Geologists at war, 1939–1945: Difference between revisions

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'''Under construction'''
'''Under construction'''
== Introduction ==
== Introduction ==
Like everybody else, geologists and their work were affected by the outbreak of World War II. This page shows some of these effects and the contributions made by geologists to the war effort. In addition to the subjects covered the Survey was involved in a wide range of activities such as advising the on the siting of military camps, aerodromes and storage depots (surface and underground), surveying for minerals in the UK, giving advice on where to get sand for sandbags and producing a series of wartime pamphlets.
Like everybody else, geologists and their work were affected by the outbreak of World War II.
[[File:Geologists at war 028.jpg|Geological Survey and Museum and London Regional Company of the Home Guard on parade and being inspected by Admiral Sir Edward Evans, 1941 [No ref] ]]


This page shows some of these effects and the contributions made by geologists to the war effort. In addition to the subjects covered the Survey was involved in a wide range of activities such as advising the on the siting of military camps, aerodromes and storage depots (surface and underground), surveying for minerals in the UK, giving advice on where to get sand for sandbags and providing geological information to assist the D-Day landings.


== Preparing for war ==
== Preparing for war ==
As the prospect of war grew more likely, arrangements were made for what would happen to the Geological Survey of Great Britain and its staff.
As the prospect of war grew more likely, arrangements were made for what would happen to the Geological Survey of Great Britain and its staff.
<gallery>
<gallery>
File:Geologists at war 001.JPG|thumb|File: “Emergency War Measures – Disposal of Staff”, 1938-1943 [GSM/DC/W/13]
File:Geologists at war 001.JPG|File: “Emergency War Measures – Disposal of Staff”, 1938-1943 [GSM/DC/W/13]
File:Geologists at war 002.JPG|thumb|Memorandum relating to preparations for the possible outbreak of war, 1938 [GSM/DC/W/13]
File:Geologists at war 002.JPG|Memorandum relating to preparations for the possible outbreak of war, 1938 [GSM/DC/W/13]
File:Geologists at war 003.JPG|thumb|Letter from [[Edward Battersby Bailey|E B Bailey]] to J Fox relating to the Survey’s chemical work in the event of war, 1939 [GSM/DC/W/13]
File:Geologists at war 003.JPG|Letter from [[Edward Battersby Bailey|E B Bailey]] to J Fox relating to the Survey’s chemical work in the event of war, 1939 [GSM/DC/W/13]
</gallery>
</gallery>
== Home Guard ==
== Home Guard ==
Like many others, members of the Geological Survey joined the Home Guard to defend Britain from possible invasion.
Like many others, members of the Geological Survey joined the Home Guard to defend Britain from possible invasion.
<gallery>  
<gallery>  
File:Geologists at war 004.jpg|thumb|[[Kingsley Charles Dunham Sir|Kingsley Dunham]]'s Defence Medal [KCD/A/3/2/4]
File:Geologists at war 004.jpg|[[Kingsley Charles Dunham Sir|Kingsley Dunham]]'s Defence Medal [KCD/A/3/2/4]
File:Geologists at war 005.jpg|thumb|Kingsley Dunham’s Defence Medal [KCD/A/3/2/4]
File:Geologists at war 005.jpg|Kingsley Dunham’s Defence Medal [KCD/A/3/2/4]
File:Geologists at war 006.jpg|thumb|Citation that was with the medal [KCD/A/3/2/4]
File:Geologists at war 006.jpg|Citation that was with the medal [KCD/A/3/2/4]
File:Geologists at war 007.jpg|thumb|Citation that was with the medal [KCD/A/3/2/4]
File:Geologists at war 007.jpg|Citation that was with the medal [KCD/A/3/2/4]
File:Geologists at war 008.jpg|thumb|Standing operational orders written by Kingsley Dunham, 1944 [KCD/A/2/5/1]
File:Geologists at war 008.jpg|Standing operational orders written by Kingsley Dunham, 1944 [KCD/A/2/5/1]
File:Geologists at war 009.jpg|thumb|Home Guard instructions relating to enemy airborne troops, 1941 [KCD/A/2/5/3]
File:Geologists at war 009.jpg|thumb|Home Guard instructions relating to enemy airborne troops, 1941 [KCD/A/2/5/3]
File:Geologists at war 010.jpg|thumb|Geological Survey and Museum and London Regional Company of the Home Guard. The photograph features Edward Bailey amongst others, 1944. [GSM/DR/Sb/7/5]
File:Geologists at war 010.jpg|Geological Survey and Museum and London Regional Company of the Home Guard. The photograph features Edward Bailey and [https://archives.bgs.ac.uk/CalmView/Record.aspx?src=CalmView.Catalog&id=GSM%2fDR%2fSb C J Stubblefield] amongst others, 1944. [GSM/DR/Sb/7/5]
File:Geologists at war 011.jpg|thumb|The Company on parade and being inspected by Admiral Sir Edward Evans, 1941 [No ref]
File:Geologists at war 011.jpg|The Company on parade and being inspected by Admiral Sir Edward Evans, 1941 [No ref]
</gallery>
</gallery>
== Secret and confidential ==
== Secret and confidential ==
Geologists from the Survey were involved in a variety of confidential and secret working during the war.
Geologists from the Survey were involved in a variety of confidential and secret working during the war.
 
<gallery>
<gallery>  
File:Geologists at war 012.jpg|Report on Norwegian Industries and Mineral Resources produced by MI10 (weapons and technical analysis) c1941 [no ref]
File:Geologists at war 012.jpg|thumb|Report on Norwegian Industries and Mineral Resources produced by MI10 (weapons and technical analysis) c1941 [no ref]
File:Geologists at war 013.JPG|Photographs from the report showing the Orkla and Eitrheim Works, Norway, c1941 [no ref]
File:Geologists at war 013.jpg|thumb|Photographs from the report showing the Orkla and Eitrheim Works, Norway, c1941 [no ref]
File:Geologists at war 014.JPG|Page from the report relating to Pyrites, c1941 [no ref]
File:Geologists at war 014.jpg|thumb|Page from the report relating to Pyrites, c1941 [no ref]
File:Geologists at war 015.jpg|File relating to desert dust-storms, 1941-1944 [GSM/DC/W/15]
File:Geologists at war 015.jpg|thumb|File relating to desert dust-storms, 1941-1944 [GSM/DC/W/15]
File:Geologists at war 016.JPG|Notes on Eastern Mediterranean dust-storms, 1941 [GSM/DC/W/15]
File:Geologists at war 016.jpg|thumb|Notes on Eastern Mediterranean dust-storms, 1941 [GSM/DC/W/15]
File:Geologists at war 017.JPG|Geological Survey wartime pamphlet on water supply from underground sources in the East Yorkshire-North Lincolnshire District, 1944 [no ref]
File:Geologists at war 017.jpg|thumb|Geological Survey wartime pamphlet on water supply from underground sources in the East Yorkshire-North Lincolnshire District, 1944 [no ref]
File:Geologists at war 018.JPG|Letter from [[Charles Findlay Davidson|C F Davidson]] to F B A Welch relating to a request by Naval Intelligence for geological information on Greece, 1943 [GSM/DC/W/5]
File:Geologists at war 018.jpg|thumb|Letter from [[Charles Findlay Davidson|C F Davidson]] to F B A Welch relating to a request by Naval Intelligence for geological information on Greece, 1943 [GSM/DC/W/5]
File:Geologists at war 019.JPG|Welch’s reply to Davidson’s letter, 1943 [GSM/DC/W/5]
File:Geologists at war 019.jpg|thumb|Welch’s reply to Davidson’s letter, 1943 [GSM/DC/W/5]
</gallery>
</gallery>
== Bomb! ==
== Bomb! ==
At 11:47pm on 10 September 1940 a German bomb damaged the Geological Museum at Exhibition Road, London. Edward Bailey in his book ''Geological Survey of Great Britain'' records that the bomb "broke half the windows" and a later near miss in 1941 "completed out [sic, probably meant our] deglazing."
At 11:47pm on 10 September 1940 a German bomb damaged the Geological Museum at Exhibition Road, London. Edward Bailey in his book ''Geological Survey of Great Britain'' records that the bomb "broke half the windows" and a later near miss in 1941 "completed out [sic, probably meant our] deglazing."
<gallery>
<gallery>
File:Geologists at war 020.jpg|thumb|Shrapnel and other debris from the bomb, 1940 [2008.8] [P711015]
File:Geologists at war 020.jpg|Shrapnel and other debris from the bomb, 1940 [2008.8] [P711015]
File:Geologists at war 021.jpg|thumb|Shrapnel from the bomb, 1940 [2008.8] [P711010]
File:Geologists at war 021.jpg|Shrapnel from the bomb, 1940 [2008.8] [P711010]
File:Geologists at war 022.jpg |thumb|Page from a draft report of the Geological Survey Board which mentions the bomb damage. This was deleted from the final report. 1941 [GSM/BD/A/55]
File:Geologists at war 022.jpg|Page from a draft report of the Geological Survey Board which mentions the bomb damage. This was deleted from the final report. 1941 [GSM/BD/A/55]
</gallery>
</gallery>
== The other side ==
== The other side ==
The British were not alone in their use of geologists during the Second World War as these documents show.
The British were not alone in their use of geologists during the Second World War as these documents show.
<gallery>
<gallery>
File:Geologists at war 023.jpg|thumb|'Technical Notes and Tables for Military Geologists', 1944 [No ref]
File:Geologists at war 023.jpg|'Technical Notes and Tables for Military Geologists', 1944 [No ref]
File:Geologists at war 024.jpg|thumb|
File:Geologists at war 024.JPG|Pages from one of [https://archives.bgs.ac.uk/CalmView/Record.aspx?src=CalmView.Catalog&id=GSM%2fGX%2fCK&pos=1 Walther Klüpfel's] notebooks relating to the geology of Jersey, 1941 [GSM/GX/CK/1/3]
File:Geologists at war 025|thumb|'On the Geology of the Island of Alderney' by Dr Kluepfel [sic], c1941 [GSM/GX/CK/7/1]
File:Geologists at war 025.JPG|'On the Geology of the Island of Alderney' by Dr Kluepfel [sic], c1941 [GSM/GX/CK/7/1]
</gallery>
</gallery>
== Aftermath ==
== Aftermath ==
Even as the war continued, plans were drawn up for what work the Survey would be doing once peace finally came.
Even as the war continued, plans were drawn up for what work the Survey would be doing once peace finally came.
<gallery>
File:Geologists at war 026.JPG|Post-War programme and staffing for the Geological Survey in Scotland, 1943 [GSM/DC/W/3]
File:Geologists at war 027.JPG|Outline programme of work for the Geological Survey and Museum in the post-war years, 1944 [GSM/DC/W/3]
</gallery>

Latest revision as of 12:29, 27 August 2020

Under construction

Introduction

Like everybody else, geologists and their work were affected by the outbreak of World War II.

Geological Survey and Museum and London Regional Company of the Home Guard on parade and being inspected by Admiral Sir Edward Evans, 1941 [No ref]

This page shows some of these effects and the contributions made by geologists to the war effort. In addition to the subjects covered the Survey was involved in a wide range of activities such as advising the on the siting of military camps, aerodromes and storage depots (surface and underground), surveying for minerals in the UK, giving advice on where to get sand for sandbags and providing geological information to assist the D-Day landings.

Preparing for war

As the prospect of war grew more likely, arrangements were made for what would happen to the Geological Survey of Great Britain and its staff.

Home Guard

Like many others, members of the Geological Survey joined the Home Guard to defend Britain from possible invasion.

Secret and confidential

Geologists from the Survey were involved in a variety of confidential and secret working during the war.

Bomb!

At 11:47pm on 10 September 1940 a German bomb damaged the Geological Museum at Exhibition Road, London. Edward Bailey in his book Geological Survey of Great Britain records that the bomb "broke half the windows" and a later near miss in 1941 "completed out [sic, probably meant our] deglazing."

The other side

The British were not alone in their use of geologists during the Second World War as these documents show.

Aftermath

Even as the war continued, plans were drawn up for what work the Survey would be doing once peace finally came.