King's Own Royal Regiment Museum

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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
 

© 2005 Trustees of the King's Own Royal Regiment Museum