Gordon Warwick
Encyclopedia
Dr. Gordon Warwick was an award-winning geomorphologist and speleologist, based for his entire working career at Birmingham University. Following upon his death in 1983 a medal was instituted in his honour by the British Geomorphological Research Group, of which he was a founder member.
He was born in 1918 in the small railway village of Westhouses
, near Alfreton
in Derbyshire
, the son of a former dining car attendant and then colliery banksman, Gordon Warwick. He attended the Railway School there, only about 100 yards from his home, and then went to Tapton Hall Grammar School, winning prizes every year, and eventually going to Bristol University in 1936, becoming the first person from the village to go to University, with a teaching scholarship from Derbyshire County Council. He left Bristol with a First in Geography and immediately volunteered for army service, upon declaration of War in 1939. After about 6 months in the Army Reserve he was accepted for officer training, mostly in Yorkshire and on Salisbury Plain and spent the early part of his army career as an instructor. He spent much of the later years of the war in Tunisia, Algeria and Italy, mostly as a sound ranger
, progressing to the rank of Captain and was awarded an MBE. He was in charge of Serbian prisoners of war at Cesena
and prior to demobilization he spent time teaching at the Army Formation College at Perugia
.
After military service he went to Birmingham University and taught geomorphology
in the Geography Department, eventually rising to the post of Reader
in Geomorphology. His thesis, delayed because of his war service, was on the Derbyshire reef limestones of the Manifold
and Dove valleys, and much of the field work was undertaken with the help of his wife, Phyllis. His specialisms were limestone
and semi-arid climate processes, and he was a contributor to books such British Caving with Cecil Cullingford, A Dictionary of Geographical Terms with Sir L. Dudley Stamp
and to the Guide to Birmingham and its Region of Prof Michael Wise
. He retained a close interest in caving
throughout his adult life and he was closely involved in the academic study of speleology
and of the administration of its governing bodies, being a vice president of the UIS
, taking a major role at its international conferences and was a member of many organizations such as the South Wales Caving Club, Cave Research Group, Cave History Group. His main contribution to speleology in later years was theoretical rather than practical and he contributed much to the theory of the origin and development of caves.
Because of his geomorphological studies of limestone areas and processes he also received medals for his work from several European Universities, and was a close associate of men such as Alfred Bögli. He was awarded the Gill Memorial Award by the Royal Geographical Society
in 1965 for services to cave studies.
He also developed an interest in derelict land reclamation
and clean air
and was an early environmentalist, through a part-time position with the Ministry of Land and Natural Resources, later the Department of the Environment
. After becoming involved with the Black Country
Society, he wrote various pamphlets on subjects such as the Wren's Nest Nature Reserve and ghost-wrote a history of Darby Hand Chapel in Dudley
.
He tutored a large number of students both at undergraduate and graduate level, including a series of Iraqi geomorphologists and was an external examiner at Oxford, Bristol and Cambridge Universities.
He was named after his father, who was the first person in England to be called Gordon Warwick, being named after General Gordon
. He died suddenly in 1983 of a stroke, and is remembered by the Warwick Prize at Birmingham University and a Warwick Memorial Library at Derby University
and at the South Wales Caving club. This latter is now part of a national resource of caving literature and some of his photographs and papers also form part of the National Caving Archive held at the British Geological Survey
in Kegworth
.
He was born in 1918 in the small railway village of Westhouses
Westhouses
Westhouses is a village within Derbyshire, situated close to the town of Alfreton. It is in the Bolsover district of the county. Named after West House Farm, the settlement was founded in the 1870s.- Railway :...
, near Alfreton
Alfreton
Alfreton is a town and civil parish in Amber Valley, Derbyshire, England, adjoining the Bolsover and North East Derbyshire districts. It was formerly a Norman Manor and later an Urban District. The population of the Alfreton Ward was 7,928 at the 2001 Census...
in Derbyshire
Derbyshire
Derbyshire is a county in the East Midlands of England. A substantial portion of the Peak District National Park lies within Derbyshire. The northern part of Derbyshire overlaps with the Pennines, a famous chain of hills and mountains. The county contains within its boundary of approx...
, the son of a former dining car attendant and then colliery banksman, Gordon Warwick. He attended the Railway School there, only about 100 yards from his home, and then went to Tapton Hall Grammar School, winning prizes every year, and eventually going to Bristol University in 1936, becoming the first person from the village to go to University, with a teaching scholarship from Derbyshire County Council. He left Bristol with a First in Geography and immediately volunteered for army service, upon declaration of War in 1939. After about 6 months in the Army Reserve he was accepted for officer training, mostly in Yorkshire and on Salisbury Plain and spent the early part of his army career as an instructor. He spent much of the later years of the war in Tunisia, Algeria and Italy, mostly as a sound ranger
Sound ranger
Sound rangers are military specialists who locate enemy artillery using sound. They use equipment such as super-sensitive microphones to pick up the sounds of firing. By using a combination of surveying techniques and trigonometry they then calculate the locations of enemy batteries...
, progressing to the rank of Captain and was awarded an MBE. He was in charge of Serbian prisoners of war at Cesena
Cesena
Cesena is a city and comune in the Emilia-Romagna region of northern Italy, south of Ravenna and west of Rimini, on the Savio River, co-chief of the Province of Forlì-Cesena. It is at the foot of the Apennines, and about 15 km from the Adriatic Sea.-History:Cesena was originally an Umbrian...
and prior to demobilization he spent time teaching at the Army Formation College at Perugia
Perugia
Perugia is the capital city of the region of Umbria in central Italy, near the River Tiber, and the capital of the province of Perugia. The city is located about north of Rome. It covers a high hilltop and part of the valleys around the area....
.
After military service he went to Birmingham University and taught geomorphology
Geomorphology
Geomorphology is the scientific study of landforms and the processes that shape them...
in the Geography Department, eventually rising to the post of Reader
Reader (academic rank)
The title of Reader in the United Kingdom and some universities in the Commonwealth nations like Australia and New Zealand denotes an appointment for a senior academic with a distinguished international reputation in research or scholarship...
in Geomorphology. His thesis, delayed because of his war service, was on the Derbyshire reef limestones of the Manifold
River Manifold
The River Manifold is a river in Staffordshire, England. It is a tributary of the River Dove ....
and Dove valleys, and much of the field work was undertaken with the help of his wife, Phyllis. His specialisms were limestone
Limestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
and semi-arid climate processes, and he was a contributor to books such British Caving with Cecil Cullingford, A Dictionary of Geographical Terms with Sir L. Dudley Stamp
Laurence Dudley Stamp
Sir Dudley Stamp, CBE, DSc, D. Litt, LLD, Ekon D, DSc Nat , was professor of geography at Rangoon and London, and one of the internationally best known British geographers of the 20th century....
and to the Guide to Birmingham and its Region of Prof Michael Wise
Michael John Wise
Professor Michael John Wise CBE, MC is Emeritus Professor of Geography, University of London.-Early life:Michael Wise was born in Stafford in 1918, son of Harry Cuthbert Wise and Sarah Evelyn Wise.-Education:...
. He retained a close interest in caving
Caving
Caving—also occasionally known as spelunking in the United States and potholing in the United Kingdom—is the recreational pastime of exploring wild cave systems...
throughout his adult life and he was closely involved in the academic study of speleology
Speleology
Speleology is the scientific study of caves and other karst features, their make-up, structure, physical properties, history, life forms, and the processes by which they form and change over time...
and of the administration of its governing bodies, being a vice president of the UIS
UIS
UIS may refer to:* Uis, a village in Erongo Region, Namibia* Underwater Inspection System, a component of the Underwater Port Security System developed for the United States Coast Guard* University of Illinois at Springfield, United States...
, taking a major role at its international conferences and was a member of many organizations such as the South Wales Caving Club, Cave Research Group, Cave History Group. His main contribution to speleology in later years was theoretical rather than practical and he contributed much to the theory of the origin and development of caves.
Because of his geomorphological studies of limestone areas and processes he also received medals for his work from several European Universities, and was a close associate of men such as Alfred Bögli. He was awarded the Gill Memorial Award by the Royal Geographical Society
Royal Geographical Society
The Royal Geographical Society is a British learned society founded in 1830 for the advancement of geographical sciences...
in 1965 for services to cave studies.
He also developed an interest in derelict land reclamation
Land reclamation
Land reclamation, usually known as reclamation, is the process to create new land from sea or riverbeds. The land reclaimed is known as reclamation ground or landfill.- Habitation :...
and clean air
Clean Air Act 1956
The Clean Air Act 1956 was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom passed in response to London's Great Smog of 1952. It was in effect until 1964, and sponsored by the Ministry of Housing and Local Government in England and the Department of Health for Scotland.The Act introduced a number of...
and was an early environmentalist, through a part-time position with the Ministry of Land and Natural Resources, later the Department of the Environment
Secretary of State for the Environment
The Secretary of State for the Environment was a UK cabinet position, responsible for the Department of the Environment . This was created by Edward Heath as a combination of the Ministry of Housing and Local Government, the Ministry of Transport and the Ministry of Public Building and Works on 15...
. After becoming involved with the Black Country
Black Country
The Black Country is a loosely defined area of the English West Midlands conurbation, to the north and west of Birmingham, and to the south and east of Wolverhampton. During the industrial revolution in the 19th century this area had become one of the most intensely industrialised in the nation...
Society, he wrote various pamphlets on subjects such as the Wren's Nest Nature Reserve and ghost-wrote a history of Darby Hand Chapel in Dudley
Dudley
Dudley is a large town in the West Midlands county of England. At the 2001 census , the Dudley Urban Sub Area had a population of 194,919, making it the 26th largest settlement in England, the second largest town in the United Kingdom behind Reading, and the largest settlement in the UK without...
.
He tutored a large number of students both at undergraduate and graduate level, including a series of Iraqi geomorphologists and was an external examiner at Oxford, Bristol and Cambridge Universities.
He was named after his father, who was the first person in England to be called Gordon Warwick, being named after General Gordon
Charles George Gordon
Major-General Charles George Gordon, CB , known as "Chinese" Gordon, Gordon Pasha, and Gordon of Khartoum, was a British army officer and administrator....
. He died suddenly in 1983 of a stroke, and is remembered by the Warwick Prize at Birmingham University and a Warwick Memorial Library at Derby University
University of Derby
The University of Derby is a university in the city of Derby, England. The main site is on Kedleston Road, Allestree in the north-west of Derby close to the A38 opposite Markeaton Park...
and at the South Wales Caving club. This latter is now part of a national resource of caving literature and some of his photographs and papers also form part of the National Caving Archive held at the British Geological Survey
British Geological Survey
The British Geological Survey is a partly publicly funded body which aims to advance geoscientific knowledge of the United Kingdom landmass and its continental shelf by means of systematic surveying, monitoring and research. The BGS headquarters are in Keyworth, Nottinghamshire, but other centres...
in Kegworth
Kegworth
Kegworth is a large village and civil parish in Leicestershire, England....
.