THE LIVING HISTORIAN
Academic research
Milan has been researching the role of the United States Army's combat photographers for a decade. As well as interviewing Second World War veterans, he has drawn tens of thousands of pages of written and pictorial material from the National Archives and Records Administration, much of which had not been accessed since 1945. Milan is using this information to reconstruct the stories of the men who photographed World War Two.
TRAINING
Reading and implementing actions from period training manuals allow us to understand the logic that troops were indoctrinated with. We can use this knowledge to identify archeological features such as types of foxhole; where unit advanced by understanding how the United States Army interpreted topography; how equipment might be worn or discarded by individuals and how this would affect a unit's capability in combat.
FIELD WORK
Working with municipalities across Europe has allowed Milan and his fellow researchers unique opportunities to visit, study and document historic sites. The team uses GPS to plot foxholes, trenches and notable battlefield features before they are lost to time. With an extensive knowledge of the training, equipment and movements of the United States Army in World War Two, Milan and his colleagues are able to offer a unique insight into the areas that they visit.
REPRODUCTION AND RESTORATION
An in-depth understanding of equipment and processes enables Milan to accurately restore items that are 80 years old or more. However, one of the most exciting areas in this field is reproducing equipment of which there are no surviving examples. Combining experimental archeology, knowledge of materials and how the United States Army employed them, and studying period publications and images enables the production and testing of lost equipment.
EXPERIMENTAL ARCHEOLOGY
Living History allows us to mirror the past as authentically as possible in order to study the lives of the individuals we meet through academic research. History is a very human concept, and there are many aspects of it that cannot be fully explored without hands on practical experimentation to figure out how or why things were done a certain way. Combined with academic research, experimental archeology is a powerful tool in understanding the past.
PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT
Milan shares his research in academic forums, but also recognises the value in communicating his work to a wider audience. Living History enables Milan and his colleagues to reach members of the public at events throughout Europe where they discuss historical individuals and organisations and how their work continues to influence modern life. Recently, he has been working with the Boy Scouts of America to facilitate educational events in situ, in Normandy.
Detachment OHIO, 165th Signal Photographic Company
Case Study
MILAN MADGE
