Britain at War Brings Military History to Life at Chiltern Open Air Museum

Churchill at COAM by Kevan Rosendale

Chiltern Open Air Museum will be stepping back through time on Saturday 9 and Sunday 10 August as it hosts Britain at War — a spectacular multi-period living history event commemorating the nation’s wartime past. This immersive, family-friendly event will showcase the evolution of British military and civilian life from the Medieval period through to World War II and beyond.

Visitors will have the rare opportunity to explore authentic living history camps, meet re-enactors from across the centuries, and watch a wide variety of combat demonstrations, rifle firing displays, and even Lindy Hop dancing sessions.

As part of the weekend’s highlights, a special Battle of Britain Memorial Flypast by an RAF Hurricane is scheduled for Saturday 9 August, paying tribute to ‘The Few’ who defended Britain’s skies during WWII.

The Museum’s 45-acre site and historic buildings will be brought to life by an impressive line-up of re-enactment groups, including:

  • Medieval Warhorses – Mounted combat and skill-at-arms displays.
  • Chanz des Reis – 13th-century medieval living history with interactive drills.
  • Sir Marmaduke Rawdon’s Regiment of Foote – English Civil War Society encampment.
  • 2nd Battalion 95th Rifles – Napoleonic War drills and rifle firing.
  • The Warwicks 1914-1918 – Boer War portrayals.
  • The 10th Essex & Rifles Living History Society – WWI trench life and soldier school.
  • Oxfordshire Home Guard, ARP Vicar, Utility Jude, Doing Their Bit, Home Front Defenders – Insight into life on the Home Front during WWII.
  • U.S. 1st Infantry Division, U.S. 82nd Airborne, American Infantry Association, Homefront to Frontline – Depictions of Allied forces stationed in England before D-Day.
  • Squadron X Bomber Command & The Lone Rat – RAF displays including Desert Rats of North Africa.
  • Winston Churchill Re-enactor – Engaging talks on the life of Britain’s iconic wartime leader.
  • Jeep, Jump, Jive – 1940s music, Lindy Hop social dancing, and interactive dance classes.

Visitors can also explore various vintage military vehicles, wartime displays, and hands-on activities.

Supported using public funding by the UK Government through Arts Council England, this event forms part of the Museum’s VE and VJ Day commemoration programme, ensuring the stories of those who lived through these conflicts continue to be remembered by future generations.

All exhibits and displays are subject to change. For more information and to book tickets, visit www.coam.org.uk.