THE American Troops are coming back to Bude in September!
A living history weekend called Bude at War will be taking place with WWII re-enactment groups, D-Day Displays, music, exhibitions, activities and original military vehicles in Bude on September 16 and 17.
Many local people can still recall when The Rangers came to Bude on December 3 1943 to train for Pointe Du Hoc and Omaha beach assault. They were here until June 3 1944, when ‘suddenly, they were gone’.
The impact of these young men was great and they are remembered with fondness.
.jpeg?width=209&height=140&crop=209:145,smart&quality=75)
It is to these troops and other Allied forces that the organisers of Bude at War are paying tribute to with a historic, community and educational 1940s weekend.
This is a heritage event about Bude and is not an event about glorifying the wrongs or rights of WWII.
The Donut Dollies, Clair Roberts and Robyn Pearcey who attend 1940s events are working with many local volunteers to bring this heritage event to Bude.
They said: “It is a very big weekend. We have over 20 living history groups representing British and American Troops at Crooklets making a military encampment with original vehicles; Bude Surf Life Saving Club is hosting the Enigma Machine talks from Bletchley Park; the Crooklets Inn is showing an art exhibition about Bude memories in partnership with Budehaven Community School; there will be a vintage belly boarding competition; a D-Day landing; speeches from Churchill and Eisenhower; a GI dance and we have a team of volunteers finding out about important places of interest within the town so that we can put up heritage plaques stating what things were during that time.”
Bude Tourist Information Office is fully backing the event, which will bring visitors to Bude outside of the main season.
The event is not for profit and organisers are working to raise the £7,000 needed to put this event on so that everyone can attend. The only thing people will need to buy to get in, will be the programme, which is a Bude and Stratton Post for 65p!
There will be a quiz night on May 19 and they are launching a new beer soon too. It is set to be a fantastic weekend, with the re-enactment groups doing talks about their area of expertise and displays of all sorts.
The Military convoy will be going through town on Saturday afternoon and the Ghosts of Omaha will be situated round the town making Bude town centre into a living art piece.
For more information about the weekend, like the Facebook page #budeatwar and check out the website www.budeatwar.yolasite.com
Early bird tickets are on sale for the GI Dance already — download a form from the website to get yours.
If anyone is interested in supporting this event, email [email protected]