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).
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
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.
Today has been a great day on site with lots of volunteers including a group from the young archaeologists club, organised by the Friends of Cannock Chase.
We have also had a huge number of visitors throughout the day.
This afternoon the last turf was lifted from the model and, despite some incorrect reports in local newspapers, the project is on schedule and the model will be ready for the 3D scanning team next week.
Site photography is now under way to record the archaeology and will also be used to create a texture for the digital recreation of the model. Though we hope the weather forecast for tomorrow is wrong as bright sunshine makes photography more difficult and slows progress was we have to use a shade screen to create flat areas of shadow.
Today 100 school children aged between seven and ten made a visit to our site to view the Messines Model on Cannock Chase and Freda's Grave. The four classes were given a tour of the site and an overview of the Battle of Messines by Angela, Jon and Lee.
The archaeology is going well with the excavation extended by a good few metres, thanks to a stirling effort by our volunteers. The team have located three sides of the model and hope to find the extent of the area covered by the model tomorrow.
Today we have had a visit from Lt Colonel Mike Beale of the New Zealand Defence Force, who travelled up from London to see the site and strengthen links between the local community here in Staffordshire and the islands of New Zealand. He was very impressed with the work we have done on site and the historical research and was able to provide our team with information on how the NZ Forces use training maps today and historical information about their part in the 1917 attack on Messines. He was also able to liase with a colleague via mobile phone, to pin point the location of Frickleton's VC action.
Lt Col Beale also laid a wreath in the corner of the site.
We were also joined on site by a group of sixth formers from a local school who helped with the excavation.
Today has been another good day on site, with a good number of volunteers and a lot of visitors. Including one who brought along his father's war record detailing an injury sustained on the 7th of June 1917 at the Battle of Messines whilst serving with the Cheshire Regiment, who were part of the Anzac Division. We were able to show him the model of the area his father's battalion had attacked. The British units of the Anzac Corps are often overlooked and it was a pleasure to hear the story of one of the local men who had taken part.
Over all we are making excellent progress, and after a few frustrating days are once again uncovering areas of the model which are in very good condition.
Friday morning and our team have already stripped the turf from the southern end of the model town of Messines, close to the site of the church.
Messines Church today.
Here we should find the depiction of the Institution Royale which was built as a monastery and later used as an orphanage and in the early 1900's as a school. After the capture of Messines in 1914, the substantial buildings and their extensive cellars were fortified by the Germans to provide protection from Allied artillery and infantry advances.
A prewar post card of the Institution Royale in Messines.
German Concrete fortifications on the hill at Messines, possibly built inside the
Institution Royale, this image is from the collection of the Australian War Memorial.
Today we have had some interesting local visitors to the site, including two brothers whose father came to the area from Leicestershire as one of the civilians brought in to construct the camps on the Chase. The elder brother has vague childhood memories of visiting the Messines model between the wars.
Another visitor brought a photograph of his grandfather as a prisoner of war, he relayed fond memories of his time in the camp and revealed that his grandfather developed a liking for tea and continued to drink English tea even after returning to his native country.
We also had a visit from a Kiwi, now living locally whose father had been part of the NZEF and spent time at Brocton Camp. He also has some photos which may have been taken at the camp.
If you have any personal connections to Brocton Camp, any photos, stories or documents, we would love to hear from you. Please
If you would like to join us we are looking for more volunteers to help with the excavation, if you can pledge any time over the next two and a half weeks, please get in touch by email.
Today, Tuesday 10th, BBC Midlands will be broadcasting live from the site on breakfast news bulletins.
There will also be a live broadcast on the evening news on Midlands Today.
If you are outside the Midlands area you can catch it on iplayer or via the BBC Midlands website.
Later today another crew from the BBC will be arriving onsite to provide live updates throughout the day on News24 and features on the BBC1 News at 1pm, 6pm and 10pm.
Firstly a special thank you to our volunteers and to Jaguar Landrover for supporting Operation Kiwi as part of their community initiative, today a were joined by several of their employees who swapped the tools on the Discovery line for a line trowels on our site. They all had an enjoyable day expanding their skillset to include archaeology under instruction from Jon, who moved up to the main trench as it continued to expand.
We look forward to working with them again tomorrow and with their colleagues later in the week.
We are also grateful for the support of Spring Slade Lodge on Camp Road, Cannock Chase for the use of their facilities. If you are on the Chase their tea room is an excellent place to take a break. www.springsladelodge.co.uk
Today the BBC have been on site, filming a report for Midlands Today, they will be broadcasting live from the site during the evening bulletin tomorrow, 10th Sept.
Work on the excavation is progressing well, today we uncovered more of the town of Messines, including a large pond to the west of the main street and part of the second line of defences to the north of the town.
Thanks to everyone who volunteered with us today, we had quite a few visitors offering their time, but there are still spaces available of you would like to join us.
