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What is Relic Digging and Why We do it!

Article about: I've removed the last 6 replies to this thread as I've had enough of the bickering and arguing. Any more arguing like that and I'll be issuing infractions. Now.........back to the thread. St

  1. #1
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    Default What is Relic Digging and Why We do it!

    A recent post in The North Karelia thread made me write this post.

    Some, especially newer user who have just skimmed some of the digging threads, from time to time come up with unneeded accusations. I will tell here, to them/you what it's all about, as short and precise as possible.

    First of all, the diggers and people exhuming fallen soldiers here on forum are NOT soulless black diggers. We are all in different ways affiliated with German and Russian "WAR Graves". Some of the teams even have skilled archaeologists as members. Others like myself are "amateur" archaeologists. The key point here is, that we do our work in a respectful way, of genuine interest and with respect to the fallen on both sides.

    Some of us sell some of our finds. We do this to finance our digging/research. It is far from free to go on these expeditions. If we did not do what we do, the items we find would most likely stay under ground forever. What we find ends up in the hands of collectors/museums and are thus preserved. We enter very remote areas, where almost no two legged animals ever set foot. Others dig close to villages/cities on what is called dumping sites. Places where armies post war, have dumped whatever they have cleared from the battlefields. Some go out exclusively to find soldiers, sometimes accompanied by a relative to a specific fallen soldier.

    When you see belt buckles, awards, medals and so forth, it does not mean they were stripped off some fallen soldier. These items can be found in many odd places, for different reasons. Dump sites, places of surrender, bunker "villages" where soldiers rested etc.

    Soulless black diggers: I can tell that members of my team here in Russia, last year found 10 German soldiers. They were all put in large plastic bags, with their personal belongings. The bags was stashed in the forest for later pick up. All bags, including the skeletons was stolen by black diggers!

    If you as a new user reads the different threads in their full length, you will find pictures of ceremonies in which many a fallen soldier have found rest among his brothers in arms.

    If you have further questions about this subject, please post it here and not in the digging threads.

    Best regards

    Lars from Russia

  2. #2

    Default Re: What is Relic Digging and Why We do it!

    just wanted to say i,m not long on this forum but i have total respect and admiration for the way you carry out your work , it is easy to see from the pics and stories that you do it for the right reasons and with respect for which ever side the guy had fought for . i also think it is very very important that you continue your work , not enough people remember the courage and sacrfice of these young men and if you can find any and return them to lie beside thier comrades then that is a wonderful thing , Thank you to all who dig for the right reasons

  3. #3
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    Default Re: What is Relic Digging and Why We do it!

    Quote by geoff37 View Post
    just wanted to say i,m not long on this forum but i have total respect and admiration for the way you carry out your work , it is easy to see from the pics and stories that you do it for the right reasons and with respect for which ever side the guy had fought for . i also think it is very very important that you continue your work , not enough people remember the courage and sacrfice of these young men and if you can find any and return them to lie beside thier comrades then that is a wonderful thing , Thank you to all who dig for the right reasons
    Thank you mate. I hope this post will become a "sticky" so new guys can read it before placing comments based on lack of knowledge.

    Regards

    Lars

  4. #4

    Default Re: What is Relic Digging and Why We do it!

    **Post stuck**

    I would also like to say that the relic digging that goes on in the UK can be just as important as that on mainland Europe. Ok, so no land battles were fought here, but the UK endured many other things other than actually fighting on it's earth. Winston Churchill once described the UK as 'the largest aircraft carrier ever built', and with almost 1,000 airbases, he was bang on the money ! With millions of Allied troops gathered for the D-Day landings, the UK also became the biggest barracks in the world.

    As a consequence, there are large numbers of relics in the UK just waiting to be recovered and preserved, hence the formation of the WW2 Relic Retrieval and Preservation Group, (RRPG). Many of the relics are unique and couldn't be found elsewhere in the world. With hours of research and even more hours of searching, large numbers of relics have been recovered and preserved for future generations. That is what relic hunting is all about. If you're in it to make money, you've come to the wrong forum. If you dig without permission or go night hawking, you will NOT be welcome here.

    Preserving the past for future generations.........that's what relic hunting is all about.

    Steve T

  5. #5
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    Default Re: What is Relic Digging and Why We do it!

    The recent troll was clearly just that or very much mis-informed.

    To call this forum a forum dedicated to selling ground dug relics from the dead is simply an insult.

  6. #6

    Default Re: What is Relic Digging and Why We do it!

    Lars

    Great words and having done the searching with my latvian friends for the last 12 years I am still commited to finding the fallen solders lost on the battlefields of kurland and hope people understand why we do it and the respect we show to the soldiers we find there are black diggers out there who only search for relics for profit and I hope they realise the harm and disrespect there activities cause to the fallen and there families who becouse of there reckless actions may never know the whereabouts of there loved ones.

  7. #7

    Default Re: What is Relic Digging and Why We do it!

    When i see a battlefield grave i always go away about 100 meters so that i dont find any of the graves belongings. If there is a helmet still on the graves cross i do not pick it up. I leave it there how tempting it may be, how good of a condition the helm is. You still have to be respectfull to the dead. Nazi or Ally'd. Everything with a name on it except the dogtags (sorry) i try to find the owner off. If i cannot find the owner i keep it.

  8. #8
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    Default Re: What is Relic Digging and Why We do it!

    Quote by Steve T View Post
    **Post stuck**

    I would also like to say that the relic digging that goes on in the UK can be just as important as that on mainland Europe. Ok, so no land battles were fought here, but the UK endured many other things other than actually fighting on it's earth. Winston Churchill once described the UK as 'the largest aircraft carrier ever built', and with almost 1,000 airbases, he was bang on the money ! With millions of Allied troops gathered for the D-Day landings, the UK also became the biggest barracks in the world.

    As a consequence, there are large numbers of relics in the UK just waiting to be recovered and preserved, hence the formation of the WW2 Relic Retrieval and Preservation Group, (RRPG). Many of the relics are unique and couldn't be found elsewhere in the world. With hours of research and even more hours of searching, large numbers of relics have been recovered and preserved for future generations. That is what relic hunting is all about. If you're in it to make money, you've come to the wrong forum. If you dig without permission or go night hawking, you will NOT be welcome here.

    Preserving the past for future generations.........that's what relic hunting is all about.

    Steve T
    I was of course also thinking about the UK diggers, but i do not have so much knowledge about it, so i left it out for you guys to fill in. Thanks a lot Steve

    Regards, Lars

  9. #9

    Default Re: What is Relic Digging and Why We do it!

    Very well put, Lars, anyone that accuses you of grave robbing clearly has not read any of your threads or posts. You certainly come across to me as being very respectful for the dead of all sides of the conflict. I personally don't collect relics but if I did I would not hesitate to buy from you as I am very confident that you practice what you preach.

  10. #10
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    Default Re: What is Relic Digging and Why We do it!

    Quote by sandgroper View Post
    Very well put, Lars, anyone that accuses you of grave robbing clearly has not read any of your threads or posts. You certainly come across to me as being very respectful for the dead of all sides of the conflict. I personally don't collect relics but if I did I would not hesitate to buy from you as I am very confident that you practice what you preach.
    Thank you mate. I/we sure do so.

    Regards, Lars

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