Bad weather compelled the Borough of Hawthorne to cancel this year's Memorial Day Parade. The Royal Sussex was looking forward to marching with our American and Italian allies. Unfortunately, Mother Nature had other plans.
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The Royal Sussex was represented by our president and commanding officer at the North Haledon Free Public Library. This was the third Society presentation held there, with our first being on the American Revolution and then the Victorian period. The discussion covered the overall "big picture" of the causes and prosecution of the Great War, with an emphasis on the Western and Italian fronts. The room was full and the audience had excellent questions. We were also visited by the County Historian who came to listen and afterward share some of the local history as it pertained to World War One. We thank the library director, Susan Serico, for all her support and for having us again at the library just ahead of Memorial Day. The annual Flanders Fields Commemoration ceremony was held in DeWitt-Clinton Park by the Flanders Delegation to the USA, the City of New York, Doughboy Foundation, and other entities. A wreath-laying ceremony accompanied by some speeches from the dignitaries remembered the sacrifices of so many who served in Belgium during the Great War. The Last Post was played by buglers to signal the end of the ceremony. Our host, Yves Wantens, General Representative of Flanders, graciously invited all the participants to a reception afterwards. In Flanders Fields John McCrae In Flanders fields the poppies blow Between the crosses, row on row, That mark our place; and in the sky The larks, still bravely singing, fly Scarce heard amid the guns below. We are the Dead. Short days ago We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow, Loved and were loved, and now we lie, In Flanders fields. Take up our quarrel with the foe: To you from failing hands we throw The torch; be yours to hold it high. If ye break faith with us who die We shall not sleep, though poppies grow In Flanders fields.  In a slight departure from our normal events, we put our heads together to create something different - a hypothetical battle scenario. In a technical sense, then, nothing was "reenacted" but rather just "enacted." The Hempstead Light Guard, based in Old Bethpage Village, is seeing a resurgence. Created in the 1970s and 80s, this 1830s/1840s militia group apparently faded out by the turn of the 21st Century. One of the objectives our early Victorian 35th Regiment has had in mind for a while is to bring about skirmish events and with the resurrected Hempstead Light Guard, we had a great opportunity. Somewhat in the spirit of our Grand VIctorian Tactical, created in 2006, the 1839 Raid on Bethpage posits a "what if" situation, where the crises surrounding the Aroostook War of 1838 had not actually been diplomatically resolved. It is likely that Britain would have attacked the US in a manner similar to the War of 1812, descending on coastal targets and trying to disrupt the American economy. To that end, Old Bethpage Village was a perfect place to host such a scenario. The 35th Regiment would assume the role of raider, attacking the HLG which would defend the village. The scenario itself played out that our force was detected by a local woman, reporting our presence back to the town. A militia scout was sent ahead to confirm and the HLG marched to meet our advance. A brisk exchange of musketry took place, with the Guard falling back in a confused, fighting retreat back to the town. After clearing the town of the enemy, the American flag was taken down and the Union Flag was hoisted in its place. A proclamation was read out, informing the locals that martial law was now in place, but that they would be well-treated so long as they did not interfere or attempt to disrupt the army. Various smaller scenarios were played out over the course of the afternoon with both the public and our fellow reenactors. A patrol which strayed too far caught the attention of the enemy, resulting in a short exchange of musket fire before the situation resolved. Two townspeople were detained on suspicion of stealing (recovered) military equipment. At about 2:00, the Guard was reinforced and our ammunition supply was sabotaged. As the Guard marched toward the town, we attempted to ambush their force along the treeline, delaying and confusing their movements to allow time to regroup and commence an orderly withdraw out of the town and back to our anchored ships in Oyster Bay. We want to thank the staff at Old Bethpage Village, our wonderful 35th ladies and new friends, our partners and comrades in the Hempstead Light Guard, and all of our excellent 35th Royal Sussex soldiers. Many thanks to those who contributed photos, including Chris Lauterbach, Rebecca Cataldi, and Vivian Davis. |
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June 2025
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