Abingdonian 2018

74 The Abingdonian Chalke Valley History Festival At the Chalke Valley History Festival, the Sixth Form historians had the chance to engage with the past through talks, and activities, taking history beyond and outside the classroom. I particularly enjoyed listening to Rob Holland on the Second World War, who praised the longevity and quality of British equipment, noting it as integral to Allied victory. He argued convincingly that the British forces were more prepared for a long, attritional war than the Germans, which can be seen primarily through the UK’s war production. For example, the use of shorter but thicker boots, while ostensibly trivial, saved tons of leather and thus resulted in the production of more boots at a faster rate. I had not considered this before, and the talk led me to re-evaluate my outlook on the role of the British army in the war. Beside the lectures, there were live demonstrations of Napoleonic muskets and mediaeval artillery, which brought home, for me at least, how much technology has developed over the past 200 years; even for a trained professional, the Brown Bess musket would take up to 25 seconds to reload, resulting in an average firing rate of less than three balls per minute. By contrast, the military today have artillery that can fire six shells per minute over 40km. I also had the opportunity to try sending signals using morse code and found the process of transmitting words and phrases to be more difficult, yet more enjoyable, than it seems in films. Afterwards, I was shown some WW2 spy equipment, and realised that, when packed into a suitcase, the gadgets weighed more than 14kg. Imagine trying to act as if you had packed for a holiday when hauling that around! The trip was certainly fascinating and entertaining, and I was able to buy some signed books, including Killers of the King: The Men Who Dared to Execute Charles I by Charles Spencer. I recommend the trip to anyone who is interested in expanding the breadth of their historical understanding, and having some fun doing so. Thank you to Mr Jackson for organising it and Mr McGill for accompanying us. Oliver Williams, 5TJD