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UTAH 237 Re-enactment Group

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UTAH 237 Re-enactment Group

US WW2 Re-enactment Group Welcome to Utah 237 Re-enactment Group.
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We are a group of likeminded individuals with a keen interest in the Second World War, specifically the US timeline of 1944 through to 1945. The group portrays the 237th Engineer Combat Battalion who were based in Shiphay, Torquay before embarkation onto the Normandy beaches in June 1944. If you have any queries or would like to get in contact; please email us on [email protected].

29/05/2026

Reminiscing about last weekend, some more photos of our time at WARAG 2026!

Utah 237 🧨

27/05/2026

SHALL WE TRY THIS 🤔?

We are always looking for ways to make our displays immersive and interesting, but this may be a step too far 😬!

P’raps we should test it out after a few post-show beers….??

https://fb.watch/HmDbGVRTvO/

25/05/2026

🪖WARAG 2026 🪖

Another great weekend at WARAG, Westonzoyland Somerset.

It was a hot one 🔥 27 degrees putting up and packing away, and Sunday was especially warm, but it didn’t take away from a really enjoyable event.

Plenty going on across the weekend, with lots to see and do and a good atmosphere throughout.

It was really good to see so many old friends and meet some new ones over the weekend.

A big thank you to the event organisers for putting it all together.

Also a big thank you to Chris, Mike and Dan for joining us this weekend, they were a pleasure as always!

A few photos below, with more to follow during the week

Utah 237 🧨

24/05/2026

WARAG 2026

A video of our members Jim and Zak driving their Jeep and Dodge Weapons Carrier around the WARAG arena.

Lots of dust and a sea full of military vehicles!

We will be sharing more of our time at WARAG shortly!

Utah 237 🧨

22/05/2026

WARAG 2026

Fridays are for setting up camp.

We hope to see some of you there this weekend, more photos to follow!

Utah 237 🧨

17/05/2026

Our member Jim and his family had a fantastic weekend at Tilford: A Village at War, now in its 26th year!

Jim was joined by family for the event, making it a proper camp experience. Grandson Jamie (10) stepped up as 2IC of the camp and helped pitch the tent ready for Saturday night. Jim’s Son-in-law Dougie joined later, and the evening was rounded off with a good chilli con carne and a few well-earned beers.

The event itself was as brilliant as ever, with plenty of American Airborne groups alongside Home Guard, firefighters, ARP and more. The air raids twice a day kept everyone on their toes, with firefighters tackling blazes and plenty of blank firing adding to the atmosphere.

A great time all around.

Utah 237 🧨

08/05/2026

Today we remember Victory in Europe Day, marking the end of the war in Europe and a moment of relief and hope for millions.

We honour their service and remember those who did not return.

Lest we forget.

Utah 237 🧨

28/04/2026

EXERCISE TIGER - REMEMBERING CPL MORRIS J. DEBAENE 🙏

Hello All,

Many of you will know that although the main purpose our Group is to commemorate and recreate the presence of the 237th Combat Engineer Battalion in Torquay, we are also keen to keep alive the memory of other things Allied, especially where they may have a local connection.

Recently, we picked up a post by Kevin DeBaene on the WW2 Life on the Home Front page in which he was trying to identify a house where his uncle, Morris J. DeBaene, was billeted in Torquay during the D-Day build up. Some very clever and swift research in the Home Front page strongly indicates that Morris lived with the Gill family at an address in the Sherwell Valley area, just a figurative stone’s throw away from where one of our members has lived for many years.

Kevin has very kindly shown us some of Morris’s very touching and interesting personal pictures which we think must have been taken in late 1943 - early 1944. We hope to research these further but attached is an enhanced and colourised picture of Morris with whom we believe to be Mr & Mrs Gill’s daughter, Sylvia.

Morris was born in 1923, some 15 years before his brother, Kevin’s father. At 6’1” he would have been a tall man for his time, and was part of the 3206th Quartermaster Service Company, raised mainly in his home state of Missouri. Members of the 3206th were embarked on LST 531 during Exercise Tiger in Lyme Bay in an “all up” dress rehearsal for the unit’s part in Operation Overlord, the invasion of France. Sadly, 82 years ago today on 28/4/44, LST 531 was torpedoed by German e-boats. 201 of Morris’s 250 man unit were lost during the tragedy and, like so many others, Morris’s body was not recovered.

Many of you will know that the details of the Exercise Tiger losses remained shrouded in the mists of history until the 1980’s and Kevin tells us that his grandmother was unaware of these events until 1984. The magnitude of a parent’s loss and grief can, perhaps, only be imagined.

We hope to learn more about Morris’s story as our contact with Kevin continues but, meanwhile, please join us this evening in remembering Cpl Morris J. DeBaene.

“At the going down of the sun, and in the morning, we will remember them.”

26/04/2026

It’s been a busy weekend for some of our members attending MVT Devon events.

Saturday began with Peter and Sally joining the MVT at Slapton Sands to commemorate the Tiger Memorial. A wreath was laid to pay respects to those who lost their lives, followed by a small ceremony.

Exercise/Operation Tiger, which took place in April 1944 around Slapton Sands and the Kingsbridge area, was a large-scale rehearsal for the D-Day landings. Tragically, during the exercise, Allied forces came under attack from German E-boats, resulting in the loss of hundreds of servicemen. The events remained relatively unknown for many years, but the memorial now stands as an important reminder of those who lost their lives in preparation for the Normandy landings.

Then today, Sophie, Jamie and Peter attended the MVT safety training day. We covered how to extinguish fires, the correct use and protocol for radios, and manoeuvring vehicles with hand signals where there may be obstructions. It was a good mix of learning and a bit of fun. In addition, on passing the training, we all received a high-vis MVT vest.

A big thank you to Martin Pelling (Devon MVT Secretary), and Tim and Preston for their hospitality at Cobbaton Combat Museum.

You may notice that as a group we usually appear in period uniform; however, as these were MVT events, these were not worn on this occasion.

Utah 237 (out) 🧨

16/04/2026

FAME, FAME, FAME!

Although when UTAH 237 LHG was incepted it was intended primarily to commemorate the 237th Combat Engineers Brigade based in Torquay prior to D-Day, the Group’s brief was also to include all aspects of WW2 history around the same period, especially if that had a Devon connection.

As part of that, you may well have seen our earlier posts marking the progress of “Agatha”, Sophie Byrne and Jamie Byrne’s 1936 Austin 10 staff car, now resplendent in her 12th Battalion Devon Regiment (Airborne) paint and markings.

As members of the Military Vehicle Trust, Sophie and Jamie have got a lovely write-up in Area Reports section of April’s edition of the Trust’s monthly magazine, Windscreen. Here’s a copy for you to enjoy. Thank you, Martin Pelling 👊.

Well done, Sophie and Jamie and, of course, many thanks to “Pyro” Peter A Byrne for all his help in bringing this excellent project to fruition 👏👏👏.

Together with Bea Cockburn and Zak Wright‘s excellent Dodge WC there will plenty new to see this year at the Group’s events!

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