OPERATION DRAGON SPRING
On 12 and 13 april 2014 it was time for the annual DRAGON SPRING event on the Baggelhuizen training area near Assen in the northern part of The Netherlands. This event gives us the opportunity to re-enact the core business of 12 Platoon, the infantry work i.e. fighting Jerries, on a realistic scale and terrain. The Baggelhuizen area is a Dutch Army training ground including woods, heath, tank barriers etc.
After a good evening of catching up with the platoon members and our friends from other groups we started off on Saturday morning by freshing up our infantry skills and drills. We started with training on section level which eventually resulted in practicing an attack on platoon level. After a few hours of training all went rather smoothly and so it was time for lunch in the field –well, 'lunch'is a bit euphemistic considering the contents of the 24 hour rations in your haversack-. Soon we were ready for their first confrontation with jerry. The platoon managed to kick the opponents out of the forest and took a complete German MG-team prisoner.
On Sunday the platoon got ordered to defend the right flank of the allied defensive line. Beating off severe German attacks the platoon managed to hold their positions. A weakened jerry gave the Borders an opportunity to execute a counterattack and finally breaking the German resistance.
It was a great kick-off of our re-enactment season. Many thanks to our fellow re-enactors, especially our German counterparts from ‘Der Windhund’, the people from the organization who make it possibly to use this terrain every year and off course Johan Bruyn, the great photographer that accompanied us this weekend. We are looking forward to the upcoming events in 2014. The first one will be on 3-4 May in the Open Air Museum of Eynderhoof in Nederweert-Eind. Will you be there?
Lt. Andrews
