The Second World War remains the subject most enduringly fascinating to history lovers and that is hardly surprising: it affected every man, woman and child in all the major combatant nations in a way no other conflict ever has done and was a period of astonishing human drama. The tentacles of that global conflict are still being felt to this day. When it finally ended in 1945 most assumed nothing like it could ever be repeated yet we find ourselves today watching another European war where the slaughter and scale of destruction recall that that earlier devastating war.

Anniversaries are useful as they prompt us to pause and consider what came before with perhaps a little more focus than at other times. This year marks the 80th anniversary of 1944, and with it a number of major battles and campaigns: the Battles for Cassino and Rome in Italy, Imphal and Kohima in Northeast India, Saipan and Pelelieu in the Pacific, Arnhem, and, of course, the one event, above all, that has come to define the western experience of World War II: D-Day and the Battle for Normandy. At Chalke this year, we will be marking these massive moments in the war with a series of talks and discussions, from our special Second World War morning on Thursday 27 June to a number of other panels dotted through the festival week.

There are also a host of attractions from Soldier School to the Trench Experience, which this year focuses on the brutal Battle for Hill 112 in Normandy, fought over by the 43rd Wessex Division.  Our SOE Training Camp will be returning and there will be a number of Second World War artillery pieces demonstrated by The Garrison, as well as tanks, half-tracks and other period vehicles. All will be displayed at various times in the Arena, so expect a fair amount of bangs and smoke.

Finally, we are holding a D-Day Dance on the Saturday evening – with Lili Redman, The Swing Ninjas and The Polka Dots providing the live music and entertainment.  We’re hoping as manyof you as possible will enter spirit of D-Day and dress up in period garb for the occasion!  It promises to be a wonderful night and a fitting party on the final night of this year’s Chalke History Festival.”