The Basil Brown & Charles Phillips Diaries

In this series of articles, Mark Mitchells, Cultural Historian and Ship’s Company Volunteer Crew Member, explores the time when Basil Brown helped to unearth the Sutton Hoo Treasures.

The beginning

The first in a series of excerpts from Basil Brown’s diaries as told by Mark Mitchells, Cultural Historian and Ship’s Company Volunteer Crew Member. The name of Basil Brown will forever be associated with the story of the Sutton Hoo Ship Burial as discovered in 1939. Quite rightly he is celebrated as the genius who…

Tuesday 16th May 1939 to Monday 5th June 1939

The second in a series of excerpts from Basil Brown’s diaries as told by Mark Mitchells, Cultural Historian and Ship’s Company Volunteer Crew Member. From Tuesday 16th May 1939 to Monday 5th June 1939 Basil Brown had been working on the Sutton Hoo site for nine days when on Thursday 16th May his diary notes:…

Wednesday 6th June 1939 to Wednesday 14th June 1939

The third in a series of excerpts from Basil Brown’s diaries as told by Mark Mitchells, Cultural Historian and Ship’s Company Volunteer Crew Member. From Wed 6th June to Wed 14th June. “I hope, however, the newspapers won’t get hold of anything concerning the find before an announcement is made later on,” Basil wrote on…

Thursday 15th June 1939 to Monday 10th July 1939

The fourth in a series of excerpts from Basil Brown’s diaries as told by Mark Mitchells, Cultural Historian and Ship’s Company Volunteer Crew Member. Thurs 15 June to Mon 10 July On Thursday 15th June 1939 Basil was working with his assistants Fuller and Jacobs. They were clearing the sand off the central chamber and were…

Tuesday 11th July to Thursday 20 July 1939

The fifth in a series of excerpts from diaries of the 1939 excavation as told by Mark Mitchells, Cultural Historian and Ship’s Company Volunteer Crew Member. Tuesday 11th July to 20th July 1939 [Basil Brown’s diary for the work he carried out at Sutton Hoo concluded on Monday 10th July 1939. After consultation with the…

Friday 21 July to Sunday 23 July 1939

The sixth in a series of excerpts from diaries of the 1939 excavation as told by Mark Mitchells, Cultural Historian and Ship’s Company Volunteer Crew Member. Friday 21 July to Sunday 23rd July 1939 Almost the whole of the morning was lost through very heavy and continuous rain. Once the mess had been cleared away…

Monday 24th July to Thursday 27th July

The seventh in a series of excerpts from diaries of the 1939 excavation as told by Mark Mitchells, Cultural Historian and Ship’s Company Volunteer Crew Member. Monday 24th July to Thursday 27th July C.W.Philips Monday 24 July 1939 was a day largely given over to tidying up the site and preparing for the next big…

Friday 28th July 1939 to Friday 11th August 1939

The eighth in a series of excerpts from Basil Brown and CW Phillips diaries as told by Mark Mitchells, Cultural Historian and Ship’s Company Volunteer Crew Member. In his diary entry for Friday 28th July CW Phillips writes: The day was devoted to the complete clearance of the western end of the burial deposit. This…

The Sutton Hoo Inquest – Part 1

Sutton Village Hall 14th August 1939 There is a poorly lit photograph of the interior of Sutton Village Hall on Monday, 14th August 1939 and it shows the scene as the inquest is about to start. The public takes up nearly all the space (lots of hats!) and squeezed at the far end is a…