The Salamanca Band of the Rifles will be stepping out at 140 paces to the minute at Okehampton Battle Camp on September 8 and 9 as part of Dartmoor Military Heritage Weekend. Opening at 10am on both days there will be a wide variety of events for Dartmoor and military enthusiasts alike to enjoy and experience ? entry is free of charge. The Exeter-based Salamanca Band will give a marching display at 11am each morning, a 1940s concert at 1pm and close the day with the traditional sounding the retreat at 4.30pm on Saturday and 3.30pm on Sunday. The Last Post will recall those who have trained on Dartmoor over the past 200 years, particularly those who fell during the battle for the Falklands 25 years ago and those who are on operations today. Soldiers, military memorabilia and battle re-enactments will be on display and there will be many exciting activities for people to take part in at the West Country?s largest military training area. A large collection of second world war military vehicles will be shown and explained by enthusiasts of the Military Vehicle Trust. Re-enactors will demonstrate tactics and weaponry of the past 70 years. Royal Marines will explain what it is like in Afghanistan and Iraq. Members of the 4th Battalion the Yorkshire Regiment, attending their annual training on Dartmoor, will be on hand to demonstrate their modern equipment and to describe their recent operational experience. Youngsters from the Devon Cadet Forces will demonstrate on the fitness trail and visitors can fire on the laser rifle range, take part in realistic battles with laser weapons and pit themselves against the cadets in crossing obstacles. Expert communicators will attempt to link 1940s radios across the world. There will also be model tanks, helicopters and battle scenes and military memorabilia and guided walks to visit military artefacts. Experts will explain how Dartmoor has been used by the military and continues to contribute to the operational effectiveness of the Armed Forces. People are being invited to give their views on the use of Dartmoor as a military training area which has been a hot topic of debate over the years. Defence estate officers will explain the work being done to inform the case for renegotiating the licences for the military to use Dartmoor beyond 2012. Okehampton Camp, built in 1893 for the Royal Artillery, was the first permanent training camp in the UK. Today, many of the original buildings provide robust accommodation for the light armed forces, particularly the Royal Marines, honing skills in preparation for operations throughout the world. Examples of stables and accommodation will be open to the public as part of National Heritage Weekend.
