Thought i'd share a little known story about the UK's first onshore oil field:
[ Guests cannot view attachments ]
The photo above is one of the restored oil pumpjacks in the woods, in the 1940's over a hundred wells were drilled by a team of 42 US oilmen (whom were later known as the roughnecks of Sherwood Forest) from Ardmore OK. It contributed over a million barrels of oil for the British war effort, more information on this fascinating story can be found on the website below:
http://www.dukeswoodoilmuseum.com/
Thats my back garden Phil.
Thats my back garden Phil.
Yup i know Pete
, a lovely part of the world too!
Never heard of this before, thanks for sharing Philip 
Jan, at the time it was done under utmost secrecy under the cover of the forest. I'm glad you found it interesting and another nice example of UK - USA co operation, sadly it is not a very well known story.
Very interesting, and I'll be looking further into this. If this truly helped significantly at the time, then I'm pleased and proud that my country was able to provide direct assistance to a people who were then so desperately oppressed in this manner.
Thanks Philip, very interesting information.
Here is the bronze statue located within Rufford Country Park in Nottinghamshire commemorating these men, it is nice that there is an identical bronze statue is located in Ardmore OK, linking the two places together:
[ Guests cannot view attachments ]
Thanks for sharing this Philip ... it provides a very personal and human view, that is rather humbling, encouraging and inspiring within its historical context. Very glad to have this behind the scenes peek of what has been mostly lost to the bigger picture of what all was going on at the time.
interesting read, thanks for sharing 😊
Thats my back garden Phil.
I can just picture you as Jed Clampett, Pete,
Probably only time in history that
"where the Roughnecks lived during the Second World War when it was a Monastery"
Thanks for posting Phillip as I had not heard of this.
Probably only time in history that
"where the Roughnecks lived during the Second World War when it was a Monastery"
Yes it was at Kelham Hall where the oil museum is now located, also across the road is an appropriately named pub, where quite a few of them frequented.
Please do tell us Philip, what was the apropos name of the pub across the road?
Please do tell us Philip, what was the apropos name of the pub across the road?
Well ahem appropriate for me, The Fox Inn:
[ Guests cannot view attachments ]
As it turned out, most of the banjo and fiddle playing was done in 'The Fox' pub right across the road from the monastery.