The Archaeology of the Royal Flying Corps : Trench Art, Souvenirs and Lucky Mascots. Modern Conflict Archaeology

"Winterton's book is a good introductory effort on the haptic environment of World War I aviators and their personal artifacts."—The Journal of the Air Force Historical Foundation Archaeology provides a fascinating insight into the lives of the aviators of the First World War. Their descriptions of the sensation of flying in the open cockpits of the primitive warplanes of the day, and the artifacts that have survived from these first years of aerial combat, give us a powerful sense of what their wartime service was like and chart the beginning of our modern understanding of aviation. But the subject hasn't been explored in any depth before, which is why Melanie Winterton's pioneering book is so timely. Hers is the first study of the trench art, souvenirs and lucky mascots associated with the Royal Flying Corps which, in an original way, tell us so much about the experience of flying on the Western Front a century ago. Extensive quotations from the memoirs of these early airmen are combined with an analysis of the artifacts themselves. They convey something of the fear and anxiety the airmen had to grapple with on a daily basis and bring out the full significance of the poignant souvenirs they left behind. Pieces of crashed aeroplane – wooden propellers, strips of linen, fragments of metal – were recycled and circulated during the war and afterwards became the focus of attention in the domestic home. As Melanie Winterton demonstrates, these items connected the living with the deceased, which is why they are so strongly evocative even today. Cover Page Cover Dedication Title Copyright Contents List of Figures List of Plates List of Tables Acknowledgements Modern Conflict Archaeology Prologue Chapter 1 Setting the Scene Chapter 2 Decoding the Evidence Matters of Air An Archaeology of the Senses Fear and Anxiety Trench Art and Souvenirs Chapter 3 Being in a First World War Aeroplane Pilot and Aeroplane, a Haptic Engagement Adapting to the Extremes of Flying Pilot–Aeroplane Relationship Haptic Activities Chapter 4 Reshaping the Aviator’s Body and Mind Re-configuring the Human Body Re-configuring the Senses New Haptic Thresholds Communication Altering Cultural Perceptions of Time and Space Spatial Disorientation: Confusing the Senses Reflections on Flying the Conflict Body Chapter 5 Mascots, Emotions, and Flying Defining a Mascot Lucky Mascots at the Beginning of the Twentieth Century Aviators and their Lucky Mascots Chapter 6 The Surreal World of Flying Commercially Made, Sold as a Lucky Charm Personal Objects Infused with Special/Intimate Meaning Personal to the Aviator Lucky Pocket Pieces, Often with Survival Story Chapter 7 Touching Magic: Omens and Ritual Lucky Sayings, Omens, and Rituals Objects Traditionally Associated with Good Luck in Folklore Charms with Religious Significance Belief, Action, and Objects Chapter 8 Trench-art Propeller Grave Markers and the Stories they Tell Life Events of a Propeller Grave Marker Propeller Grave Markers as Trench Art, the Pre-acquisition Event Acquisition Manufacture Erection and Funeral Post-war Visitation Lost or Destroyed? Donation Elsewhere Discussion Chapter 9 Souvenirs and Trench Art: Making Sense of Wooden Things Aviation-related Souvenirs: An Air War of ‘Souveniring’ Trench Art Chapter 10 Memories of Linen and Metal: Souvenirs and Trench Art Linen Metal Conclusions Chapter 11 How Time Flies Authenticity Notes Bibliography Plates Section An insightful and original study of the trench art, souvenirs and lucky mascots of the Royal Flying Corps during the First World War.