Andy Brockman

Ref: Vigil to remember Black Saturday at 16.30 on 7 September 2010 at Firepower the Royal Artillery Museum Interest in the 70th anniversary is growing and we are delighted that we will be joined at the vigil by the Deputy Mayor of Greenwich, Councellor Jim Gillman. Berkeley Homes who are redeveloping the Arsenal site have also kindly agreed to cease noisy work for the duration of the vigil as a sign of respect. The vigil will end with the firing of one of the guns from the Firepower collection in salute. Do come if you can. Andy Brockman pp Digging The Blitz Project Team

Vigil for the 70th Anniversary of the start of the Blitz at Firepower on Tuesday 7 September at 4.30pm I am sorry for the short notice [and also for not posting on the forum for a while] but I just wanted to bring this event to the attention of forum members in the hope some of you might be interested or able to attend. The Digging Dad's Army Project and Firepower-The Royal Artillery Museum are organising an informal vigil to remember the start of the Blitz on London, which began exactly seventy years ago in the late afternoon of September 7th 1940. The first raid on "Black Saturday" targeted Woolwich Arsenal and the Docks and we inviting anyone who wishes to mark the anniversary to meet at Firepower- The Royal Artillery Museum, at 4.30pm on Tuesday 7 September in order to hold two minutes silence at 4.43pm, the moment the Air Raid Sirens sounded. We will also be opening a "Blitz Memory Book," so that people can either record their own or family memories of the Blitz, or describe what the story of the Blitz means to them today and how we should regard it as an event and the human stories behind it, as we look to the future. This is a short, informal, secular, non political commemoration and is open to anyone who would like to attend. We appreciate it is a working day and this has been organised at short notice, but we hope people might want to attend or, if they cannot join us at Firepower, we would welcome any messages, thoughts or stories to add to the Blitz Memory Book. It is not strictly necessary to RSVP, but if people were to drop us a line if they are planning to come it would help us judge numbers. Please feel free to come in period clothing if you feel it is appropriate. [Civilian, 1940 allied military or civilian services please- we acknowledge War has many victims and reenactors of other nations, including Axis and US Reenactors are welcome in civilian clothing or as your 21st century selves] Please contact me if you wish to bring an Early War period vehicle. Andy Brockman

Hi All, Yes as Tony points out I haven't posted for a while. However a glimmer of Summer sun brings archaeologists out of their academic fox holes and blinking into the light of the real world and the excavation season. Actually I have been following the threads and debates in the archaeology section and I am continually impressed by the level of interest and knowledge. The project I am working on currently, Digging Dads Army is deliberately designed to harness that commitment and interest and get us all working in partnership on a subject we all care about. Hence the invitation to drop by Eaglesfield Park on Shooters Hill when we are there from 15-19th June and particualrly on the 20th for the Open Day. In spite of the fantastic views I know it is not quite Normandy- the Cheese and Wine aren't as good for a start [although there is some good stuff at the Blackheath Farmers Market], but as I will be reminding our visitors, 65 years ago, while the Allied Expeditionary Force was fighting its way through the Bocage, the Home Guard Gunners at the Shooters Hill Z BAttery and the civilian population of Woolwich, were about to undergo their own baptism of fire with the launch of the V Weapons campaign. We will be posting live up-dates on a Project Web Site which is about to go "Live," and via a Blog, but it would be great to see members at the Dig/Open day and once again put faces to the user names and hear what people think. Best wishes Andy B

Dear Members and Friends 20 June 2009: Eaglesfield Park, Shooters Hill 13.00-16.00hrs Digging Dad's Army Project/Friends of Eaglesfield Park Open Day. Pre 1945 Military Vehicles and Pre 1960 Civilian Vehicles. The Digging Dad's Army Project is a new research project designed to bring together archaeologists, historians, living history and preservation groups and the local population, to tell the story of 20th Century Conflict in South East and East London. This June we have our first excavation at Eaglesfield Park, Shooters Hill; a location which you might remember from the Time Team programme, "Blitzkrieg on Shooters Hill," and the recent article in Current Archaeology. Eaglesfield Park is a Park on the east side of Shooters Hill with fantastic views out actross the Kent. In WW 1 it was an AAA Site, one of the earliest in London, while in WW2 it was the site of a Barrage Balloon site belonging to E Flight of 901 County of London BB Sqd and also stood on Anti Invasion Stop Line Central. Next to the Park is Shooters Hill Golf Club, site of the local HG Batt HQ and Shooters Hill ZAA Battery. In addition much open ground in the area was turned over to "Dig for Victory" allotments some of which survive. This June the Digging Dad's Army Project are planning to survey and excavate and record these features and local memories, as the first part of a programme which will eventually cover the region from Eltham to Wanstead Flats. Public access to the work is really important to us so on Saturday 20 June the Digging Dad's Army Project will combine with the Friends Of Eaglesfield Park to hold an Open Day, supported by the London Borough of Greenwich, to show off the Park and its history to the local community and promote its use. As part of this I am organising an exhibition relating to the site's history and archaeology coupled with guided time walks and it would be fantastic to be able to get some period vehicles onto the site to mark its different uses and which local people would have seen passing by. Ideally we are talking about military and civilian vehicles pre 1945, preferably connected with its use by the military, Army and Navy Gunners in WW1 and RAF/Army /Home Guard in WW2 [although post war 1945-1960 civilian would be OK, as this was the hey day of the park for local sport and a Sunday afternoon stroll in the gardens]. This is a new, very friendly local event although as such it has no budget- it is payment in kind by tea and cake.If you can make it please PM me. Even if you cannot bring a vehicle please come anyway. This is a great opportunity to find out how archaeologists tackle a modern military site and even to have a go yourself. We will be having a public trench where visitors can get down and dirty with the archaeological team. If you want any further information please PM me. You can find out about the Digging Dad's Army Project [including about our training courses] on the website of our sister project the Great War Archaeology Group http://www.gwag.org/ProjectsDDA.htm ... and our own website, www.diggingdasarmy.org.uk should be live by week ending 14 June. Hope to see you at Eaglesfield. Best wishes Andy Brockman pp The Digging Dad's Army Project Team

Dear All, This is a thread about a conflict archaeology project, but I hope it will be of interest to anyone in the HMV world with in interest in sharing the wider history of their vehicles with the public, or finding out more about the times in which those vehicles were built and used. Hence posting on the events forum. Our first event is this saturday, March 7 2009, when we are holding a short seminar to discuss the project at Shrewsbury House, Bushmore Crescent in Shooters Hill south east London from 11.00-13.00. So what is "Digging Dad's Army," all about? Digging Dad's Army [DDA] is a new, research led, community based project which is designed to investigate and publish, the material survivals and people's experiences of the conflicts of the 20th Century as they impacted on the communities of south east and east London. It covers the period 1914 to the Cold War. The project has been set up under the umbrella of the "Great War Archaeology Group," after discussions involving Nick Saunders of the University of Bristol, Neil Faulkner visiting lecturer at Bristol and features editor of Current Archaeology, Martin Kender of the Great War Archaeology Group and myself. However, we would like to bring DDA to a much wider audience for comment and discussion before we settle on the final project aims and design. In particular we don't want it to be kept closed to the usual archaeological suspects. This is because, as well as archaeological and historical research, the project also aims to look at ways of sharing the knowledge generated and the skills required to acquire it, with the contemporary community through work with primary and secondary schools, the higher and continuing education sector and and via a range of public events. The archaeological programme starts with fieldwork and a public event in the Shooters Hill area this June with the support of the London Borough of Greenwich Parks Department. This is Public Archaeology and Archive work coupled with a strong commitment to education and outreach and we want to involve a wide range of skills, expertise and enthusiasms in the planning and delivery of it. Hence this invitation is not just to Archaeologists and Historians, professional and vocational, but is also to Teachers, Living History Practitioners, and in fact anyone with an interest in this subject and the geographical area covered by the project. In particular, we all know how evocative it is to see, hear and touch vehicles from the past so we particularly want to involve members of the HMVF and preservation world in the project. For example, one of our research subjects is the D-Day transit camp at Wanstead Flats representing a story very seldom told where virtually every vehicle known to the allied forces involved in Overlord might well have turned up at some time. In general, we see Digging Dad's Army very much as the chance to forge new and creative partnerships as we create a truly multi disciplinary project. It is a new way of looking at the subject and one which we think will be really exciting. In fact we hope Digging Dad's army will be one bigg event. You can find out more about the Project on the Great War Archaeology Group Website. http://www.gwag.org/ProjectsDDA.htm In addition if you have any comments ideas, or want to come on saturday please PM me. It would be great if the HMVF could be represented. Best wishes Andy B

Dear All, First of all sorry not to have posted for a while and a very happy and peacefull 2009 to the HMVF family. I have just picked up on this thread and wanted to add what I and I am sure other archaeologists working in the field of Conflict Archaeology, would see as a very important clarification of the language and terms we use. It also ties in with what a number of other members have already said. Picking up battlefield finds, or detecting for battlefield finds and digging them out and keeping or selling them on is not archaeology. Archaeology is setting out with a question you want to answer, looking for the data to answer it and then publishing your answer and the data you have discovered in answering it, so that other people can argue the toss with you so that through discussion, you get a better answer. Archaeologists only excavate when there is a specific question we cannot answer in any other way and excavation comes at the end of a complex process of documentary and field research using non-invasive methods, such as archaeological Geophysics, including metal detecting. The only exception to this is a Rescue Excavation when a site is in immediate danger of being destroyed and modern planning rules in the UK try to limit this eventuality by making an archaeological survey part of the planning process [PPG16]. In the UK Archaeological finds [except those under the Treasures Act or various Acts governing wrecks and crashed aircraft] are conventionally the property of the landowner and may be donated or sold to museums or into the commercial market by that land owner, but most archaeologists would not seek to profit from the sale of finds. The value of an object is not that of the object but of its context. That is where it was found and what was found with it. This means that the accepted best practice is that a site archive of finds is kept together and accessible for possible future study in the local archive, usually the local museum. There are very few exceptions to this usually involving known valuables- such as the UK Governments commercial deal to excavate the probable wreck of HMS Sussex- but this is very controversial within archaeological circles. Obviously laws vary from Country to Country but as a rule sites are increasingly protected by Law and International Convention, although obviously these are not always enforced and there is out and out law breaking going on too, sadly in part at least fed by the demand from some collectors for particular kinds of material. In short, battlefield archaeology [more usually called "Conflict Archaeology," these days as that include peacetime military sites and such things as air raid shelters] is always about education and increasing knowledge. Battlefield finds sold for profit into private collections without provenence is exploitation and in the case where human remains are present are a desecration. Ask yourself- If an ancestor of yours was one of "the missing," say from the Somme, would you prefer their remains to be excavated in a controlled way by a team working with the permission of the local authorities and landowner and with reference to Commonwealth Wargraves Commission so that there would be an attempt to identify the body and trace next of kin, or would you rather see their belongings on a dealers stand at a Militaria Fair. Not that you would ever know they belonged to a member of your family- no context or provenence. These issues are well covered in Nick Saunders book "Killing Time" and in Andy Robertshaw's new book "Digging the Trenches." Details on the book list I posted when this thread got started. I should add that I am not against metal detecting per se- indeed like many colleagues I have worked on projects and written project designs where metal detecting surveys under controlled conditions are a very important tool with work often carried out by colleagues from the metal detecting community. What archaeologists object to is un-controlled, unaccountable detecting. I should also add that it is really gratifying to see that so many members see the destinction between what Archaeologist do when we work on a battlefield and what the battlefield exploiters do. There is that evocative phrase "The Iron Harvest," which is used of objects ploughed up on the Western Front. Archaeologists share the harvest, what we might call battlefield harvesters hoard it and keep it to themselves. They are not archaeologists and they do not do archaeology. On the subject of genuine research based archaeology, there is a new research project starting in the London area this Summer which I hope members might find interesting. Please look for the post on a new Thread in this forum which will go up shortly. Best wishes Andy Brockman

Hello All and thanks for your interest and expressions of support. For both events we are looking at a display of wheeled WW2 Allied vehicles, as used on campaign or on the Home Front. We are looking at a static display but ideally one with lots of visual interest which trys to use the two sites in ways which people won't be used to. It is also about showing the kind of things such as kit, clothes, or whatever that can get a conversation going, espechially between the generations. Shrewsbury Park, 28 June is a really nice parkland site and lends itself to setting up a mini scenario with camo net camp furniture etc, or simply parking and displaying. We can accomodate either. The event is a new one- this is the second year and it is designed to show different aspects of Shrewsbury Park including its history, and show new leisure uses, such as having a small HMV/Period vehicle show. The audience will be a general, family one. A lot of local residents will have memories of the area during the war, as well as what they used to drive themselves and many will have done National Service so, aside from the military aspect, if anyone wants to show things conected with ARP, Womens Land Army or civilian, that would be fine too and we can stretch things to post war, particularly as we are just up the road from Woolwich Barracks. Normandy Primary School 11 July is about Living History, which doesn't exclude those who just want to display a vehicle in its own right. The whole project is about getting History out of the class room and, as I said in the original post the school has a great relationship with the NVA which is central to the way we are approaching this. I am most interested in getting the kind of vehicles, Jeeps, Dodges etc, which children in the area during WW2 would have seen servicemen and women like the vets they have met, driving around. In this context again, the Home Front is equally important. The hope is the vehicles and kit would spark off conversations. Motorbikes would also be of interest- one of the NVA members was a Dispatch Rider who went ashore on June 6th and was wounded at during Market Garden when his unit moved up in support of the 101st Airbourne and he ran into, he thinks, a wire booby trap strung across the road. We also are doing an "Aid For Spain" scenario as there was a colony of Basque refugee children just down the road in Abbey Wood, so thirties civilian would also be of interest. I am hoping to bring in some Bell Tents and I will also have my own pair of field telephones for the kids to try out. There will also be a replica of a prehistoric bender hut which Damian Goodburn is going to build with the kids and lots of activities including live archaeology and period music. In both cases I need to know who will be attending in advance simply on grounds of allocating space. In terms of kit at Shrewsbury Park no problems with carrying or dispalying RIF's or Deact's- but please carry your paperwork. FYI the Neighbourhood Police Team will probably be attending as part of their PR drive. At Normandy the School Governors are sensitive about the issue of Firearms and have asked that they not be displayed on site. I am trying to reassure them that this will not be a problem, that the kids would not be allowed to handle them and, if anything, such a museum display serves to help de-mystify and de-romanticise weapons. But for the time being we must respect that wish. I will let people know if the position changes. Any more questions or ideas, please post or PM me. Best wishes Andy Brockman

Dear Members, I wanted to let you know about two new events I am involved in organising in South East London. The first I have posted about before and this is a reminder... 28 June 2008: Shrewsbury Park, Shooters Hill 13.00-16.00hrs Friends of Shrewsbury Park Open Day. Pre 1945 Military Vehicles and Pre 1960 Civilian Vehicles. Shrewsbury Park is a Park on the north side of Shooters Hill with fantastic views out actross the capital. In WW2 it was the site of a Barrage Balloon tether belonging to E_Flight of 901 County of London BB Sqd and also stood on Anti Invasion Stop Line Central. Next to the Park is a ARP Service Gas Decontamination Building now coverted into flats and much of the area was turned over to "Dig for Victory" allotments some of which survive. The Park is also the site of Britains first full time Open Air School for "delicate children," which opened exactly 100 years ago this Summer. On Saturday 28 June the Friends Of Shrewsbury Park have an Open Day to show off the Park to the local community and promote its use. As part of this I am organising a History exhibition and it would be fantastic to be able to get some period vehicles to the site to mark its different uses and what local people would have seen passing by. Ideally we are talking about military and civilian vehicles pre 1945, although post war 1945-1960 civilian would be OK, as this was the hey day of the park for local sport and a Sunday afternoon stroll in the gardens. This is a new, very friendly local event although as such it has no budget- it is payment in kind by tea and cake. If you can make it please PM me. Friday 11 July 2008: Normandy Primary School Erith 13.00-20.00 School History Day and Hog Roast. Pre 1945 Military Vehicles- especially those with a connection to D-Day and the War in Western Europe 1944-1945. I am currently Project Managing a History and Archaeology in Education Project at Normandy Primary School, Northumberland Heath Erith , overlooking the River Cray and this is our big showing and sharing day. If you can come you will be part of an event with "Live archaeology," including Geophysics, Surveying and building a Pre-historic "bender shelter- if you have ever fancied having a go at being on Time Team here is a chance, plus food, sport and dancing with a historical theme. The project includes a professional chef and a professional artist/video maker. In the evening [approx 18.30-21.00] there will be a hog roast again with entertainment for the team who have worked on the project, members of the school community and guests. The most special of our guests will be, we hope, members of the Normandy Veterans Association. The school has very close relations with the local branch of the NVA. Last Friday [6 June] I attended a fantastic D-Day Anniversary lunch [the fifteenth the school has organised] , laid on by the school, where over a dozen veterans and their partners were able to meet up and chat with each other and the school's teachers and pupils. You can't do living history across generations on this scale very often and I know that, if we can get NVA members, vehicles and the school children together we could have something very special. The project is funded through the National Lottery Awards for All programme and I can pay some expenses for this. I realise this is both a working day for many people and the week before the War and Peace Show, however, I hope you will consider coming along and if it helps I can programme you in either or both, of two slots. Arrive Before 13.00 for the afternoon and evening session [if you wish to stay for the Hog Roast]. Arrive After 15.15 and before 18.30 For the evening session and Hog Roast. Again., if you are able to come please PM me. If you have any thoughts about these two events please PM me or post here on the forum. Thanks and best wishes Andy Brockman

Thanks for pointing this out. Goes to show why it is worth checkout the EH web site from time to time- they post things like this which are very useful, but don't always announce it through the various Archaeology lists such as the CBA [britarch] list which everyone else uses. Doubly pleased to see this as I was at the Needles a couple of years ago and got thoroughly intrigued by the whole place. If anyone is ever over on the Isle of White it is worth visiting Thornes Bay on the north of the Island. You can still see the 12 shore end pipes of SOLO, the Pipe Line Under the Solent, which was part of the PLUTO network. Go at low tide to see it at its best. Thorness is not far from the Military Museum at Cowes. There is also a section of PLUTO at Shanklin Chine and a pump and other material at Bembridge Heritage Center. There is also a good EH report on Fort Pitt at Chatham, including some good wartime air photographs and a full history of the site, linked from the same page. Andy B

Dear Members, Shrewsbury Park Shooters Hill, LONDON SE18 was the site of a Barrage Balloon belonging to E-Flight of 901 County of London BB Squadron from 1939 to 1944. It is also situated on Anti Invasion Stop Line Central. As part of the Friends of Shrewsbury Park Open Day on 28 June 13.00-16.00, I am organising a small exhibition about the History of the Park, including the Military and Wartime History and it would be fantastic if we could attract some period vehicles and reenactor/living history impressions as part of the event. Obviously there is an RAF connection with 901 Sqd, but the Park was also used by the Home Guard and Regulars from Woolwich Garrison, there were extensive Dig For Victory Allotments and the ARP Service was strongly represented in the area. We also have the site of a bomb crater and records of aircraft parts being recovered from the park during the Battle of Britain. Basically anything British military or civilian 1939-1944 goes. There is a Tarmaced area of car parking and also grassed areas where we can park wheeled vehicles. This is a community event so I am afraid there is not much budget, but you would be assured of a very friendly welcome, tea and cake, an appreciative family audience and some of the finest views in London. If you are interested in attending please PM me and I will let you know the full details. Thanks Andy Brockman

SOUTH EAST RESEARCH FRAMEWORK [sERF] SERF is an initiative backed by English Heritage and coordinated by Kent County Council. It aims to set up a Research Strategy to prioritise and coordinate Archaeological Research in Kent Surrey and Sussex. One of the Themes is Defence and you have a chance to contribute your ideas to the debate. I have been involved in the seminars framing SERF and attended a Conference at Chatham last week. From these it is apparent that there is a strong interest in developing work examining military archaeology and also a move to involve the wider public, especially special interest groups, in research and fieldwork. However there is also a concern among some professional archaeologists that, left to their own devices, such work might not be of an appropriate standard or would remain un-published. This led to a debate about how best to offer training and support to people and groups interested in taking part in research. As you know there is a strong tradition of involving vocational researchers alongside professionals in Military Archaeology, "The Defence of Britain Project," being the most famous example and most archaeologists, me included, see continued partnership as the only sensible way forward, both ethically and practically. I wanted to mention SERF here so that members could voice their own ideas about what you think it is important to research and how to take part in that research, both on this Forum and on the SERF Website, in the hope that your voice and interest will be acknowledged in the final SERF Strategy. The SERF Website is here... http://www.kent.gov.uk/environment/our-environment/kents-heritage/south-east-research-framework/ ...and you can view the notes regarding all the periods and themes, including Defence, at this website. http://www.kent.gov.uk/publications/environment/serf-seminar-notes.htm Do please take a moment to have a look at what is going on. It is not often that the Professional world reaches out like this and it could set a very positive precedent. Andy B

Hi Tony, I will PM you, but I thought I would answer the question about WW1 Records in the forum as it might interest other members. Essentially there are two places to start on line, which in effect are now one and the same. The National Archive at Kew has a relationship with the geneological research company Ancestry.co.uk and an increasing amount of information related to individuals is now online and accessable through both these portals. http://landing.ancestry.co.uk/ukmilitary/collections.aspx?o_xid=34784&o_lid=34784&offerid=0%3a7935%3a0 http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documentsonline/research.asp#ww1 For general military History look at... http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/militaryhistory/?homepage=mh-more ...where you can get information to fill out the background of any search for an individual. Both sites have guides to using the material. Usually you can check the indexes for free and you then pay for downloads. In the case of the National Archive you can also order hard copies on line if you know the document you want. That is the good news, the bad news is that a large preportion of WW1 Service records were lost in a warehouse fire during the blitz in 1940. Some do remain and there are various roundabout ways of getting at information and reconstructing even lost service records such as using the 1918 Absent Voters lists, the medal card indexes and unit war diary accounts to look at movements and postings. If a serviceman was killed or missing you can also get name rank service number and address from the Commonwealth Wargrave Commission Website... http://www.cwgc.org/ Essentially get as much information as you can about a subject, i.e. full name, nicknames, home address, date of birth, place of birth, parents full names and regiment/service before you start to look at the online material. If you have a name age and home address you can usually track down an individual and get their service number etc. Sometimes it is a process of elimination, even inspired guesswork untill you hit on that checkable fact prooves you are onto the right person. An example, we looked for information on my partners great uncle. We had a name and a photograph of him as a private in SD Uniform with West Yorks badging but no service number or Battalion number. However we knew he was KIA at Bezantin Wood in June 1916 and we had his age and the street where his family lived in Bradford. With that information we looked on the CWGC index and got his Service Number, his rank when he was killed and the Battalion 1/6th West Yorks. We could then look at regimental histories for that Units postings etc. You can also try local newspapers for casualty lists, obituaries and accounts of actions involving local people. They are often held on microfilm in local studies archives and also give you a picture of how the community responded to the events of the War. I hope this helps- let us know how it goes. As ever Andy B

National Museums The traditional way of displaying military history is the regimental museum and archive of which Firepower is an example… http://www.firepower.org.uk/ …and there is probably a museum for most if not all regiments which have ever served in the British Army as well as the other armed services such as the Royal Navy at Portsmouth http://royalnavalmuseum.org/ and the RAF at Hendon in north London and Cosford in the West Midlands http://www.rafmuseum.org.uk/ . The biggest and most evolved Museum of this kind in the UK is probably The National Army Museum in Chelsea, http://www.national-army-museum.ac.uk/. As well as its gallery and cinema spaces the Museum hosts a weekly lunchtime lecture on Thursdays and regular one and two day, academic conferences. While many of the smaller museums, often run on a shoestring and kept alive by the enthusiasm of volunteers are mines of information. However it is fair to say that the way we present such history is evolving along with the growth of Conflict Archaeology as a subject. In many larger museums, those which can afford to refresh their displays and particularly those with a strong education remit, the experience of the whole community, military and civilian and the wider effects of war are now the subject of study and display. The Imperial War Museum is probably the best example of this trend dealing with Politics and Government at The Cabinet War Rooms; the Technology of war at RAF Duxford and HMS Belfast and the civilian experience of war on the Home Front and issues such as the Holocaust and Espionage as well as the artistic response to war in its main gallery and exhibition spaces in both its Lambeth and northern branches. The gateway to the collection is…http://london.iwm.org.uk/… from which you can also access its catalogues of documents, images and film for research purposes. A final thought After all the books and websites there is one book which I would urge you to try and get hold of to show what can be done with conflict archaeology in a landscape and cultural context... Anyone who has been lucky enough to visit Ieper [Ypres aka “Wipers”] in Belgium has probably visited the Flanders Field Museum. In 2006 the museum mounted an exhibition called De Laaste Getuige [The Last Witness] which took as its theme the fact that with the passing of the last veterans of WW1 the landscape of the western front was indeed the last witness and it was for archaeologists and historians to tease out the story from that landscape. This the exhibition did with great creativity and humanity. Even if you don't read Flemish, the book of the exhibition... De Laatste Getuige- Het oorlogslandschap vande Westhoek, by Piet Chilens, Doniniek Dendrooven and Hannelore Decoodt... ...is a terrific piece of work with some stunning photography showing just how war carves up a landscape and how that landscape can both hide and reveal the scars of war in a telling way, ninety years on. It also puts the experience of the western front in the context of the lives of the civilian population before and after the war. Funded by the EU Culture 2000 Programme, a conference, Military Archaeology and Air Photography was held to coincide with the exhibition and the publication of the conference papers is due. This will include the paper Kevin Barton and I wrote about the documentary and geophysical investigation of the Shooters Hill ZAA Battery. The conference showed what a large debt archaeology owes to the work of military air photo interpreters and to the aircrew, of all nationalities, who took the pictures we use. This debt is both in terms of the techniques they developed in wartime which we still use today, such as Stereoscopy, but also the sheer quantity and quality of the photographic resource which we can bring to bear on wider archaeological research questions. Whether we are looking at the normal archaeological palimpsest of some 10000 years, or following wartime Photo Interpreters like Constance Babbington Smith at the Allied Central Interpretation Unit [ACIU], Danesfield House, RAF Medmenham and trying to spot changes over a matter of weeks or months, on a WW2 research project, it is a reminder that, however awful the experience and consequences of war, one of the most destructive of human activities sometimes has a positive result in quite unexpected ways. I hope there is something in the resource lists posted above to set you thinking or better still set you doing more of your own research. I look foreward to hearing and talking about it. Meanwhile please feel free to add your own favorite books and resources to this thread. Best wishes Andy Brockman 10 April 2008

Equipment, Uniforms and Finds Identification When it comes to identifying small finds from military related sites there are a number of places to start. The books published by Osprey Publishing cover virtually any military subject in which you might possibly be interested, from strategy and tactics, to equipment and uniforms, in a clearly written and well illustrated way. The books are descriptive rather than analytical but none the worse for that. They are reasonably priced and generally well researched, especially the more recent titles. Look at the comprehensive company website… http://www.ospreypublishing.com/ Pen and Sword Books also publish a range of military titles and sometimes offer discounts on some of their list from their website http://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/ If you are looking for books relating to military and conflict archaeology, as well as trying Amazon [or even your local bookshop], there are two specialist on-line, military book retailers which I have used… http://www.caliverbooks.com/ and… http://www.helion.co.uk/ I have found titles on these which were not listed as available on Amazon and sometimes available at a cheaper price, so between the three you will probably find more or less anything you are looking for if you are researching military sites, the people who used them and the history and doctrine behind them. The Military Library Research Service reprints specialist technical manuals on subjects such as Ordnance types as well as other period military grey literature or ephemera. It has some very valuable material at… http://www.mlrsbooks.co.uk/ On an excavation site, aside from generic period material equally available to civilians you are most likely to come across personal items such as elements of webbing and web equipment, buckles, strap ends, snaps etc and the best introductory guide to this material is Brayley Martin, 2005, British Web Equipment of the Two World Wars, Crowood Press. Brayley has also authored or co authored books on British Military Uniforms and Uniforms of the women’s services. Brayley Martin and Ingram Richard, 2007, The World War II Tommy: British Army Uniforms European Theatre 1939-45, Crowood Press. Brayley Martin and Ingram Richard, 2001, World War II British Women's Uniforms in Colour Photographs, Crowood Press. Not forgetting the international aspect of what you might find in the UK… Brayley Martin, 2006, American Web Equipment 1910-1967, Crowood Press. These give you an idea of the kind of things members of the services carried or used which you might find archaeologically. Buttons and badges, which you can use to identify the units represented on a site, are well dealt with in a number of books, [often aimed at detectorists, the source of many such finds] and on websites such as… http://www.militarybadges.org.uk/badget11.mht and… http://www.colchestertreasurehunting.co.uk/militarynamedregiments.htm For weapon, equipment and vehicle parts you would need the period manuals and here the best source is the The Military Library Research Service, and http://www.mark.clubaustin.co.uk/ as well as, as always, E-Bay. You can also pick up originals at Militaria Fairs and view them at regimental museum archives and similar regional and national collections. This last source is also likely to have the more detailed material which was classed as Secret and seldom found its way onto the Militaria market. The Historic Military Vehicles Forum is also a mine of information… http://www.hmvf.co.uk I know from experience, if you want to know something about a period vehicle or the kit they carried, someone there will know, or know a person who does… Of course as in any branch of finds analysis a good way of getting to know the subject is to handle material and a lot of military and civilian material is still available on the surplus and militaria market, either in original, or high quality reproduction aimed at Reenactor/Living History practitioners. Soldier of Fortune based in Wales, is the largest of these companies and they have a comprehensive website as well as publishing an illustrated catalogue. I will make no value judgements about some of what they sell. You can decide for yourself if you want to buy the Adolf Hitler European Tour T-Shirt, or SS Liebstandarte Adolf Hitler, Beer Mugs. SoF can be found at… http://www.sofmilitary.co.uk/reenactors/select.asp There is also a thriving militaria market where you can get to see original material, documents, kit, weapons and personal items. Much can be had on E-Bay, but the best material, and if you get lucky the best prices, are to be had at the various Militaria Fairs, held around the country. The largest are The Kent Messenger War and Peace Show, held at the Whitbread Hop Farm at Beltring in Kent in July; the multi period Military Odyssey at the Kent County Show Ground Detling, held over the August Bank Holiday, and the fairs at The Three Counties Show Ground at Malvern and the National Agricultural Show Ground at Stoneleigh in Warwickshire. Smaller Fairs are held in many parts of the Country, a particular favourite of mine is the one held at Chatham Historic Dockyard on the Second Sunday in the month. But remember, when it comes to finds- on any excavation of a known or suspected military site the possibility of Unexploded Ordnance [uXO] is always present. Indeed UXO has also turned up selling as battlefield pick ups on militaria stalls at markets and shows. The golden rule is “If in doubt don’t touch.” Make sure, if you don’t already have cover in your team, that you know how to call in Explosive Ordnance Disposal [EOD] expertise.

Archaeology This section is designed to supply some background information for anyone who is not familiar with the way archaeologists working today, approach a research project of any period. The best single volume introduction to contemporary archaeology is... Renfrew C and Bahn P, 2004, Archaeology Theory Method and Practice [4th Revised Edition]. Methuen. [it is a doorstop of a book but packed with easily accessible information and case studies. A must have...]. Hunter J and Ralston I 2006, Archaeological Resource Management in the UK, 2nd Revised Edition, Sutton. [This is the book to explain the legal and administrative structures of modern British Archaeology. An essential read if you are going to do fieldwork of any kind, or seek research partners or funding]. Today you cannot escape a discussion of the theoretical basis of archaeological work, and quite right too. We are not just collecting catalogues of data, we are filtering and interpreting that data and need to be able to explain how and why we do it. This can be daunting to someone not used to this way of describing work, especially someone from outside the University environment where much of the running on Archaeological Theory is made, but fortunately there is a very good introduction to the subject… Johnson Mathew, 1999, Archaeological Theory an introduction, Wiley/Blackwell. [Mathew Johnson is the Head of the Archaeology Department at the University of Southampton and has performed the invaluable service of making archaeological theory accessible through this short, but very comprehensive and witty, study.] Archaeological Theory is an acquired taste for many but give this a try. If nothing else it will help you see which particular camp a professional archaeologist comes from when you read their work, or hear a talk and maybe it will help you articulate your own ideas. Reenacting/Living History/Live Interpretation Considering its popularity both as a teaching tool and in public events, not to mention the fact that it now provides an income, full or part time to many individual interpreters, traders and craftspeople, very little has been published on Reenacting/Living History and that which has is mostly of the “Coffee Table” type, strong on images but with relatively little detail or analysis. Two of these general introductions which can be found reasonably easily are… Elliot-Wright Philipp J C, 2000, Living History, Brassey’s and… Horsler Val, 2003, Living the Past, Weidenfeld and Nicolson/English Heritage. Horsler’s book is by a short margin the more detailed and thoughtful. The Monthly magazine Skirmish carries articles about Reenactment/Living History of all periods including debates about differing approaches and ethics. The best of these can be very good. Tony Pollard also writes a regular column on battlefield archaeology. The November 2007 issue of Skirmish No54 carried an interesting interview with Andy Robertshaw “Time to Talk- Recreation or Recreation,” which is worth reading if you are interested in this aspect of the work. You can often obtain back copies of Skirmish at militaria and reenactor fairs, the magazine has a stand at many of the larger ones, or on line at http://www.skirmishmagazine.com/previousissues.html Reenactment or Living History events are now a major part of the Heritage Industry Summer Season, with some events attracting an international community of participants and audience As an introduction to the range of events presented, the website for Event Plan… http://www.eventplan.co.uk/ … carries much useful material, including a brief history of re-enactment. Event Plan is run by Howard Giles, formerly Head of the Special Events Unit at English Heritage and a pioneer of the large scale public show. He also helped organise the famous re-enactment for the camera of the “Battle of Orgreave,” [Artangel for Channel 4] an incident from the 1984-85 Miners Strike, showing that living history and re-enactment is not just confined to stately homes and major wars but can also address more recent history. For a flavour of how Reenactors see themselves, not to mention the authorities and MOPs [Members of the Public] look at the multi-period… http://livinghistory.co.uk/forums/ and the comprehensive, quirky and opinionated… http://www.wwiireenacting.co.uk/ …both have interesting, often extremely useful and thought provoking discussion threads not just on the nuts and bolts issues such as “authenticity,” what is it and can it ever be achieved? and arguments about the use of first person or third person impressions, but also the more political and abstract such as “should women re-enact men?” “Why are there relatively few black or Asian reenactors?” and perhaps most contentiously “What are the issues which surrounded portraying the Nazi Germany, especially NSDAP party organisations.” As well as the forums, individual groups often have interesting web sites and good links. Here I would point you in the direction of just two typical examples being groups I know personally... La Columna http://www.lacolumna.org.uk/ offers a view of an international event, the Spanish Civil War, approached by an international community of reenactors. The 10th Essex WW1 Living History group also have a very useful website at http://www.actofwar.co.uk/essex/ ...and while not strictly speaking a Living History Forum our own HMVF houses a huge amount of information and expertise in this area.