Dorchester Military Festival. Report by Dorset CIO Will Ward
August 16th 2014
CART Dorset put on a display in Dorchester’s Borough Gardens, at this event held in aid of injured Dorset servicemen. After the intended plan to borrow a display tent fell through, local store Great Western Camping came to the rescue with a rush delivery in just 24 hours from their suppliers! It wasn’t the intention, but it was pointed out subsequently that the curved Coleman event shelter looks quite like the curved roof of an OB! We were able to set up directly opposite and less than 50 yards from the house that was home to the Dorchester Special Duties Out Station. When visitors asked, “Where is the nearest Aux Units site?” the answer was a simple “Over there”!
The site of the Dorchester SD Outstation just visible beyond the trees and behind the stand of local regiment The Rifles.
This was not a large event, but did feature the loud bangs of the Nothe Fort’s Victorian Volunteer Artillery firing their cannons at intervals. There was a steady stream of visitors, with one providing a useful lead on a local Special Duties observer and another gave details of a patrol member’s widow and recollections of that man’s reticence to discuss anything to do with Aux Units. It was very pleasing to hear the Tannoy announcer pick out the CART stand as being the most interesting at the show. Visitors were also complementary and a couple seem likely to join up as CART Friends through the website.
The CART Dorset display with “elephant shelter” pattern tent design! It was suggested we might like to fit bunk beds and add an escape tunnel!
Many thanks to Dorset Home Guard researcher John Pidgeon who provided some of the display items, including both a rubber truncheon and a First World War wooden trench truncheon with studded hobnails and a lead core, of the types known to have been used by Auxiliers in some parts of the country.
Display case featuring various items used by Aux Units, including truncheons, fighting knives and different patterns of booby trap.
