The 1938 Stonehenge Vandalism Incident: Larkhill Officers and the Onset of War

On the night of 16 June 1938, four recently commissioned Second Lieutenants of the Royal Artillery, William Laurence Sherrard, William Howard Skinner, John Edward Passingham Pierce, and John Lambert Shearme (erroneously noted as Shearne in some reports) engaged in an act of vandalism at Stonehenge. This episode, occurring amid the escalating tensions preceding the Second World War, exemplifies the occasional lapses in discipline among junior officers during a period of transition from peacetime routines to wartime preparedness. All four were in their early twenties, having completed training courses at Larkhill Garrison near Salisbury, and were due to depart for new postings the following day.

The Incident

Following a guest night at the Larkhill officers' mess, the group acquired green paint and brushes from the garrison's tennis courts. They applied paint to four upright sarsen stones in the main circle and portions of the Heel Stone also know as the Friar's Heel. Reports indicate the inscription of the phrase "Does this look like a friar?" on the stone. Additionally, several chamber pots were placed atop the affected monoliths.

They also altered a road sign on the London-Exeter trunk road (the A303). Contemporary accounts describe the addition of a letter to the destination "Exeter," though the precise modification—believed to render it as "Sexeter"—was omitted from published reports due to its indelicate nature.

The vandalism was discovered the following morning, prompting immediate concern from the site's custodians and local authorities.

Legal Proceedings and Response

The incident drew widespread press attention, with an estimated 60 officers from Larkhill initially requested to come forward. Sherrard, Skinner, Pierce, and Shearme voluntarily confessed, demonstrating a commitment to accountability consistent with the era's expectations of officers and gentlemen. They appeared before Salisbury Magistrates' Court, where they pleaded guilty to charges of criminal damage.

Each was fined £1, with the group collectively ordered to pay £20 in costs and restoration expenses. The presiding magistrate noted that the stones' natural patina might require up to 1,000 years of weathering to fully recover. Their commanding officer at Larkhill issued an official reprimand, but no further military sanctions were recorded. The leniency reflects the context of youthful indiscretion on the cusp of war, when such pranks were not uncommon among subalterns.

Wartime and Postwar Careers

The outbreak of war in September 1939 dispersed the group, their subsequent records reflecting diverse trajectories within the Royal Artillery:

• William Laurence Sherrard: Commissioned on 28 January 1938 after training at the School of Anti-Aircraft Defence, Biggin Hill. Promoted to Captain, he deployed to Sumatra in 1941 to defend oil installations. Killed in action on 14 February 1942 during a Japanese paratroop assault at Pladjoe airfield, where his unit faced superior numbers. Mentioned in Despatches for gallantry; commemorated on the Ditchling War Memorial, Sussex.
• William Howard Skinner: Born in Bengal in 1918. Also commissioned on 28 January 1938, following anti-aircraft training at Biggin Hill. No further public records of promotions, postings, or honours have been identified, though his survival through the war is confirmed by the absence of casualty entries. Likely served in defensive roles during the early conflict. Died Lingfield, Surrey 2000.
• John Edward Passingham Pierce: Commissioned on 28 January 1938, attached to the 22nd Anti-Aircraft Battery at the Royal Artillery Experimental Camp, Watchet. Advanced to Lieutenant-Colonel (service number 74538) by the early 1960s. Appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 1962 New Year Honours for services to the Royal Artillery; retired to the Regular Army Reserve of Officers thereafter.
• John Lambert Shearme: Commissioned on 28 January 1938, attached to the Coast Artillery School at Shoeburyness. Promoted to Major (service number 74525); retired on pay on 29 September 1958, retaining reserve liability. His coastal defence specialisation suggests involvement in home-based anti-invasion measures.