Stewart Ainsworth (RCHME) and John Barnatt (PDNPA), on pages 66 and 67, in their paper “AN ARCHAEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF THE LANDSCAPE ON BIG MOOR AND RAMSLEY MOOR, BASLOW AND HOLMESFIELD, DERBYSHIRE (Scheduled Ancient Monument 136), 1998.” state “It is known locally that the Eastern Moors, including Big Moor, Rarnsley Moor, Gardom's Edge (RCHME and PPJPB 1993) and Gibbet Moor (RCHME 1990), were used by the US Airborne Division for training in World War II. This is said locally to have occurred on two separate occasions, one of which was just before their action at Arnhem” and “evidence for military activity is scarring on rocks where they have been hit by bullets and mortars. Usually the scars comprise irregular and somewhat angular 'cup-marks’: usually 5-10cm across, which pepper upstanding rocks. It is likely these have normally been created by bullets, although shrapnel from mortars may well have caused some of the scarring”.
Looking at this stone carefully myself, and comparing the marks on it with those on nearby rocks including an 18thC packhorse trail marker post, I am convinced that this is not prehistoric rock art, but a prominent stone used as target practice in 1944.
Something is not right. This message is just to keep things from messing up down the road