UK Establishes New Monuments Men Unit to Protect Cultural Heritage in War Zones

The United Kingdom has established a new corps of Monuments Men, following Italy's earlier proposal for UNESCO Blue Helmets for culture. Unlike the original World War II volunteers, these will be civilian specialists—curators, art historians, artists, architects, and educators—who will work alongside the British army to protect cultural heritage in conflict zones. Lieutenant Colonel Tim Purbrick, an art dealer and army reservist who served during Desert Storm, has led the cultural protection unit for the past two years. He stated that the structure and budget of the new group have not yet been determined, but the army will seek to recruit civilian art specialists from the reserves. The initiative comes after years of war in the Middle East, where the US military has also increased efforts to safeguard cultural property. The article highlights the destruction of the 3,300-year-old Mesopotamian site of Nimrud by ISIS, which cannot be recovered.