We Hate Scum!

 

They 'hated scum' in 2024, and undiminished they've renewed hatred of scum in 2025. That's commitment. Who or what they mean by 'scum' is left to our imagination, though I'm sure we all have culprits in mind.

The 902

 

All the graffiti you find has a story to it, rarely though is it revealled to us. If you're lucky there may be clues which could hint to their possible origins. Take this boxed 902 on a beech in the Ocknell enclosure, what could its story be? Ocknell is on the edge of Stoney Cross plain, the site of one of the forests major World War Two airfeilds. So. Could there be a connection between the airfeild and 902? Possibly. The site was used by the USAAF 9th Air force and 387th bomber group, and there are other examples of Second World War American grafitti in the enclosure. The 902 could refer to the 902 Military Police Company (Aviation), a guard squadron which would have been present where the USAAF were stationed.  I reckon it's as good a thesis as any.

AH 1908

Holly appear in huge numbers all over the forest, you don't give their age much thought. Some are clearly old, all twisted and gnarled, most though are not that impressive; I'm not dissing Hollies or ought, you just tend to think of shrubs as short lived. Imagine my surprise finding 113 year old graffiti on a trunk you'd think only a couple or so decades old, amazing. You can see the letters and numbers AH 1908 are old by their style, they don't appear stretched through, beyond some on one side of the A and the number 1. What I found most interesting, beyond the age of the graffiti, was that the Holly appears not to have grown much at all in the intervening years.

More '44

I spent 2 hours yesterday, and an hour today wandering to and fro through Ocknell enclosure looking for a certain piece of graffiti, though with not luck. I think the trees are playing a game, the forest has a sense of humour, musical trees or some such. Though I did discover another great piece of graffiti 'H.D U.S.A 1944'. I love graffiti, all those stories you get to imagine; of course you'll never know the truth, still. And, I have a special affection for Second World War graffiti, it's so emotive, and non more so that the American stuff. I think I've discovered about 15 pieces so far around the forest, all from '44 (when dated that is, as several were just initials with US or USA); a period which saw the forest fill with Americans in preparation for D-Day.  With so little to go on it's impossible to identify individuals or units, not enough information usually, though by association with other graffiti in the wood I can make some reasonable assumptions about this one. I'm determined to find the other Ocknell graffiti I'm looking for, it's another American one, though this time with greater provenance which will illuminate this piece too.

Still not out.

I was walking in Ocknell enclosure looking for a piece of graffiti when I passed this fallen beech, which over the years has become a focus for graffiti, so much so that nearly all the available surfaces have been inscribed. Only a handful of these were done before the tree toppled, the huge majority were done in the years after. As many appear to have been done through the 90's, many thereafter, as well as more recent additions, it would be fair to think that the tree must have come down some time after 1990.  Though tucked away behind a bough is 'Sept '72', clearly written since the trunk's been horizontal. This tree has been down for some 45 years, it doesn't look it, and still it produces leaf. 45 years down and still not out, and still an important feature in the forest.