Arms and Armour Research Group

The Arms and Armour Research Group (AAARG) was formed as a result of the development of the relationship between the Royal Armouries and the University of Huddersfield, established in October 2008.

The group consists of a team of academics selected for their respective research backgrounds across the multi-disciplinary subject of Arms and Armour and Military History.

The purpose of the group is to promote research into the materiel culture of weapons and how they were manufactured and utilised, from the earliest edged weapons and firearms to issues involving modern ballistic analysis, and the examination of the minute markings on edged weapons.

The group is led by Reverend Paul Wilcock whose research areas include edged weapons and identification marks on arms. Paul also is an Historical Consultant to both the Royal Armouries and to the Frazier History Museum in Louisville Kentucky. Professor Tim Thornton, Pro Vice Chancellor Teaching and Learning is a leading historian in the fields of politics and warfare in the Tudor era; Professor Liam Blunt contributes research into signature ballistics and utilises surface metrology in the examination of arms and armour as diverse as bullet fragments from ‘cold cases’ to the rifling of French Revolutionary duelling pistols. Professor Bob Cywinski is Dean of Applied Sciences and his principal field of research is the application of neutron scattering, and x-ray synchrotron techniques to the study of magnetic and superconducting properties of alloys and compounds. In the context of this group his considerable expertise is usually being found in the application of 3D neutron tomography and other advance analytical techniques.

The group has recently embraced digital media with arms and armour interactives for museums. This is led by Damian de Luca and Ruth Taylor who run Canalside Studios our in house computer games development studio. The team has recently developed a virtual object handler for the Royal Armouries and several interactives for the Frazier.

In 2010 the group was enhanced by the arrival of Professor Richard Morris and Dr Glenn Foard. Richard is well published in many areas but most recently relating to the Battle of Britain and its key participants. Glenn is one of the country’s leading battlefield archaeologists and has most recently discovered the accurate site of the Battle of Bosworth in 1485.

These full time members of the University staff are complimented by Dr Madeleine Burnside who is Executive Director of the Frazier History Museum in Louisville Kentucky and specialises in the history of the slave trade and Spanish Colonial history. The University has a partnership with the Frazier. Graeme Rimer is Academic Director of the Royal Armouries and is regarded as an internationally recognised authority on a variety of aspects of arms and armour, Peter Smithurst, Curator Emeritus at the Royal Armouries in Leeds is an authority on the history of firearms manufacturing technology and on weapons produced by Samuel Colt. Martin Pegler now lives in France and is regarded as a world authority on snipers and the weapons they utilised. He has published many books on the subject including ‘Out of Nowhere’ regarded as the authoritative work on the military sniper.

As well as research and publication the group engages in consultancy through the University to provide advice to museums, auction houses, television productions and individual collectors.

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Further details can be obtained by emailing: armsandarmourresearchgroup@hud.ac.uk