Harborough at War 2022

For a change from our usual Cold War display, members of LLHG joined forces with Wehrhafte Schweiz 262 for the Harborough at War Show over the 6th-7th August weekend. Shining a light on the oft-forgotten Swiss situation in the Second World War, we showcased the comprehensive Swiss defensive plans with field telephones, carrier pigeons, the militia model army, a wide selection of rifles and machine and sub-machine guns and, last but not least, a mock-up of a Chalet-Bunker. These famous structures were dotted around the Swiss border regions, with their peaceful and homely appearance concealing reinforced concrete structures and a plethora of mountain howitzers, mortars and machine guns.

This was the first time we’d attempted building the Chalet-Bunker, and it would be a lie to call it a great success. Although the ground floor section went up reasonably simply, the roof section was simply too tall to safely raise with the manpower and equipment we had on-hand. Still, we’ve learnt many lessons on how to make it work properly for future shows.

Market Harborough remained as good an event as last year, with a good variety of reenactment displays, a large selection of military vehicles and a good selection of vendors. It’s definitely one we’ll be coming back to!

Our Swiss WW2 display continues to grow, and we have various plans in store for the future.