Commemoration event to remember Cannock Chase training camps

The event is being held across the weekend of June 24 and 25 to remember the role Cannock Chase played in the Great War.

The two military camps on the chase trained more than half a million troops from across the UK and abroad. Soldiers spent several months at the camp learning the skills required on the Western Front, such as the art of trench warfare.

Visitors will get the chance to experience a WWI field hospital, take a tour of the Great War hut and watch films of the time in an authentic period cinema. The event will also host a full sized replica SE5A Fighter Plane with an opportunity to sit in the cockpit and experience the cramped conditions early pilots experienced.

The Birmingham Pals, a group of military and social history enthusiasts whose aim is to educate the public about different aspects of the Great War, will demonstrate mining techniques and infantry training methods from the period with a chance to enter a mine and experience what it was like to dig for victory on the Western Front.

Gill Heath, the cabinet member for communities at Staffordshire County Council said: “Cannock Chase is steeped in history and we’re incredibly proud to have such a valuable heritage site right on our doorstep.

“We’re looking forward to the event which will give people the chance to learn more about this important landscape and its history. As well as a chance to experience what life was like on the training camps, the event will also show visitors what life would have been like for people living on the Chase thousands of years ago.”

Cannock Chase Council’s managing director, Tony McGovern, added: “The Chase has a truly special importance in the heritage, history and culture of our District. This event will help people to understand and appreciate how significant a role Cannock Chase has played, not only in the First World War but throughout history.”

The event will also showcase results from the Heritage Lottery funded ‘Chase through Time’ project which is exploring the wider archaeology and history of the Chase.

It is taking place at the Cannock Chase Visitor Centre, on Marquis Drive, and is being organised by Staffordshire County Council alongside Cannock Chase District Council, Cannock Chase AONB Unit, Friends of Cannock Chase and Historic England.

People can find out more about the event on the Chase Through Time Facebook page. www.facebook.com/CTTProject, and can learn more about the county’s Great War commemorations at www.staffordshiregreatwar.com.