Link : WWII 'Dug-ups'

I'm just *bumping* this one up for purely selfish reasons, also the fact that I missed its' re-emergence during my recent absence

I still rate this as one of the best-ever websites ; even a few moments' browsing gives me the itch to start digging somewhere.....

Also, the new article about preserving battlefield finds is interesting.....

 

I had a very fraught on-line argument with an archaeologist friend of mine recently about battlefield finds. From his professional viewpoint, he launched into my 'irresponsible' attitude over pootling about in hedgerows looking for genuine WW2 relics. He says that it's just a very, very wrong thing to do. I just can't understand his point of view at all. If there were teams of archaeologists scouring French hedgerows, and logging everything they found, then fine. There aren't. The simple fact is (as far as I can see), is that some lines have been re-drawn after amateur finds have been made public. Please feel free to correct me if I'm wrong, but I still live in hope of THAT find, as I push a stick through the undergrowth!

 

You do the right thing Stu. It is easy to condemn those who dig up things. They may even do it for pay, but at least they save relics that would otherwise be doomed and lost for all, so I in my opinion they are saving our heritage and preserving bits of history.

 

Yes, this is a fine line, with arguments for and against. IMPO most items being found on WWII battlefields now are ferrous metal, and judging from what I've found at Falaise are now 'on their last legs' : just a few more years in the ground and they will crumble to nothing - unrecognizable.

 

Some archaeologists refer to these artefacts both buried and hedgerow an the "exhaustible Resource" how obvious is that?? eh? However the trouble is officialdom often has a "we dont want it found...we just like guessing its there" type attitude which is ridiculous.. in UK we have several such bodies whose concerns should have stayed with earthwork and architectural preservation and conservation...trouble with this attitude is it fosters official and unofficial "self elected custodians of our heritage" whose sole object is to criticise those of us who spend hours searching for, locating (if lucky) and then conserving.....such artefacts. Basically they need to get a life....none of them are finding much, getting of their backsides in order to do so, or recording much....but anyone does it freelance then theres all hell to pay...we are pillagers, scroungers, War Grave disturbers, looters and thieves....well not every academic archaeologist believes we are such...I have worked with a few who are brilliant and realise the value of actually getting up from a seated posture and doing something about locating these fast corroding objects. I would like to remind any academics who truly believe we are such to glance backwards a few years in history for sadly modern academic archaeology has its own foundations firmly rooted in looting and World thievery (just look at our accepted museums stuffed with looted objects) so it certainly seems the old Pot calling the Kettle black adage. They cannot stand the common person having ago themselves, believing only the old school possess qualifications to locate, wouldnt mind if they didnt take decades to publish what they find...with us its often on the Internet for all to see in hours.............basically as we do it at no expense to the taxpayer and in many cases we have a higher success rate we pose a threat in many ways so indeed must expect to receive "flak" back at us....one archaeologist was many moons ago recorded as saying "I would rather it rots away and dissolves than be found by a metal detectorist etc" sadly this nincompoop attitude can still be found today...hopefully this dinosaur like attitude like its namesake will soon pass into its very appropriate level of extinction. To everyone out there who grubs around in hedgerows, gets boots full of cold winter ditch water, braves all weathers, and finally makes that "find" that sends a shiver up your back....you are all brilliant, never be put off it is your efforts almost alone that save our heritage and add to our history.........as always though if in doubt leave any dubious looking object alone........Ive been a hedgerow grubber for 30 years and have made some great finds.....Due to some idiots I hope that in 200 years the academics of that time will not be saying "why on earth did they not make a greater effort when they had the chance?...theres hardly anything to salvage now its all rusted or corroded away" well at least we can state now that we are doing something about it......Cheers all Julian Evan-Hart

 

Cheers Skipper. I truly believe that many of us 'amateur enthusiasts' by way of our actions contribute to keeping the memories alive. Archaeologists seem to want the past all for themselves, to discover, catalogue and then file away in darkened rooms the results. I want the past, at least the relics from the conflicts of the 20th century, to breathe again. I'd like nothing more than for MY kids to inherit what I collect, to treasure them as I do, and then to pass on to THEIR kids what I bequeathed them. Now THAT'S respecting what went before in my opinion.