Every weekend, thousands of hobbyists converge in empty fields to dig trenches, erect tents, gas up their tanks, and stage battles from the beaches of Normandy to the deserts of North Africa. Because the Second World War is still deeply embedded in Britain's collective consciousness, the act of reenactment is deeply personal for many participants. And when they wear uniforms that belonged to their fathers or grandfathers, they feel that they are bridging seven decades of memory.