The Battle of Britain remembered ............ next weekend in Saddleworth

Now how we choose to remember and indeed revisit the past takes many forms and I have never been sniffy about re-enactment groups, those themed historical fun days or heritage sites.

They sit beside museums, and scholarly research as a valid way of bringing historical events out of the shadows.

So while I have reservations about the way they sometimes sanitize what were brutal and tragic events they perform a service.

And Yanks Weekend in Saddlworth seems to do that.

This year it will be on the weekend of August 8-9 and is “the North of England’s longest runningWW2 military & living history event.”

Now I could go on about the attractions and events of the day but instead will focus on my friend David Harrop who will be there in Saddleworth School with a selection of his memorabilia from the Battle of Britain.

He has been collecting for years and has a collection which includes many items from both world wars as well as a range of material from the history of the postal service.

Amongst the complete collection are medals, photographs, letters and postcards including many everyday objects from porcelain souvenirs to leaflets about how to prepare for an air raid.

Of special historical interest are the set of correspondence from George Davison to his wife during the Great War, and an autograph book from a Red Cross hospital containing comments poems and pictures by men wounded at Gallipoli and the Somme.

For Uppermill in recognition of the Battle of Britain David will be displaying a copy of the famous “Few speech” made by Winston Churchill along with  the Line Book of 222 squadron which is the unofficial record of the unit made by the men who flew and contains anecdotes, paintings and letters.

And yes I am well aware that the United States did not join the war until 1941 and the Battle of Britain was a full year and a bit before.

Now we try to get along to Saddleworth each year for the event and have always enjoyed the day.

So there you have it, next weekend, in Saddleworth with Yanks Weekend and of course David Harrop.

Pictures; Spitfire fund, leaflet 1940, and Churchill’s speech, 1940 from the collection of David Harrop and poster from Yanks Weekend website