Bulletin 18 (June 2008)Back to Jordan with the Military

Last November, as reported on the GARP Website, we archaeologists bumped into a group of British soldiers on exercise in southern Jordan. They had been following our progress via Roger’s daily blog and tracked us down to find out what exactly we were up to in such a wilderness (They thought they were the only Brits mad enough to be only 40kms from the Saudi border!). Neil and I spoke briefly with them at both Wadi Rtm and Ma’an, and exchanged details.

As a result of these chance encounters I was asked by British Forces Cyprus (BFC) to accompany their annual educational Battlefield Tour. In May of 2008 it was to be to southern Jordan: In the Footsteps of Lawrence of Arabia. David, the left-wing arch and a bunch of hard-core soldiers?? Not a match made in heaven you’d think. But, you’d be wrong.

I spent nine days (1 and a half of them in the Officers Mess in Cyprus—which included a swimming pool and great grub) with 25 members of BFC, both male and female. And, as a particular bonus, my days were also spent with Jeremy Wilson, the pre-eminent scholar of Lawrence of Arabia, my co-“expert”. We encompassed GARP sites from Amman to Aqaba, from Wadi Rtm to Fasouah to Lissan, and by 4x4s the length and breadth of Rum. We had Jordanian advisors with us, Bedouin guides and many on site, and in hotel, discussions on the 1916-18 Ottoman/Arab campaigns and how they related to the UK military’s experiences in modern day Afghanistan. (It is worth noting that almost all of the BFC group I accompanied had served in Afghanistan or Iraq or both. Most are due back there soon.)

From GARP’s and GWAG’s viewpoint I learnt an inestimable amount. Not just from Jeremy (I expected that), but also from the serving soldiers. They have a view of the terrain, its difficulties/obstructions, military practicalities, and varying insights that I hope to bring to our weeks in Jordan in November. I can honestly say it was a pleasure to learn from a Lance Corporal and a cavalry officer, to mention only two.

On a personal note: I came back to the UK with an entirely different point of view of British service personnel. This is going to sound trite, but….they were insightful, highly disciplined, respectful of our Jordanian hosts, willing to learn, and extremely tolerant of this rather radical arch. And, yes, bloody intelligent. How naïve I must have been—thank you tabloid press. Damn good laugh, too! So thank you to Majors M., J., R., C., RAF K., the Colonel and the entire BFC group for one of the most enlightening and enjoyable week’s of my life.

[And I got to do the ubiquitous tour of Petra as well!]

I sincerely hope GARP will be in touch with BFC and Jeremy again in the near future.

David Thorpe
June 2008

PS. So you all don’t think I’ve “sold out”, the BFC plaque I was presented with now resides alongside a Che Guevara candle. The Colonel and Majors had joked about this possibility—it is reality!


Dave is also writing articles on his visit for future publication in Current World Archaeology and the British Army Review.

Bulletin 17 (June 2008)Great War Events

Upcoming Great War related Events

'The Great War 1914-1918 - A Corner Of A Foreign Field'
An exhibition at the Museum of Lincolnshire Life, Burton Road, Lincoln from 3 May to 19 July 2008.

This is the brain child of, and is presented by, Mike Credland of the Friends of the Lincoln Tank, and includes displays of objects, costumes and memorabilia from the Great War.

'Tommies, Trenches and Tanks'
Also being held at the Museum of Lincolnshire Life on Saturday 21 June 2008 10am to 5pm

This event focuses on WWI and links to the above exhibition. There will be lots happening, including displays by members of the Friends of the Lincoln Tank, a presentation of WWI images of Lincolnshire, rationing, the homefront, etc. The Museum as also launching their Please Make Poppies appeal - visitors can make poppies to be displayed in November for the 90th anniversary of the end of WW1

Experience life during the Great War - 1914 to 1918 memorabilia, displays, demonstrations and activities, WWI archaeology, WWI war games workshop, children's craft activities, printing and propaganda, Life on the ‘Home Front’, War letters and poetry, Lincolnshire images of the period. Tickets £3.10 for adults and £2.00 Concessions.

'Talk by Dr John Bourne, The Collection, Lincoln'
The Friends of the Lincoln Tanks are presenting an evening of talks on Wednesday 2 July at 7pm. Dr John Bourne will be speaking on 'Joffre's War - A Sherwood Forrester In The Great War'. Local Lincoln Historian Rod Fanthorpe will also be speaking on 'Christopher Addison - Mother's Midwife'. Tickets are £8 each and available from me.

An finally - an event that is NOT happening in Lincoln! A reminder about -

'Not Just Rust and Dust: New Perspectives in Conflict Archaeology’ - Conference 2008
To be held at The Royal Logistic Corps Museum, The Princess Royal Barracks, Deepcut, Camberley, Surrey, GU16 6RW on Sunday 13th July 2008.

Speakers include
Dr.Neil Faulkner - War Without a Front: The Archaeology of Lawrence of Arabia’s War
Dr. Tal Simmons - The Taphonomy of Execution and Ambush Sites in The Balkan War.
Dr. Andrew Shortland - Ramses II and the Battle of Kadesh
Glenn Foard - Edgehill – The Archaeology of an early- Modern Battle
Andy Brockman - Between the Lines on Stop Line Central – A Militarised Civilian Landscape in South East London
Martin Brown and Richard Osgood - “..We shall certainly change the geography.” – soldiers, civilians and the archaeology of The Battle

For further details - Telephone 01252 833371
Email information – assistant@rlcmuseum.com
Tickets - shop@rlcmuseum.com

Tickets £20.00, including refreshments and buffet lunch. Reductions for students and Museum Friends.

Bulletin 16 (May 2008)T. E. Lawrence Society Symposium

T. E. Lawrence Society Symposium to be held at St. John's College, Oxford, 26-28 September 2008

Saturday, 2.00-3.00

Dr Neil Faulkner: Trains, Trenches and Tents: The Archaeology of Lawrence of Arabia’s war.

At the 2004 Symposium, Matthew Hughes argued that the Arab revolt of 1916-1918 was militarily unimportant. This view is not supported by the evidence of the modern conflict archaeology in Southern Jordan. Two seasons of fieldwork have shown that the entire landscape was militarised, implying a huge investment of manpower and materiel by the Ottoman Empire to contain the Revolt. Neil Faulkner will argue that the effectiveness of guerrilla warfare cannot be measured using criteria applicable to conventional warfare in the way that Matthew Hughes tried to do. He will also demonstrate that the Arab Revolt had a profound strategic impact on the outcome of the campaign in Palestine and Syria during the First World War, and that it helped in the launch of Arab nationalism as a major force in modern global politics.

Although it is organised by the society everyone is welcome to attend. If people don't want to come for the whole symposium they can attend and pay for just the days/meals/accomodation they want. There is a flexible tariff of prices.

Please see links below:

Full Symposium programme

http://telsociety.org.uk/telsociety/symposia/2008oxf.htm

Prices and booking form

http://telsociety.org.uk/telsociety/symposia/booking.htm

Bulletin 15 (April 2008) Friends of the Lincoln Tank Talk

The Friends of the Lincoln Tank present distinguished historians Professor Richard Holmes and Major Gordon Corrigan, speaking about The Great War on the same bill for the first time.

They will speak separately and then will both take questions from the audience.

This promises to be a unique and fascinating evening.

Date: Wednesday 28 May 2008 at 7.30pm at the Drill Hall,
Free School Lane, Lincoln LN2 1EY.

Tickets, costing £15 are available from the Drill Hall Box Office tel 01522 873894.

Bulletin 14 (April 2008)National History Show Olympia

The National History Show is being held at Olympia in London from 2 to 4 May 2008. There are actually three events - one being 'Military History Live'.

I was delighted to see that the logo being used for this includes, in centre stage, a WW1 Tank. Its great to see this iconic machine getting the recognition it so richly deserves, and this can only enhance the work we are doing for the First Tank Project. (Link)

Angie Hibbitt
April 2008

Bulletin 13 (March 2008) News from friends in Jordan and new GARP article

Updates from friends in Jordan:

Salah's son thinks basketball is greatest game since we played in scorching heat in Wadi Rum. Thinks old (!!!) David should coach not play...

Mohammed and Hannah have texted to say children have eaten all sweets, despite H's mothers best efforts to ration them, and that Hannah is expecting another child. All the best from us limeys.

Mansour is now ensconced in his new directorial role (professorship beckoning?) and only wishes to know why we are not there to help with lectures.

All above from emails and mainly texts in Jan Feb 2008. David THorpe

New magazine article:
GARP 2007 will be featured in a large article in May's issue of Treasure Hunting magazine available from Smiths etc from 11th April 2008.

There have been some good group shots of things we did, as well as detector
finds, submitted for publication, although the magazine itself will make decision over which images go for final publication...if all are accepted the article will have a total of twenty three GARP 2007 related photographs in it.

In June issue available in early May will be the Review I wrote for the Zeppelin
book, although if space permits they may include this in the above mentioned
issue. Julian Evan-Hart March 2008

Bulletin 12 (Feb 2008) First Tank Project Weekend in Lincoln

Both the talks given on Saturday 23 February and the Open Day on 24 February were a resounding success.

All the tickets for the talk at the Collection were sold, with people travelling from as far away as Yorkshire and Northamptonshire. The packed house was not disappointed. Richard Pullen gave a fascinating overview of how and why the Tank came to be developed and of Lincoln's role.


This was followed by a thought provoking presentation by Neil on the Archaeology of Conflict, why the Great War was so different to everything that came before and the impact that it still has in the modern world. There were a great many questions for both speakers, from the audience - so much so the questions had to be curtailed to allow everyone to go home! A positive sign indeed!

The Open Day was always going to be an unknown quantity - would the Great War Archaeologists and Friends of the Lincoln Tank be sitting alone ....waiting? No. There was a stream of interested locals and more importantly people with stories to tell from the moment the doors opened to the end of play. It seemed as if Lincoln folk had just been waiting for an opportunity like this to come and tell their tales and show their photos.

The Friends of the Lincoln Tank did us proud with their displays of memorabilia - from a Vickers Machine Gun, to a WW1 Douglas motor cycle, to a remote control Mk IV tank (the size of our settee!), to medals. models, photos, books, plans, badges, brooches, uniform, you name it........ they brought it.

I'm absolutely delighted with the way the whole weekend went. My main aim, raising public awareness and interest was definitely acheived. Richard certainly has plenty more information for edition three of his 'Landships of Lincoln'. The Great War Archaeology Group has made its mark in the City.

We now need to consolidate the information we have, and find how we can best use it to help us with fieldwork on the Western front. Dave and I will carry out further geophysics to attempt to identify areas for for further investigation in Lincoln.

Finally I'd like to thank Neil Faulkner and Richard Pullen for both their presentations, to Dave Start of the Heritage Trust For Lincolnshire for introducing them and holding the evening together, to The Collection for allowing us to hold the talks in their wonderful lecture theatre and for making the evening run so smoothly, to the Royal Naval Association Club on Coulson Road in Lincoln for their hospitality (nothing was too much trouble) and to the Friends of the Lincoln Tank for supporting both events so fully.

Angie Hibbitt February 2008