in 1066 it seems to have malfunctioned

and Hardrada was killed.

Passing to Godred Crovan, later king of the Isle of Man, it may possibly have come down to the MacLeods.

That certainly is the view of eminent Scottish historian Sir Iain Moncreiffe. So the fairy flag may have more

bloody origins, not as an elfin cot blanket but as a war banner.

Perhaps the last word on the subject should be given to a MacLeod. When Sir Reginald MacLeod had the

flag inspected by the Victoria and Albert Museum and was told it might well be the remains of „land-waster‟,

he politely thanked the curators for their opinion but pointed out that he had it directly from family sources

that the flag had been given to them by the fairies.

You still have until January 15th

to enter the competition to win the books by Ben Kane.

The Forgotten Legion by Ben Kane.

Romulus and Fabiola are twins, born into slavery after their mother is raped by a drunken

nobleman on his way home from a good night out. At 13 years old, they and their mother are

sold: Romulus to gladiator school, Fabiola into prostitution, where she will catch the eye of

one of the most powerful men in Rome, and their mother into obscurity and death in the salt

mines. Tarquinius is an Etruscan, a warrior and soothsayer, born enemy of Rome, but

doomed to fight for the Republic in the Forgotten Legion. Brennus is a Gaul; the Romans

killed his entire family. He rises to become one of the most famous and feared gladiators of

his day - and mentor to the boy slave, Romulus, who dreams night and day of escape and of

revenge.

The lives of these four characters are bound and interwoven in a marvellous story which

begins in a Rome riven by corruption, violence and political enmities, but ends far away,

where Romulus, Brennus and Tarquinius find themselves fighting against the Parthians and

overwhelming odds at the battle of Carrhae. Roman history fans will know that this was one

of the greatest defeats suffered by the Republic, but 10,000 legionaries survived as prisoners

of the Parthians. These men - 'The Forgotten Legion' were marched more than fifteen

hundred miles east to Margiana, where they served as border guards for their captors.

The Forgotten Legion is published by Preface, and is available in paperback now from all

good bookshops and Amazon, Play.com etc.

The Silver Eagle by Ben Kane

They fought against almighty odds at the very edge of the world – and lost.

Ten thousand legionaries are all that are left of a once powerful army, now captives of the

Parthians.

Among them are three friends, Brennus the Gaul, Targuinius the Etruscan soothsayer and

Romulus the bastard son of a Roman nobleman. United in their hatred of Rome, they never

stop dreaming of freedom, but in the brutal fighting which lies ahead of them, only two will

survive.

Meanwhile, Romulus‟s twin sister, Fabiola, has been raised to dangerous heights by her

lover, Brutus. He has freed her from a life of prostitution, but not from danger and now he is

far away, fighting beside Caesar in Gaul. Hunted by the vicious slave catcher, Scaevola, she

must undertake a terrifying journey to find Brutus and save her own life.

About Ben Kane

Ben Kane was born in Kenya and raised there and in Ireland. He studied veterinary medicine

at University College Dublin, but after that he travelled the world extensively, indulging his

passion for ancient history.

He now lives in North Somerset with his wife and family.

His first novel was The Forgotten Legion

For more information: www.benkane.net

Competitions

Ben Kane Competition

To be in with a chance of winning both of Ben‟s books, The Forgotten Legion and The Silver

Eagle just ask these simple questions. (Both from The Silver Eagle)

1. Where is Brutus, lover of Fabiola, fighting alongside Caesar?

2. Who is holding the Roman Legionaries captive?

The winner will be drawn on January 15th

, 2010.

Send your answers with your full mailing address to:

Jason.okeefe@btopenworld.com

Editors Note:

A huge thank you to both Justin Pollard and Ben Kane for their continued support of this

publication with their books for the competitions.

Entry to all competitions is free to all registered recipients of The Re-Enactor

WAR FROM ANCIENT EGYPT TO IRAQ

Editorial consultant: Saul David

To be published in hardback by Dorling Kindersley on 22nd October 2009, priced £30 FOR NOVEMBER/DECEMBER ISSUES

Q. Who is the most decorated military hero in history?

Q. What is the most bizarre weapon ever used in warfare?

Q. What was it like to be held captive in Vietnam for almost 2,000 days?

Q. What was the greatest feat of military engineering?

Combining a clear and compelling historical narrative with hundreds of outstanding paintings and photographs, WAR is an unsurpassed visual history of every major conflict over the past 5,000 years, from the earliest battles to the War on Terror.

With a wealth of supporting features including eye-witness accounts, detailed galleries, and an exhaustive directory of battles and military miscellanea, WAR guides the reader through the strategies, tactics, warriors, weapons, technology and individuals that have shaped human warfare.

From sword and shield to shock and awe, this is the story of war with all its momentous, world-changing impact and extraordinary human stories.

Saul David is Professor of War Studies at the University of Buckingham, and a writer and broadcaster. He is

the author of several critically-acclaimed books, including The Indian Mutiny : 1857 (shortlisted for the

Westminster Medal for Military Literature), Zulu: The Heroism and Tragedy of the Zulu War of

1879 (a Waterstone's Military History Book of the Year) and Victoria's Wars: The Rise of Empire . He

is also the author of the acclaimed historical novel, Zulu Hart. An experienced broadcaster, Saul has

presented and appeared in history programmes for all the major TV channels and is a regular contributor to

BBC Radio 4.

Saul David is available for interview and to write features.

For further information, please contact Anwen Hooson at Riot Communications on

020 3174 0118 / 07899 798885 / anwen@riotcommunications.com

Events Listing

February 2010

6th

& 7th

Foreign Fields Northern Reenactment Kit Fair, Building 21, Elsecar Heritage Centre, Barnsley

www.foreign-fields.co.uk/renfair.html

26th

, 27th

& 28th

International Living History Fair, Warwickshire Exhibition Centre, UK

http://www.livinghistoryfairs.com/

March 2010

19th

, 20th

& 21st The Original Re-enactors market (TORM) Sports Connexion, Ryton on Dunsmorre

www.reenactorsmarket.co.uk

April 2010

4th

& 5th

The Knights of Royal England at Knebworth House, Hertfordshire, UK

www.knightsroyal.co.uk

9th - 11th History Boot Camp, Phasels Wood, Hemel Hempstead, UK

Seminars, workshops, traders, re-enactors

For more information or to book your place visit: www.history-boot-camp.co.uk/

May 2010

1

st - 3

rd The Knights of Royal England at Blenheim Palace, Oxfordshire, UK

www.knightsroyal.co.uk

1st – 3

rd Cosmeston Battle weekend, Cosmeston Medieval Village, nr Cardiff, Wales

www.valeofglamorgan.gov.uk/

1st & 2

nd Margam Park South Wales, Multi-Period Event

www.webster.uk.net

8th

& 9th

Two day Costume and Textile Fair, Rodber Suite at Northamapton Saints Rugby Club, UK

Contact for information: david.smith34@ntlworld.com or smcnern@googlemail.com

8th

& 9th

Snailwell Medieval Festival, Snailwell, Uk, CB8 7LX

www.yayevents.co.uk

30th

& 31st The Knights of Royal England at Hedlingham Castle, Essex, UK

www.knightsroyal.co.uk

29th

– 4th

June. 2010 Pirate Festival at Lulworth Castle, Wareham, Dorset, UK

http://pikeandshot.com

June 2010

1st -6

th The Knights of Royal England at Leeds Castle, Kent, UK

www.knightsroyal.co.uk

6th

& 7th

Templecombe Medieval fayre, Templecombe, Dorset, UK

12th

& 13th

The Knights of Royal England at Royal Gunpowder Mills, Essex, UK

www.knightsroyal.co.uk

18th

– 20th

The Knights of Royal England at Cardiff Castle, Wales

www.knightsroyal.co.uk

19th

& 20th

Tatton Park, UK

Contact: plantychrisb@yahoo.co.uk

25th

, 26th

& 27th

Chatteris Historic Festival, Chatteris, Cambridgeshire, UK

For information contact: thebeardeddragon30@hotmail.com

26th

& 27th

The Knights of Royal England at Ruthin Castle, Wales

www.knightsroyal.co.uk

July 2010

3rd

& 4th

The Knights of Royal England at Linlithgow Palace nr Edinburgh, Scotland

www.knightsroyal.co.uk

3rd

& 4th

Chetwynd Medieval Fair. Commemorating an actual historical market and Chetwynd, Shropshire

in1318. The current location is at Shropshire Lavender

http://www.shropshirelavender.co.uk

3rd

& 4th

Dorset Medieval Festival, Winterbourne Came, Dorchester, Dorset, UK

10th

& 11th

The Knights of Royal England at Linlithgow Palace nr Edinburgh, Scotland

www.knightsroyal.co.uk

10th

& 11th

Tewkesbury Medieval Festival, Tewkesbury, UK

www.tewkesburymedievalfestival.org/

13th

– 18th

Viking Market in Gudvangen

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=592381455&ref=name#/pages/Gudvangen-Norway/Gudvangen-most-

beautiful-spot-on-planet-earth/331462555230

17th

& 18th

The Knights of Royal England at Hever Castle, Kent, UK

www.knightsroyal.co.uk

17th

& 18th

Kelmarsh Hall, Northamptonshire, UK

Multi-Period event

23rd

– 24th

The Knights of Royal Engalnd at Hever Castle, Kent, UK

www.knightsroyal.co.uk

24th

& 25th

Berkeley Castle Skirmish, Gloucestershire, UK

www.berkeley-castle.com/reenactments.php

24th

& 25th

The Battle of Azincourt, France

www.azincourt-alliance.org.uk

31st & 1

st The Knights of Royal England at Hever Castle, Kent, UK

www.knightsroyal.co.uk

August 2010

6th

– 8th

The Knights of Royal England at Blenheim Palace, Oxfordshire, UK

www.knightsroyal.co.uk

7th

& 8th

Midlands History Festival at Stratford Armouries, Stratford, UK

http://www.stratfordarmouries.co.uk

13th

– 15th

The Knights of Royal England at Hever Castle, Kent, uk

www.knightsroyal.co.uk

14th

& 15th

Spetchley Park-Multi-period event, Worcester, UK

14th

& 15th

Bodelwyddan Castle, North Wales

21st & 22

nd Scotlands Festival of History, The Royal Borough of Lanark, UK

http://www.scotlandsfestivalofhistory.co.uk

21st & 22

nd The Knights of Royal England at Hever Castle, Kent, UK

www.knightsroyal.co.uk

27th

& 28th

The Knights of Royal England at Hever Castle, Kent, UK

www.knightsroyal.co.uk

28th

– 30th

Herstmonceaux Medieval Festival, Herstmonceaux Castle, Kent, UK

28th

– 30th

Military Odyssy, Kent Show Ground, Detling, Kent, UK.

http://www.military-odyssey.com/

28th

– 30th

Medieval Spectacular at Pensthorpe Park, Fakenham, Norfolk

http://www.blackknighthistorical.co.uk

29th

& 30th

The Knights of Royal England at Hedingham Castle, Essex, UK

www.knightsroyal.co.uk

September 2010

4th

& 5th

Campaign of La Boissiere-Ecole 1815

The village of La Boissiere-Ecole situated 17km west of Rambouillet near Paris

5th

The Knights of Royal England at Knebworth House, Hertfordshire, UK

www.knightsroyal.co.uk

11th

& 12th

Early Medieval Alliance (EMA) event at Caldicot Castle, Wales, UK

18th

& 19th

The Knights of Royal England at Leeds Castle, Kent, UK

www.knightsroyal.co.uk

25th

& 26th

The 17th

International Napoleonic Fair 2010

www.internationalnapoleonicfair.co.uk

October

29th

-31st The Living History Fair, Warwickshire Exhibition Centre, UK

http://www.livinghistoryfairs.com/

30th

& 31st Medieval Fair & Market, Tutbury Castle, Staffordshire, UK

Contact: david.smith34@ntlworld.com

November

27th

& 28th

Ludlow Castle Medieval Christmas fair, Ludlow, Shropshire, UK

Craft fair, medieval traders, combat, have a go archery

http://www.ludlowcastle.com/

HELL ON EARTH Stephen Davis

This book is a record of a time in history which

no one alive today has witnessed. This is a true

story written by a young man from a midland

town which under the conscription act,

immediately after his eighteenth birthday joined

the army and went over to France in April 1918,

just after the big German offensive.

His regiment was sent to a spot where the British

line had been broken, and soon they were in

retreat.

First told over 70 years ago the story has finally

made its way back to where it belongs.

This book is only available direct from the

website:

www.hellonearth.org.uk

Or via email:

srddavis@hotmail.com

Wounded-The Film

Wounded, an action packed medieval short film, had its world premiere in October in front of

a packed cinema at Fox Studios in Sydney Australia.

Developed over two years, including two months of casting and six months of training and

fight choreography, Wounded has become the first fully realized medieval short film to be

shot and produced entirely in Australia . Sponsored by Lemac, Krispy Kremes and others,

Wounded proves an entertaining film with high production values can be made on a limited

budget.

Set in 1428 AD, while the Hundred Years‟ War raged throughout Western Europe, Wounded

follows two knights and a foot soldiers struggle to survive in a forest infested with enemy.

The short film enlisted some of Australia‟s finest talents including cinematographer, John

Biggins and experienced actors Ricky Price and Ben Maclaine.

Wounded was not only produced to sell and distribute as an independent short film but also to

promote a Project Greenlight semi-finalist feature screenplay of the same name. Director,

Chad Aston, is a firm believer that a well produced film of this genre will have a strong

international appeal and profitability and that a quality feature can be produced for well under

4 million USD.

With production now complete they are inviting potential distributors, producers and

investors to view the film, read the screenplay and help them get the feature film made.

To follow the progress of the Wounded feature and view the trailer go to

www.woundedthemovie.com. There are links to the facebook, twitter and youtube pages

from there.

If you think you might be able to assist getting the feature made or know someone that can

help with funding, producing or distributing you can find contact details in the presskit on the

website.

Editors Note:

Thank you to Chad Aston (Director on Wounded) for this article