Operation Kiwi DVD now available

We are very pleased to announce that a DVD recording the work undertaken during Operation Kiwi, the excavation of the Terrain Model of Messines on Cannock Chase is now available at at cost of £15 + £2 p&p for delivery to a UK address or £15 + £5 p&p for delivery outside the UK.

Told in three parts of 50 minutes each, experts, volunteers and locals reveal the story of the model from its construction, through its use as a tourist attraction to the 2013 excavations and the landscape over which the Battle of Messines was fought in 1917. Created as part of the process of recording the excavations and research, this is a non profit product and is only available in the PAL format. (Europe, New Zealand, Australia).

Please select:

Post to UK address: £17.00 GBP Post to an address outside of the UK: £20.00 GBP

Reunion for Volunteers

Last Sunday a reunion of volunteers who helped with the excavation of the Terrain Model on Cannock Chase was held at the Education centre on Marquis Drive. There were talks about the project and an short film of the excavations was shown. There was also opportunity to examine the finds, visit the Great War Hut, an excellent selection of cakes washed down with tea, coffee and a little Belgian beer.

Messines Model featured on Inside Out

Last night 21st October 2013, Inside Out West Midlands featured our work on the Cannock Chase Model of Messines. If you missed it you can catch it on iPlayer until next Monday. Inside Out on iPlayer

Work is progressing well

Despite the torrential rain yesterday, work to protect the Model of Messines on Cannock Chase is progressing well, massive thanks to all our volunteers who braved the weather. The work continues today.

More about the Battle of Messines

As our project on the Messines model draws to a close, we would like to provide some additional information about the battle and the New Zealanders who fought there:

nzhistory.net.nz Has a selection of pages dedicated to Messines


www.army.gov.au has an article on the Australian involvement at Messines

plugstreet-archaeology.com is No Man's Land's site about the work we are doing in Belgium



We can now also confirm that the reinstatement will begin on Monday 14th of October, if any of our volunteers would like to assist or any new volunteers would like to help it would be much appreciated. Please email Jo on cannockwwiexcavations@gmail.com to let us know which day(s) you can help. If you haven't volunteered on site during the excavation,  please contact Jo  to register before arriving on site.

Cannock Model Information Boards

Our information boards have now been removed from the site for safe keeping, but copies are now available below.

Click the images to enlarge for reading:

Other Opportunities to Volunteer

Following the success of the community archaeology project to uncover the Model of Messines on Cannock Chase, we have been asked if there are any other opportunities to volunteer.

In addition to the process of protecting the model and reinstating the heathland, we hope to be able to undertake further Great War related excavations in the future, please watch this blog for further updates.


We can also tell you about a new archaeology club being organised to look at the wider history of the Chase, please contact The Friends of Cannock Chase for more information.

The Landor (Local History) Society are another local group whose interests include the Great War Camps on the Chase. Their website also has links to other local groups which may be of interest.


The Wartime Memories Project is seeking volunteers to help online with historical research, writing and editing articles for the website and also for their HLF funded Great War Centenary project "Life on the Home Front".

As the centenary of the Great War approaches, there will be a huge number of local and national projects taking place, http://www.1914.org/ has a list of many events and projects.