The Adam Park Project

Item Information:

Catalogue Number: 17/02/27 Source: TAPP Archaeology Surveys Location: No 17 Adam Park Report No: Report No.17 Artifact Type: Badges Production Date: 2013-01-26 00:00:00 Dimensions of Item: 45mm x 35mm Copyright with The Adam Park Project

Other Description:

Once again the volunteers on site at No17 Adam Park experienced the thrill of revealing the single most talismanic metallic item that could be wished for on this battlefield. Sitting slightly to one side of the concentration of bullets and cartridges and mere few centimetres under the surface was discovered our fourth Cambridgeshire cap badge and the seventh military badge to be found at Adam Park. This badge was similar to the last three but is in better condition. It is of the same design as the other cap badges, and only has sustained the slightest damage on the turrets of the ‘keep’. On cleaning the bimetallic nature of the badge was clearly discernible and the detail in the brick work was outstanding.

Historic Context:

The finding of so many badges at Adam Park leads us to believe that there was a systematic disposal of such items. Most likely the order was given out at the end of the fighting for all personnel to ditch any items that may link them to their regiment as it is standard practice to only reveal name rank and number to your captors. Men who had carried their sidecaps in their kit bags would have then disposed of their regimental insignia before being captured.