By J.B. Fitzsimmons | Gloucester Correspondent
GLOUCESTER — With pomp, pageantry, and a suspicious number of footlockers labeled “LIVE AMMO — DO NOT OPEN UNTIL ORDERED,” British troops began arriving in Gloucester this week ahead of the 250th anniversary reenactment of the Battle of Bunker Hill, set to take place on June 21 and 22 at Stage Fort Park.
In town to commemorate a pivotal moment in the American Revolution, the Redcoat reenactors — members of various “historical appreciation societies” from across the UK — disembarked from their ships with striking realism. Witnesses say they formed ranks, saluted a portrait of King Charles III, and then politely requested directions to the nearest tea room and armory.
“We’re absolutely here for peaceful historical re-enactment purposes,” said Lt. Reginald Farnsley of the 23rd Royal Gloucestershire Fusiliers and Sea-Adjacent Strategic Interests Liaison. “Any drills, strategic positions on high ground, or temporary occupation of your water supply are purely for authenticity.”
Organizers downplayed concerns that this year’s Bunker Hill event feels less like a re-enactment and more like a dry run.
“It’s about education and living history,” said Gloucester’s honorary Quartermaster General Brent Hart, as he helped lay down ceremonial sandbags behind the Fishermen’s Wives Memorial. “And if a few outbuildings get ‘liberated’ in the name of realism, well, so be it.”
Notably, the British troops arrived not on classic sailing vessels, but on sleek, heavily-armed modern warships that had, according to one press release, “gotten a bit lost looking for Bermuda.”
Stage Fort Park will host thousands of visitors and 900 reenactors over the weekend, serving as the main site of the “re-enactment,” complete with musket volleys, redoubt construction, and a dramatic landing at Half Moon Beach. While the event promises to honor the region’s revolutionary history, the accompanying leaflet titled “Reacquisition of Strategic Coastal Holdings: 1775–2025” raised some eyebrows.
A parallel side event, called “Operation Gentle Reconsolidation: A Celebration of Imperial Unity,” is scheduled on Pavilion Beach, reportedly featuring bagpipers, cannon salutes, and an informal survey of Gloucester’s defensive readiness.
Gloucester officials offered no formal comment, but a source inside City Hall confirmed that the mayor’s office is “keeping an eye on the situation” and has asked the Harbormaster to inventory all remaining functional cannons.
As for the British, their presence remains polite but unusually well-coordinated.
“We’re just thrilled to be invited back,” said Farnsley, adjusting his bayonet. “It’s been 250 years, and frankly, we think it’s time we all had another go at this. For the history books, of course.”
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