World War 2
Ordinary Men and Women who did Extraordinary Things
The Unsung Heroes of D-Day
Those who Hollywood didn't make films about
We can provide a 45 minute talk featuring some of the many faces of Operation Overlord that just don't get the limelight.
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This talk covers a wide range of service personnel and civillians whose roles, often behind the scenes all weave together to make the Allied Invasion of Normandy possible, then they fade away back into history.
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Not any more though, for we will share their stories.
This talk features tales of heroism hinted at below as well as many more::
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A 15-year old on Omaha Beach
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The poor man who traffic manages D-Day
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The miracle of D-Day - Jaqueline Noel
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The airborne operation that nearly cost the whole invasion
Following the talk the group will take questions and queries.
Eat Knuckles Fritz!
British Army Hand to Hand Combat
In 1942 Capt. W.E. Fairbarn published a book called "All In Fighting" which revolutionised training British soldiers in the arts of close quarters fighting.
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This talk and combat demonstration displays a series of the techniques laid out in the book in an entertaining way whilst reminding the audience that this is warfare, not the commando comics.
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How to take out a sentry the proper way.
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How to fight with a chair
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How to escape the Gestapo with a matchbox
Great Escapes
Escaping the Prison Camps
We can provide a 45 minute talk featuring the experiences of Allied (and Axis) escapers throughout the wartime period.
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Each talk combines a presentation of surprising, ingenious and sometimes hilarious escape stories along with hands on examples of the items created within the camps.
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This talk and demonstration will cover a multitude of points regarding the prisoner, all having been researched from the testimonies of veteran POWs. Examples of these are below:
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How the Reich accidentally financed the first Home Run
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The Truth Behind the Great Escape
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The German Great Escape from Wales
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What's so important about a Monopoly set?
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What was MI9?
Following the talk the group will take questions and queries.
The D-Day Paratrooper
Equipment and experiences of the first men into France
The paratrooper was a new type of soldier for the Second World War with the Parachute Regiment having only been formed in 1940.
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This talk and demonstration will cover a multitude of points regarding the paratrooper, all having been researched from the testimonies of veteran paratroopers. Examples of these are below:
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What really was a paratrooper equipped with?
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How much did the equipment weigh?
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How old were they?
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Why are they carrying toys?
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What could and did go wrong?
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How do you strip and maintain the weapons?
Following the talk our paratrooper will take questions and queries and all the equipment can be handled and tried to provide a wholly interactive experience.