Bicentenary of the Battle of Waterloo: ​ there will be thousands setting out onto the battlefields

'These' are the re-enactors, the main players in the commemorations of June 2015, who, with their faithfully reproduced uniforms and equipment, will once again bring the Battle of Waterloo alive, providing a unique spectacle of its kind with more re-enactors than have ever before been seen: there will be 5,000 of them fighting next year! And their enthusiasm is matched only by the speed with which they pre-registered to take part… in just over four months since the site has been up and running, there are already more than 5,000 willing volunteers!

Jan De Coster is one of these. His life revolves around his passion for re-enactments. He has a normal working life, with a full-time job that requires all his energy. But he is also one of the founder members of the “Association Belge pour la Recherche et la Reconstitution Historique” (Belgian Association for Research and Historical Re-enactment), which is responsible for the organisation of the military side of the Bicentenary of June 2015. He is now 56 years old, but his passion for historical re-enactment began with the little tin soldiers that he played with when he was a child. The historical interest followed as he began to acquire books. He was particularly attracted to the Empire period in all its glory. Later, when, along with several other avid followers of Napoleonic history, he first got into re-enactments, it was the idea of recreating objects as they would have been at the time and of stepping into the shoes of the characters that motivated him, the idea of “taking the Museum out into the streets”.   

This attention to authentic detail is a real preoccupation. The uniforms and the soldiers’ equipment have to be exactly the same as they would have been at the time, and it has taken years to discover all of the historical elements! Each re-enactor has then had to make his own uniform, which, when he puts it on, makes any movements much slower. The style of the era was very tailored, which means that the uniforms are not very comfortable to wear, or very practical (linen fabric, woollen cloth, leather…). It is very difficult to run in all those trappings! However, it gives an accurate reflection of the spirit of the battles as they would have been. We met Jan De Coster, who lives and works in Brussels and is delighted to be able to participate in these exceptional commemorations, which he wouldn’t miss for the world:   

-  What is the atmosphere like during the re-enactments?
- Jan De Coster: When we go off in the bivouacs we spend several days together: we sleep rough, we fight … its very physical because you can end up struggling through the mud, being exhausted and asking yourself what on earth you are doing there. But this all creates an extraordinary feeling of fellowship that doesn’t exist anywhere else. If one of the soldiers feels a bit down, there’s always someone there to give him moral support! 

-  Is it a time-consuming hobby?
-  Jan De Coster: It’s true that it takes up a lot of my time – in fact I prefer not to count! This year we have already been to the Island of Elba, to Montereau and to Montmirail, and we will be going to Loano, Rueil Malmaison and Genappe … We never stop!
 

- Do you feel a particular connection to the character you are playing?
- Jan De Coster: No, not at all. I don’t play a character that actually existed. I play a role, that of the Colonel of the 8th Line Regiment, who has to lead a unit, but that’s as far as it goes. Having said that, we don’t all feel this way! Of the 5,000 re-enactors who will be present next year, there will be some who are convinced that they have to embody certain protagonists right down to their individual character traits!

The more than 5.000 re-enactors who are already pre-registered, and who come from all around the world, are currently waiting for the definitive confirmation of their participation by the organising committee.  These confirmations will be made once the pre-registration period is closed.

Would you like more details on the Bicentenary of the Battle of Waterloo in June 2015?

Go to the waterloo2015.org site to find detailed information on these commemorative days, during which families and business contacts can experience the conviviality and high emotions from the very front row of the stands. Entrance tickets are available via the website.

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