BSA 140 – Resistance, Resilience and Milestones
The BSA in Wartime: Resistance, Resilience and Milestones
The second era of the BSA’s long history unfolded during the extremely difficult years of war and it is poignant that we are remembering this chapter during Remembrance Day week. It was a time of resistance and resilience, but also of milestones and achievements worth celebrating.
🕵️♀️ Intelligence work
Thanks to their intimate knowledge of the region, its language and local culture, some BSA Members were recruited into British Intelligence in both World Wars. Alan Wace (BSA Director 1914-1923) was seconded to the British Legation at Athens during WWI, where he directed relief for British refugees.
🏺 John Pendlebury
Pendlebury was Knossos Curator from 1929 to 1934 and Director of the Karphi excavations in Lasithi, Crete. His contribution to the Cretan resistance during WWII was just as profound, and it tragically led to his execution by German forces in 1941. For a deeper dive, the Pendlebury Family papers are available in the BSA Digital Collection, thanks to the generosity of the Wykeham Patrons.
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- Alan J.B. Wace sitting on the BSA Finlay Balcony, ca 1910-12, BSAA/7/62, BSA Albums, ©British School at Athens
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- “Glendi on Karphi”, John Pendlebury (in white shorts) dancing with his team after the end of BSA excavations at the site of Karphi, Lasithi, Crete, 8 July 1939, PEN/7/2/6/912, John Pendlebury Family Papers, ©British School at Athens
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- Winifred Lamb using a Total Station Transit during the BSA Excavations at Thermi, Lesbos, 1930, LAM/3/1/12/28, Winifred Lamb Personal Papers, ©British School at Athens
👩🎓 Women Philhellenes
We also want to highlight the women philhellenes of this period, who played vital roles in wartime efforts and contributed to archaeology, research and the advocacy of women’s rights.
✨ Winifred Lamb became the first woman at the BSA to be granted an excavation permit in 1928. During the 1932–33 session, she made history again as one of the first women to give a public lecture at the BSA, presenting her groundbreaking paper, “Excavations in Mytilene.”
✨ Irene Noel-Baker supported Greece tirelessly through every war of the period, serving as a nurse on the frontlines and coordinating international aid.
Many more inspiring women left a lasting impact on the BSA’s history. You can find some of their stories on our website, and keep an eye out for our Women Philhellenes lecture in March 2027.
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- Irene Noel (later Noel-Baker), centre, in her nurse’s uniform, ca. 1914-18, NBFP/13/3/30, Noel-Baker Family Papers, © British School at Athens
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- Vronwy Fischer (later Hankey) (left) and Edith Eccles (right) sitting on the BSA Finlay Balcony, Athens, 1939, BSAA/6/39, BSA Albums. ©British School at Athens
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- Washing pottery sherds at the BSA Excavations at Perachora: (l to r) Yanni, Humfry Payne, Emilie Haspels and Alan Blakeway, ca 1930-33, BSA SPHS/1/6490.C6160, BSA SPHS Image Collection ©British School at Athens
⛏️ Excavations
Work continued in Sparta, and new excavations began at Mycenae and Perachora in the Peloponnese, at various prehistoric sites in Macedonia, at Thermi in Lesvos, on Ithaca, and at several sites in Lasithi, Crete.
🖼️ 50th Anniversary
In 1936, the BSA marked its 50th Anniversary with an exhibition in London. Photographs, artwork and objects commemorated the School’s first 50 years of activity.
🏛️ Life at the School
According to Helen Waterhouse (The British School at Athens: The First Hundred Years), daily life at the BSA became more comfortable in this period. The Hostel was refurbished, water access improved with the completion of the Marathon dam in 1931, heating and facilities got better, and a real sense of camaraderie grew among visitors and residents.
This is just a chapter of our story! See below for links to our collections and to further reading.
🔎Want to dig deeper? Explore the BSA’s Digital Collections to discover more stories from our history.
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- “Mycenae: Breakfast in the grave circle”, (l to r), Alan Wace, Winifred Lamb, Mary Herford (later Braunholz), James P. Harland (ASCSA) and Axel Boëthius, 1921, LAM/3/1/3/54, Winifred Lamb Personal Papers, ©British School at Athens
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- BSA Excavations at Aetos, Ithaca, ca 1932-34, Aetos Excavation Records (uncatalogued), ©British School at Athens
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- Front cover and page showing exhibition floor plan from the 1936 Exhibition Catalogue, 1936/4/1, 1936 Exhibition Collection, ©British School at Athens
Further reading:
Archiving Women in Archaeology: Helen Thomas Waterhouse
The Well-travelled Frederick W. Hasluck: Images from the SPHS Collection