280 THE WILTSHIRE ARCHAEOLOGICAL AND NATURAL HISTORY MAGAZINE 
He donated a variety of objects to both the WANHS 
Library and Museum collections, though the 
number seems scanty in proportion to the size of his 
private collection. Local objects of interest from 
Passmore’s collection were frequently displayed at 
the Annual General Meeting of the WANHS. He 
sometimes contributed to the programme of events 
at an AGM by giving lectures, either when the 
touring party visited an archaeological site, or 
indoors during the evening. A home-made 
archaeological model usually accompanied his 
outdoor lectures, while his indoor evening lectures 
were ilustrated using his lantern slides. 
Passmore featured on one of the ‘days out’ 
during the Annual General Meeting of the 
WANHS, on Wednesday 12 August 1936: 
Leaving Ashbury at 10:30 the cars went up the hill 
and along the rough track of the Ridgeway to 
Waylands’ Smithy where Mr. A.D. Passmore was 
awaiting their arrival with a large plaster model of the 
Long Barrow specially made for the occasion 
showing the megalithic passage and chambers of the 
interior, and the stones which originally surrounded 
it outside. Here Mr. Passmore spoke of megalithic 
tombs and burial customs, as illustrated by the model 
before him, which to many of the company explained 
the original condition of the monument far better 
than any verbal description could do...Thence the 
cars went up to the down above the White Horse and 
members congregated on the sides of the ditch of 
Uffington Camp where Mr. Passmore had another 
plaster model showing the camp with a double 
wooden stockade on the banks. Here he discoursed at 
length on the purpose and history of the great camps, 
and also on that of the White Horse. He showed on 
the spot enlarged drawings and actual specimens of 
the British gold coins showing the disjointed horse, a 
degenerate copy of the ‘Stater’ of Philip of Macedon, 
the likeness of which to the figure of the White Horse 
has led to the suggestion that the monument may 
really date from pre-Roman times like the coins 
rather than from Saxon times. He himself, however, 
stood by the Battle of Ashdown and the Saxon 
Chronicle account as a historical document, and 
thought that the White Horse was a probable and 
fitting monument of Alfred’s victory. Both Mr. 
Passmore’s addresses, as well as his models, were 
greatly appreciated by those present. (Anon 1936, 493 
— 494) 
Passmore seems to have had a sound reputation 
within Wiltshire and the WANHS for most of his 
life. Alongside his excavation of barrows and field 
collecting, he also participated in excavations at 
high profile sites in Wiltshire with well-known 
archaeologists. In August 1922 he helped W. 
Flinders Petrie excavate at Silbury Hill (Petrie 
1923), and in 1923 he photographed some of the 
excavation work done by Lt. Col. W. Hawley at 
Stonehenge. In the same year he excavated part of 
the Avenue at Stonehenge with his fellow WANHS 
Committee member O.G.S. Crawford (Crawford 
1924). Passmore contributed information and many 
of the photographs to The Long Barrows of the 
Cotswolds (Crawford 1925). It is likely that 
Crawford introduced Passmore to _ the 
archaeological uses of aerial photography, which 
Passmore explored further during his acquaintance 
with Major G.W.G Allen. This resulted in their co- 
authored article about the enigmatic Highworth 
circles in north Wiltshire (Allen and Passmore 
1935). 
It is unclear exactly what events caused his 
abrupt resignation from the WANHS in 1952. 
Passmore’s current reputation seems to be of an ill- 
tempered and disreputable character, possibly due 
to his clashes with prominent members of 
WANHS, including Maud and Ben Cunnington, 
Alexander Keiller, Stuart Piggott and O.GS. 
Crawford. 
Passmore was very critical of the Cunningtons 
throughout the years of their acquaintance, and he 
seems to have had little respect for either of them in 
spite of their eminence and generosity within the 
Society. In 1923 Passmore wrote in his field 
notebook about the protest against the proposal to 
erect a wireless tower at Avebury: 
The Betrayal Special meeting of W.A.S. to protest 
against Wireless at Avebury. Cunnington had seen 
the Manor people in Town they had thrown dust in 
his eyes, told him that this was the only suitable place 
in England (real reason, cheapest land) & had stated 
that if there was no interference they would respect 
antiquities. So without firing one [illeg.] of protest 
the W.A.S. tamely surrendered. A_ disgraceful 
betrayal of their trust. One & one man only fought 
against it for 1 1/2 hours right through the meeting, 
myself alone, A.D.P. (ADP unpublished 1923, 705) 
When WANHS had to consider moving their 
museum collections in case of air raids, Passmore 
found fault with the Cunningtons for their poor 
treatment of the Hoare collection when it was 
removed from Stourhead to Devizes Museum. He 
wrote in his notebook: 
