Backstory: Dr. Bascum "Baz" Buchanan.
Baz was raised in a strict boys school in rural Kentucky under the eye and care of a German headmaster. Baz was a smart boy and found that once he left the south to pursue his studies he was often underestimated by his peers and educators because of his accent and his general disregard for putting on airs. Baz claims to follow the religion of Mark Twain insofar as appreciating humour and avoiding labour at any opportunity.
While working in the graduate studies department at London University College the Great War broke out and Baz promptly enlisted before the draft would have scooped him up anyway. He leveraged his talent with German to land a cushy gig with the intelligence corp in London and happily reports he never got his uniform muddy once.
His mentor at the university, Margaret Murray connected Baz with this opportunity to work in the field with the expedition and upon his return he is eager to settle into a role writing textbooks and perhaps his memoirs with little to no student instruction for the rest of his academic career.