diver99

Don't forget, these museums aren't generally run by people with an interest in Military history. They are admin and career museum staff. It could be the IWM one day, then the Tate the next. And the likes of Leicester University are churning out theoretical MA's in museum studies, not subject specialists. I never particularly thought the Holocaust exhibition in the IWM had anything to do with the main purpose of the IWM, but the holocaust is a sure fire way of bringing in school groups and publicity. Ten years ago I found the RE museum as bad regarding the library, no staff who had any background knowledge. Real shame..

Just been up to Duxford, and the word is that the land warfare hall is due for re-development, as people have commented it looks like a car park. Anglian museum not sure what is happening, as they are within that hall. Don't think the Artillery will go to Duxford as current Director of IWM, thinks Duxford is the representative for Aircraft, with a grudging nod of approval to land warfare. Also staff will be culled from IWM as too many staff and no money.

Yes very big pinch of salt... What type of rusty ordnance are English Heritage concerned about? They aren't interested having archaeological site reports being written up and published. The press have been given a line and with their love of elaboration of any facts have made this story sound like survivalists / terrorists hoarding explosives. And with the usual Keystone cops approach, have targeted easy perps'. I have come across people with live ammo in their collection and have duly advised them to get rid. But have also come across the really bizarre when people think any ordnance is dangerous, even when your show them the item is a bit of shiny brass with no 'bang juice.'

Have a look at this as a starter. http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1893&dat=19481002&id=8rMfAAAAIBAJ&sjid=DNcEAAAAIBAJ&pg=3845,1859614

ok thanks for that.

Hi all...RAF WARMWELL (Crossways Dorchester Dorset) are having a memorial re-dedication for the site and are looking for an RAF Fordson Tractor as part of a display for a day....Anybody know of one local..pm me with details.

my tuppence worth, speaking to somebody recently in another military museum, Firepower have been trying to tack onto another museum to maximise footfall, as currently at Woolwich figures aren't good, approx. 124 000 per annum (they can be found somewhere on the net). I thought Larkhill obvious choice, especially with Stonehenge near by as they get too many visitors (which is part of their latest change of visitor centre). The museum has been on the slide for a number of years, no fault of the staff or actual museum, more location, and the 'marriage' of cooperate and military/heritage. A few years ago it was suggested by one of the slick execs, to sell a 'couple' of V.C.'s to help pay some debts. There was a disposal list of stuff they cleared out which included Long Tom, V1 Launch ramp and tons of other stuff (I may have it somewhere if anybody interested). And as to a new cultural quarter, sounds like more trendy crap from a focus group of what is needed in the borough, as though fried chicken and rice, mangos and red stripe are culture is another question. When all the stuff is at the car boot, I've got dibs on the gattling gun.

Found this recently when clearing a garage. Thought the beautiful bronze green was familiar. serial no.; SSL7-76 EN5420-99-931-8694...About 12 inches long x 5.5 inches wide..

Unfortunately, there are also some complete terry f**wits who don't know how to do 'out', but manage to put a photo up and have access to a computer. If you paid by paypal, claim it back via them using the despute method. the posty in uk is really taking the p though, as different postage prices for America and now Australia/new Zealand etc.

Thats looking very nice..

Steve, my sentiments also. The knowledge of civil war battlefields in the uk are being better understood as sites are beng methodically searched , although with metal detectors (sic), and the musket balls found are then put into database re size and therefore what fired them. This is giving a totally different picture of how an action moved, and re-writing books such as of austin woolwych. Similar I think to Little Big Horn and cartridge distribution. However, what do people think of searching on the old WW2 air bases in the uk. Future archaeology, or enough evidence already. i.e. how many more programmes on the Titanic do we need to know how it sank? Oh, and as an aside, on an episode of N.C.I.S., the murdered civil war re-enactor was buried in a grave, reputed to have been full of civil war weapons, buried at the time in case of a future war. Any truth in this or another good urban myth.

You would think so, but he teaches archy at a major uni and will go on to other sites. Similarly, when euro tunnel link dover-london, anglo-saxon archy being bulldozed away with only cursory examination,

Returning this pub discussion back onto vehicles. Should the the recovery of the centaur from the oggin, which received so much publicity when it and the armoured dozer were discovered by divers, (although they were known about since the seventies but nobody was interested then) be carried out, or does this tell us a great story about D-Day, in an archaeological way. Considering they fell off the capsized landing craft, no loss of life, there are no running centaurs but the NAS think this is as important as the Mary Rose. Although the porpoise (ammunition trailer) of which there are no examples has not been mentioned. Perhaps it doesn't add much to the gloss of sexy archaeology...lost tanks of D-Day!

I have tried to contact some of the east europeans about their research and recording methods and received ..mind my own business replies.

And tony, it wasn't meant to be a critical question, it was aimed at anybody who likes the term 'professional' archaeologist. As it is interesting point, the term professional, as I know of a particular professor of archy whose excavation has been heavily critiscised after digging 'through' and subsequently destroyed unknown evidence at....an area which has big stones somewhere in wiltshire....