History Challenge & Journal

[PeteC]

Dutch 18th Century mass grave: Skeletons in Vianen were British soldiers

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-61391848 (Photos at link)

Eighty-two skeletons found in a mass grave in the Dutch city of Vianen were mainly British soldiers who died of illness in an 18th Century field hospital, archaeologists say.

The remains were found outside the city's old wall in November 2020 and then researched by forensic anthropologist April Pijpelink.

All but four were men and many originated in southern England.

"It's most likely these young men came to fight against the French," she said.

But they lost their lives because of poor hygiene in a field hospital, she told the BBC. "At first we thought these men died of injuries in battle, but during my research it became clear that around 85% of them suffered from one or more infections, while basically all their trauma wounds had healed."

Samples were taken from six of the skeletons and isotope analysis of their bones concluded that one came from southern England, possibly Cornwall, another from southern Cornwall and a third from an urban English environment. Two more may have been from the Netherlands but of possible English descent while the other was from Germany.

The men would have been treated at a field hospital at Batestein Castle in Vianen. As it was a mass grave and they all died under the same circumstances, a sample of six was sufficient, archaeologist Hans Veenstra told the BBC.

There were two wars there in the 18th Century, but only one involved British soldiers: the Flanders Campaign of 1793-95 against France. German soldiers from Hessen and Hanover worked closely with the British during the campaign.

This was part of the First Coalition war, between post-revolutionary France and several other European powers including Britain, Russia, Prussia, Spain, the Netherlands and Austria.

From late 1794-95, British soldiers were treated a short distance from the mass grave, and the researchers believe that the poor and cramped conditions of army life led to reduced resistance to bacterial infection.

The average age of the adult victims was about 26 although some of those who died were just teenagers. Around 60% showed traces of one or more infections which all had one cause - pneumococcal bacteria.

"If you read history books it's always about the people in power - mostly about armies and generals, kings and queens but never about the ordinary man who had to do all the dirty work," said Mr Veenstra, who believed this discovery helped fill in a gap in our knowledge of the time.

"That's what makes this interesting. They lived in very poor conditions, they all had a poor upbringing with a lot of malnutrition and hard work. They'd already damaged their backs by doing hard labour."

[PeteC]

The end of rationing

This clip from the first daily television news bulletin reports the momentous news that rationing introduced during the war had ended.

The newsreaders are Richard Baker and John Snagge.

The first televised bulletins did not feature the newsreader in vision, because it was thought there was a risk that facial expressions may betray their personal opinions.

↗ Originally broadcast 5 July 1954

https://www.bbc.co.uk/archive/the-end-o ... oning_ends]

[Nereus]

He is right about dairy farmers having a radio in the milking shed, my Father had one as well. I used to play around with old valve radios when I was a kid, even attempted to build one!
We also had a beautiful old battery powered cabinet radio in the house. I remember that one as I had to lug the heavy battery to it after charging it! My Father had some clever old radio tech connect up the old wind up gramophone output to it for playing 78 rpm records!

In later years with the advent of transistors, I had a "Ferris" car radio that pluged into a bracket that stayed in the car. I had a bracket in the car and another one in the farm truck, so could just swap the radio around as needed.
.............................................................................................................
Gippsland radio collector John Scott reflects on 90 years of broadcast technology

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-07-07/ ... /101210932

The humble wireless has had many incarnations since the ABC made its first broadcast 90 years ago, and Gippsland-based radio enthusiast John Scott has collected just about all of them.

As the son of a 20th century electrical appliance retailer, the sprightly 80-year-old converted his unassuming Maffra garage into an amateur museum.

The hundreds of wireless sets chart the evolution of radio and TV technology and have lined the shelves of the garage since the family business "TV Scott" folded in the late 1990s.

"Most farmers had what we called a 'cow-yard radio', they had a radio in their cow yard and it used to calm the cows."

video at the link........................(strine is a bit off!)

The same bloke has another collection:

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-10-20/ ... cs/9069372

[Nereus]

There is another bloke that collects old TV's. Heap of photos at the link.

Sunshine Coast man shows off passion for vintage TVs and radios

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-12-09/ ... or/5953592

[HHTel]

Brings back memories of QSL cards of which I had loads. No idea what happened to them which is bloody annoying as they're fetching thousands at auction.

[handdrummer]

My first "radio" was a crystal, with a wire hooked to the metal radiator in the bedroom. I could pick up late-night music broadcasts and listen through a single headphone. I was about 6 yrs. old and raised on radio.

[HHTel]

I was also a 'radio kid'. I can still hear "JOURNEY INTO SPACE......' said in a loud echoed voice to introduce the program. (or is that programme)

[Jimbob]

totally unconnected is the story behind 'The Clash song "London Calling'. A young Joe Strummer was living in Africa listing into a BBC program that started with: 'This is London Calling'. Ah, the magic of radio in a darkened boy's bedroom.

[pharvey]

OK, without the usual search, what was "huff-duff"...? Clue... Radio.

[Jimbob]

I'll huff and I'll.. no, that not it as this is radio oriented history. Possibly radio direction finding like in TV licence vans. very hush hush stuff

[HHTel]

I was a 'sparker' in the RN and it was used for direction finding radio. The direction finding equipment was called DF.
I'll now check google.

Yep, I was almost there - HF/DF (High Frequency/Direction Finder)

[Nereus]

I was a 'sparker' in the RN and it was used for direction finding radio. The direction finding equipment was called DF.
I'll now check google.

Yep, I was almost there - HF/DF (High Frequency/Direction Finder)

That is interesting! in the merchant marine the radio operator was called a "sparky" and were inevitably Irish, and continuosly drunk!
It was also claimed that the close exposure to stray HF radiation resulted in brain damage, but I always believed that it was more to do with the booze!

https://www.commsmuseum.co.uk/dykes/spark/sparks.htm

[HHTel]

All the transmitters aboard RN ships (at the time) had a label "Do not loiter for more than 2 mins."

The aerials that is, not the source.

A 'sparky' in the RN often referred to electricians although the common name for the electrical branch was 'Greenies' due to the colour coding between gold rings of the officers.

[Nereus]

A 'sparky' in the RN often referred to electricians although the common name for the electrical branch was 'Greenies' due to the colour coding between gold rings of the officers.

In the merchant marine they were called "Lecky", unless it was a Scots chief engineer, and then they were called, at the best, El-lectrecian. Also had green banding on shoulder boards.

A lot of those older radios had both batteries and a small motor generator as a power source. Especialy found on older ships that only had DC generators.

[PeteC]

Battle of Waterloo skeletons uncovered in Belgium

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-62148618 (Photos)

Skeletons of soldiers who died at the Battle of Waterloo in Belgium in 1815 have been unearthed by archaeologists.

Experts say the discoveries are "incredibly rare" on a Napoleonic battlefield and further excavation is under way to learn more.

Teams found remains of humans and horses in the dig, which resumed this year for the first time since 2019.

"We won't get any closer to the harsh reality of Waterloo than this," said one of the project's directors.

Prof Tony Pollard, director of the Centre for Battlefield Archaeology at the University of Glasgow and an archaeological director at the Waterloo Uncovered charity, has been closely involved in the excavations.

"I've been a battlefield archaeologist for 20 years and have never seen anything like it," he added.

The Battle of Waterloo, fought on 18 June 1815, marked the end of the Napoleonic Wars.

A French army under the command of Napoleon was defeated by British-led forces, led by the Duke of Wellington, allied with a Prussian army led by Field Marshal von Blücher.

Historians describe the battle as an epic turning point in European history which put an end to Napoleon's ambition to rule much of Europe.

It also reshaped Britain's relationship with the continent.

Among the finds in the latest dig, the remains of three amputated limbs were uncovered at Mont-Saint-Jean farm, which was the site of the Duke of Wellington's main field hospital during the battle.

Tens of thousands died in the fighting, but few remains have been found. According to contemporary accounts, large numbers of bones were collected, ground down and used as fertiliser on farms.

The team will continue its excavations until 15 July and hopes to make more discoveries before then.