This previous weekend, the 19th and 20th, The Jamestown Settlement in Colonial Wiliamsburg was hosting a Military Through The Ages event, where volunteer reenactors played the part of military personnel of various ages, from the Roman Legions of the 1st century AD all the way through the modern day. At each encampment, visitors could view the weaponry, outfits, food, and other elements from the respective time periods.
Below, you can see a few highlights from our favorite encampments from the event:
Roman Legio IX – 62 AD
The Fendvald Vikings – 1000
Das TeufelsAlpdrucken Fahnlein (The Devil’s Nightmare Regiment) – 1529
MACV RECONDO School – 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne) – 1st Special Forces – 1966-1970
Every encampment was staffed by eager volunteers who were more than willing to impart any knowledge that we requested, although the level of detail did vary between the various groups. The volunteer we spoke with at the Das TeufelsAlpdrucken Fahnlein encampment, for example, was very knowledgeable about the weaponry and tactics of the Germanic mercenaries, although we did stump him when we asked him exactly what part of Bavaria his ‘character’ hailed from; to be fair, we asked him about that level of detail mostly for fun, rather than trying to poke holes in his story.
Additionally, there was an artillery section, where groups from the various time periods fired off cannons and the like. There was a modern-day Howitzer being fired with blank canisters that as we’re sure you can imagine made quite the noise report.
All in all, it was a fun day to be had, and seeing various periods of warfare on display, enacted by passionate volunteers in period-accurate dress was a nice touch. We’re eager to see what next year’s event holds.
To learn more about ‘Military Through the Ages’, check out www.historyisfun.org/jamestown-settlement/military-through-the-ages.
