2011 AAR's and Pics

2010 had the Regiment out at events large and small. We attended the joint Continental Line and British Brigade Planning Meeting in King of Prussia PA. in January and had our annual Meeanee day dinner in February.

Unfortunately, budget problems and staff reduction at Washington Crossing State Historic Park in Taylorsville, PA. resulted in the cancellation of our annual Occupation Weekend in March.

Late June saw us back at the Battle of Monmouth Courthouse in Freehold NJ. Founding Member Don Hagist gave an interesting and informative lecture at the Visitor Center on the composition of the Grenadier Company of the 22nd that was at the battle.

Here is my belated Philadelphia Campaign AAR

September 24-26 2010

I arrived at this beautiful site around 1:30 PM on Friday to start setting up camp. It was on the warm side with temps in the low 90’s. I had five tents and the dining fly with me. After I had two up on my own our friends from the 55^th showed up and they helped me with the balance and the fly. After catching up with the 55^th and meeting some new lads from Canada and from England I had to head home to pick up Gavin and attend to some family business so I missed out on the fun that was had on Friday Night.

Gavin and I were back in camp just in time for first formation AM on Saturday. Between us all we had 22 rank and file two sergeants two officers a fifer and a drummer. Sergeant Baule had the company under Lieutenant Hagist while Captain Vilardi and Sergeant Major Krentler had duties at the battalion level.

At this point I would like to offer my thanks and appreciation to the officers of the British Brigade for entertaining the men with a comical “sham” Trooping of the Colors. It was after the brigade and company level NCOs had quickly and efficiently formed the army and had them inspected for safety by the park staff. As we quietly and respectfully stood at the position of the soldier with fixed bayonets in the rapidly rising temperature, we were treated to some old favorites like the famous “Staff Officer Huddle” after every evolution of the parade and the always popular “Young Sub Ten Minutes Late to the Parade” walking quickly but never running to his place in the line of officers. Then there were some new and very entertaining moments when a staff officer constantly shouted “No, no, no” and corrected the positioning of his brother officers from across the parade and the same officer’s panicked cry’s of, “I need two Grenadiers to escort the Colors now! I don’t care which two, I need them now.” Just when the sacred, cherished and honored traditions of the British Army were starting to get a little stale, the BB Officer Corps lightened things up for the men.

We went right from formation to drill which left some of the men light on water but we shared and didn’t have any heat casualties. In drill we practiced the open order fighting and also drilled in deploying the different brigades as rapidly as possible. Once again our combined companies worked well together. It was then back to camp for some down time before the battle. It was some time around then that two lasses from the 33^rd regiment decided to throw in with us and cook for us for the weekend. Very Nice!

The battle took place on a series of hills bordered with some stone walls. We marched up hill mostly. When the battle proper began we actually started using our open order tactics. It was about this time when the 40^th Foot Lights got a nasty surprise from the Continental Horse. There was nothing we could do to help those poor souls. We pushed the Rebels and had to get through a tight spot in one of the stone walls but eventually were able to claim the field.

Back at camp we enjoyed a great meal cooked by the two ladies from the 33^rd and wound down a little. There was a game of Put and Take run by Privates Roberts and Newman who ran up quite a nice toll in their Book until Sergeant Baule threw it in the fire.

Then Sergeant Krentler opened his tavern. It was said that when we all sang to Sergeant Krentler’s Happy Birthday it was heard on the opposite side of the Rebel Camp!

It started to rain Sunday morning, not very hard but enough to make us miserable. Breakfast was good and there was plenty to go around since Private Wick had secured a side of bacon for us. An unfortunate incident occurred at this time when a lit hand grenade was tossed into the midst of a group of officers and senior NCO’s with the cry “Sic Semper Tyrannous!” Fortunately it was a dud and the offending assassin was captured and severely dealt with. Sergeant Baule saw that we had too much time on our hands so he drilled us in the cold, cold rain. Captain Vilardi took pity on us and issued an extra rum ration to cheer us and warm us.

The rain tapered off just in time for us to form up for the Sunday demo. We were held in strategic reserve down a woods road while the lights and the First and Third Brigades went back and fourth with the Rebels. Finally the 2^nd Brigade was called into action and after much firing and rushing forward in open order we pushed the Rebels behind a strangely familiar stone wall. We rushed through a gap in the stone wall, re-formed, charged bayonets and that was all for Jonathan. A good turnout for the 22^nd and fun with our comrades in the 55^th so three cheers for a great event.

Back to Fort Lee in November! The Kearney House staff decided to concentrate on their 19th Century timeline so what was starting to be a great annual tavern night for us an many other Fort Lee participants was not to be. Early Saturday we participated in a short film for PBS on the ascent of the Palisades and were at Fort Lee in time for the annual festivities.

Wow, what a busy and productive year!