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The King’s Own
Royal Regiment Museum
Annual Report 1997/98
April
1997 to March 1998
Regimental Museum Committee
Chairman Colonel J G de Cordova OBE
Major P E M
Oglethorpe TD
Lieutenant Colonel
J M Hardy
Lieutenant Colonel
P E Dew
Lieutenant Colonel
D Stopford
Major A C Booth
Lieutenant Colonel
A D C Whitton
ex officio
Lieutenant Colonel
S J A Flanagan MC (Regimental Secretary)
Dr A J White MA PhD
FMA FSA (Curator)
Cllr Janet Horner
Staff
Assistant Keeper
Peter Donnelly BA AMA
Introduction
What a
busy year it has been! We were all extremely busy during the summer and
autumn with work on the refurbishment of the museum having to be completed
by December. All went well, and we had a wonderful Royal opening. Things
have not exactly settled down since. Peter Donnelly, the museum keeper,
travelled to Bosnia in January to visit the 1st Battalion. His return to
the UK was followed by the opening of an exhibition on the role of the
Regiment out in Bosnia. Meanwhile all the usual museum happenings have
kept everyone busy and visitor figures are extremely healthy - outdoing
many Regimental Museums around the country.
Re-opening of the King’s Own Museum
The
re-opening of the King’s Own Museum took place on Wednesday 3rd December
by Her Royal Highness Princess Alexandra, Colonel in Chief, King’s Own
Royal Border Regiment in the presence of the Colonel of the Regiment and
many friends from the Regimental Family.
The
final touches had been done to the gallery on the Tuesday evening and the
Wednesday morning was left to the organising of the day’s events and
making sure everything went smoothly.
HRH
Princess Alexandra arrived on time from Lancaster University and set about
an impromptu walkabout around Market Square - this was certainly a nice
surprise for the waiting crowds. A camera crew from the BBC’s North West
Tonight programme covered the event.
After
cutting the ribbon to re-open the museum HRH met Peter Donnelly, who
guided the Princess around the gallery. The Princess was very interested
in the displays, particularly the militia uniform of Captain John Plumbe
which had recently been totally cleaned and conserved with assistance from
the North West Museums Service Art Conservation Fund. Objects brought
home from the Crimea by Major Paton, artefacts from the Abyssinian
Campaign and King Theodore’s drum of gold, reunited and on public display
for the first time, also created interest.
Time was
pressing by the time the First World War was reached. However the
Princess did notice a photograph of Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother,
visiting Bowerham Barracks in 1940. After a quick tour of the mezzanine
floor the Princess met some of the staff who had worked on the project
before other invited guests.
The day
went very well and we have had much positive feedback on the days events.
Thursday 4th December also saw a special viewing for more invited guests -
and we were pleased to see so many people along.
Thanks
go to everyone who was involved in the project, contributed financially to
the appeal or willingly gave their time or donated exhibits. We certainly
could not have done such an exceptional job without the continued support
of so many.
Collection Management
Now that
the refurbishment work is over, the priority for the future is to get the
King’s Own museum storage sorted. With the help of Cynthia Byrne and
Betty MacDonald the conditions of storage for our uniforms is second to
none. The work is nearly completed and we extend grateful thanks for all
of their work. We need now to look at our library, photographs and
documents and of course exhibits. Hopefully nothing more than time will
be needed to re-organise the stores and make better use of available
space. Some City Museum items still have to be moved to make way for
King’s Own items, but it is hoped that it will not be too long before this
happens.
On the
indexing and computerisation of records front again thanks must go to
Norman Rowlinson for all of his hard work. We now have all the names of
soldiers killed in the First World War computerised, which speeds up the
answering of enquiries.
Trustee Meetings
Two
meetings have been held during the year, in April and November. A
decision was made to de-activate all the firearms in the museum’s
collection to comply with new legislation. Reports were given on the
redisplay work and planning took place of the Royal Opening.
Enquiries and Research
We have
received more enquiries in the past twelve months than ever before.
Between April 1997 and March 1998 we have answered over one thousand
enquiries. They range from simple family history enquiries to very
detailed projects assisting authors with research for forthcoming
publications. Enquiries have been received from Australia, South Africa,
United States and Canada, France, Germany as well as all parts of the
United Kingdom.
Acquisitions
Once
again we have received some wonderful items. The medal groups to Sergeant
J Beresford DCM; Colonel William Carter DSO, MC; WO2 G W Bone; and
Sergeant J M Cross DCM, all reflect the continued importance of the museum
as a home for medal groups. The Silver Regimental bugle from Mr Raven of
Ulverston is a welcome addition - already on display. The material
purchased from the collection of the late ‘Happy’ Wilkinson of Ulvertson
has brought back to ‘the Regiment’ many important and historic items.
The full
list of acquisitions is printed below, and we extend a sincere thank you
to all the donors and supporters.
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KO2161
First World War trench maps. Gift of Mrs N J Bower, Oxford.
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KO2162
First World War bayonet. Gift of Mrs Pritchard, Caton, Lancaster.
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KO2163
Field and shelling dressings used by Caton Home Guard. Gift of Miss
Mashiter, Brookhouse, Lancaster. |
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KO2164
Letter and postcard relating to Sergeant McMillan MM (Medals in
collection) Gift of Mr McMillan, Lancaster. |
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KO2165 MID
certificate to donor, 20th December 1940 6th Battalion King’s Own. Gift
of Mr H Stewart, Isle of Wight. |
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KO2166
Book ‘A Wartime Engagement’ The 1916-1919 Correspondence of Charles
Overton and Muriel Harpin. Gift of Richard Overton, Warnham, West Sussex.
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KO2167
First War medal group to Sergeant J Beresford DCM, Long Service Good
Conduct Medal, sports medals (1920s), photographs and paperwork, book
‘Tanks and Weapons of World War One’. Gift of Mr Beresford, Morecambe.
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KO2168
DSO, MC and Bar, Queen’s South Africa Medal (named to Sergeant Carter),
1914-15 Star, British War Medal, Allied Victory Medal to Colonel William
Carter DSO MC. Photographs, paperwork, Silver spoon, Regimental plaque,
Regimental History (3 volumes). Gift of Miss Margaret Carter, Castle
Cary, Somerset. |
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KO2169
Books: ‘For Your Tomorrow - British Second World War Memorials’; ‘The Home
Guard’; ‘Shell Shock A History of Changing Attitudes to War Neurosis’;
‘Prelude to Magdala - Emperor Theodore of Ethiopia and British Diplomacy’;
‘Dictionary of World War Two’; ‘Churchill’s Desert Rats - From Normandy to
Berlin with The 7th Armoured Division’; ‘The American War 1812-1814’;
‘Afrikakorps 1941-43’; ‘Lawrence and the Arab Revolts’; ‘British Cavalry
Equipments 1800-1941’; ‘The Indian Mutiny’; ‘North West Frontier’; ‘Armies
of the Gulf War’; ‘The Zulu War’; ‘The British Army in the 1980s’;
‘Security Forces in Northern Ireland 1969-92’; ‘The Royal Marines,
1956-84’; ‘Canadian Campaigns 1860-70’; ‘Queen Victoria’s Enemies (4)
Asia, Australia and the Americas’; ‘The Royal Air Force 1939-45’; ‘The
Sudan Campaign 1881-1898’; ‘The Korean War 1950-53’; ‘The Boxer
Rebellion’; ‘The Australian Army At War 1899-1975’; ‘The Canadian Army at
War’; ‘The Malayan Campaign 1948-60’; World War Two Infantry in Colour
Photographs; ‘The King’s Regulations and orders for the Army, 1912’;
‘Supply Manual (War). 1909’; ‘Regulations for Army Ordnance Services Part
1 1912’; ‘The Non-Commissioned Officer’s Guide to Promotion. Lance
Corporal to Corporal and Corporal to Sergeant. March 1900’; ‘The Royal
Armoured Corps’; ‘Japanese Soldiers of the Burma Campaign Book One January
- March 1942 by Kazuo Tamayama’; ‘British and American Infantry Weapons of
World War 2’; ‘Then and Now or A Comparison Between the War with Napoleon
and the Present War by C H Firth Published 1918’; |
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Purchased. |
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KO2170
1949 Pattern Battledress blouse dated 1951, with King’s Own Shoulder
Titles. Gift of Mr Banks, Ingal, Preston. |
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KO2171
Book: ‘The Queen’s in the Middle East and North Africa, 1939-43’ Gift of
Mr R Johnson, Guildford. |
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KO2172
Photos King’s Own Rugby Team 1922-23 and 2nd Battalion returning from
Church parade, 1936, Wellington. Gift of Miss E V Hall, Euxton, Near
Chorley. |
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KO2173
Silver Bugle, King’s Own. Gift of Mr W K Raven, Ulverston.
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KO2174
Book ‘ The Rescue of Eliza Fraser’ by B Dwyer and N Buchanan. Gift of the
authors, Queensland, Australia. |
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KO2175
Photos King’s Own early 1950s. |
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KO2176
Paperwork of Alfred Lawton. Gift of Mrs Onions, Manchester.
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KO2177
British War Medal, Allied Victory Medal and paperwork of Pte John Yeudall.
Gift of Mrs Yeudall, Morecambe. |
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KO2178
Framed photograph ‘the Commanding Officer Lieutenant Colonel A R Aslett
with Officers, Warrant Officers I and II, Sergeants of the 2nd Battalion
King’s Own stationed in Ceylon, 1942. Gift of the Warrant Officers and
Sergeants Mess 4th Battalion King’s Own Royal Border Regiment.
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KO2179
Colt .455 Eley 6 Shot Revolver No 4388. Gift of Mrs Oglethorpe (not
previously acknowledged. |
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KO2180
Paperwork of Pte G Garside, 1st Battalion, circa 1905. Gift of Mr G
Garsdie, Rochdale. |
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KO2181
Paperwork of Cpl T B Ryle of 2nd Battalion, King’s Own, circa. 1866. Gift
of Mr Conduit, Shrewsbury. |
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KO2182
Record Book 4th Battalion King’s Own Royal Lancaster Regiment Territorial
Force circa 1914. Record Book Territorial Army (King’s Own 4/5th
Battalion) circa 1950 onwards. Brass plaque listing those of the Active
Service Companies of the King’s Own who served in South African War
1899-1902. Framed roll of 2/5th Battalion King’s Own, January 1917.
Framed photographs of the 2/5th Battalion, 1917. Gift of Mrs V Wilkinson
and family. |
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KO2183
1902 Pattern Khaki Service Dress (1902-04) with detachable shoulder
straps, red edging on straps and ‘R Lancaster’ shoulder titles. Kit bag
name tag to J Yates, A Coy, 1st Battalion. Comforts Funds 56th Anti-Tank
Regt labels. Army jumper and shirt. 1st Vol Battalion Scarlet Sergeants
Tunic, 1881 pattern. 4th Battalion Bugle, presented by Colonel Thompson
TD 1926. Small kit bag, housewife and contents, hair brush and horsehair
brush. Plates and soup dishes. 56th Anti-Tank Regt flag. Khaki Beret,
1944. Books: ‘Its Only me’ A Life of the Reverend T B Hardy VC DSO MC
1863-1918’; Home Guard instructions. Paperwork and photographs relating
to the Home Guard. 1942 dated wire cutters. Set of Simplex Valise
Equipment, including three part D Shaped mess tin, leather belts,
waterbottle, named to Colour Sergeant Preston, C Company, Dalton in
Furness, 4th Volunteer Battalion RLR. Ulverston Volunteers Cross Belt
Plate. King’s Own shoulder titles. Medals: Queen’s South Africa Medal
to Pte Chidle with the bars Relief of Kimberley, Paardeberg, Driefontein,
Johannesburg, and Diamond Hill. Unique to the King’s Own as the soldier
was attached to an Mounted Infantry Unit. King’s South Africa Medal to Pte
Chidle R Lanc R. Crimea Medal to William Evans 4th Foot Possibly the
husband of Mrs Evans. Queens South African Medal, Long Service and Good
Conduct Medal and Meritorious Service Medal to 2014 Col Sgt W J Jones.
Purchased from the late ‘Happy’ Wilkinson’s Collection. |
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KO2184
Photos unidentified King’s Own soldiers. Gift of Mr Cornthwaite,
Lancaster. |
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KO2185
Framed photograph of 2nd Battalion King’s Own, Officers Mess, India 1945.
Gift of Captain G C Royle. |
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KO2186
Photographic print of watercolour of Regimental Chapel by P H Marriner.
Purchased. |
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KO2187
Enlistment notice (1944) and Soldier’s Release Book to Sergeant W G Holden
(donor) and other paperwork and photographs. Gift of Mr W Holden, Wirral.
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KO2188
National Service Enlistment Notice to James Parker (donor) of Bamber
Bridge who served with the 1st Battalion King’s Own from 4th November 1954
to 1st November 1956. Army No. 23084074. Paperwork, photographs, pass,
railway timetable, and reunion tickets. Gift of Mr James Parker.
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KO2189
Model locomotive of King’s Own 6161 London Midland Scottish Railway Royal
Scot Class. Donated by Bachman Industries Europe Ltd. |
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KO2190
Various exhibits purchased for display use. |
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KO2191
Photographs: King’s Own in India 1935-36. Gift of unknown person who
passed photos to Mr Hailes of Lancaster, at the Tamworth v Lancaster
football match so that the photos could be passed to the museum.
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KO2192
Paperwork and photographs relating to donor who did National Service in
Korea with King’s Own. Gift of Mr Mulliner, Lancaster.
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KO2193
Photographs of the Graves of 3709368 Private B Keaney KORR 20 Jan 1943,
age 34, and 4451782 Private G W Harnby KORR 27 Sep 1942, age 32, in Sri
Lanka. Gift of Brigadier G C Barnett Colonel The Black Watch.
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KO2194
Photographs of the Graves of 27573 Pte P Godson 8th Battalion; 22253
Private Mark Jackson Arnold 8th Battalion; 22505 Private Henry George
Dutton 11th Battalion; 1976 Private Henry Mason 1/4th Battalion; 9363
Corporal A Kay 1st Battalion; 26748 Pte H Burrows 7th Battalion; 24285 Pte
A Petty, 22835 Cpl V Millward, and 27470 Pte R W Willan all 8th Battalion;
22253 Pte M Arnold of the 8th Battalion. Gift of Mr J Hodgson, Preston.
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KO2195
Postcards of Bowerham Barracks. Gift of Mrs M Gibbs, Warwick.
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KO2196
Shooting spoons awarded to donor whilst with 4/5th King’s Own. Gift of Mr
R Nicholas, Lancaster. |
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KO2197
Book: ‘War In Peace An analysis of warfare since 1945’. Gift of Mr A
True, Liverpool. |
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KO2198
Swagger cane of Private Albert Bamber and postcards from Boer and First
World Wars. Miniature Army shirt and New Testaments. Gift of Mr A
Simpson, and Mrs Beighton, Lancaster. |
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KO2199
Material relating to Sgt G W Bone. King’s Own Car Badge, silk
handkerchief, pen holder made from shells, ashtray made from shell,
tankard, spoons, photos and 1939-45 Medal Group, LSGC and MSM. Gift of Mr
Bone, Ayr. |
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KO2200
Photos of King’s Own in Korea. Gift of Lieutenant Colonel J M Hardy,
Lancaster. |
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KO2201
Photo and pewter tankard. Gift of Mr G Angus, Lancaster.
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KO2202
China pint pot, army issue 1967. Gift of Major Peter Taylor, Milnthorpe.
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KO2203
Photo, Depot staff, circa 1920a. Gift of Mr C Ward, Barrow in Furness.
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KO2204 DCM,
British War Medal and Allied Victory Medal to 202738 Sgt J M Cross, of the
1/4th Bn King’s Own. From the estate of Reginald John Ireland, late of
Greenways, Sunnyside Lane, Lancaster. Via Oglethorpe, Sturton and
Gillibrand. |
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KO2205
Slides of Taukkyan War Cemetery, near Rangoon. Gift of Mr P Yule, Barrow
in Furness. |
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KO2206
Manual of Map Reading and Field Sketching 1912, War Office. Gift of Mr
Edmondson, Over Kellett. |
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KO2207
Paperwork and 200291 Pte Edward Brockbank Dixon of the 4th Bn King’s Own.
1914-1919. Collection of ‘Silk’ postcards used for correspondence home.
Gift of Mr J Dixon, Clayton le Wood, Chorley. |
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KO2208
Small Arms Training and Infantry Section Leading booklets from 1938, and
pocket notes on identification of Germany Units, January 1941. Gift of
Mrs S Fagan, Morecambe. |
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KO2209
Pack of Regimental Playing cards. Gift of Lieutenant Colonel J M Hardy,
Lancaster. |
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KO2210
British War Medal and Allied Victory Medal to Pte J E Cooper. Gift of Mr
J E Cooper, Over Kellett. |
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KO2211
Photographs of South African Memorials. Gift of Mr Colfer, Winsham,
Chard. |
Talks
Lancaster Civic Society/Historical Association
Officers Mess 1st Bn
King’s Own Royal Border Regiment (in Bosnia)
Officers & Sergeants
Messes 1st Bn Duke of Wellington’s Regiment
Lancaster and
Morecambe Model Engineering Society
St. Paul's Hala Centre
Group
Membership
of Groups:
Association of the Museums Association
Newsletter Editor of
Science and Industry Collections Group
Member of the North
Western Federation of Museums and Art Galleries
Treasurer of King’s
Own Royal Border Regimental Association Lancaster Branch
The
Museum is a member of
The Western Front
Association
Military History
Society
Orders and Medals
Research Society
Army Historical
Association
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