Page 147 - MERCIAN Eagle 2011

Foresters Museum
Major John Cotterill a trustee of the museum is representing the Museum in relation to the proposed events in 2014 to mark the outbreak of the First World War and is working with Nottingham City on this project which it would appear will be quite an event nationally.
Gifts from Dublin
with the Worcestershire
and Sherwood Foresters from 1970 to 2007. To date we have almost 10,000 photographs of individual Officers and men which we attach to their record and which can be brought up, in brief, on a touch screen in
the museum. If anyone has a photograph of himself or a relative who served we will be pleased to hear from you.
Earlier this year, Mr Eddie Edwards (Museum Archivist) and Cliff Housley went to Dublin to research the part played by the Sherwood Foresters in the Easter Rising
of 1916. They were very well received in Dublin and came back with more than enough photographs and information allowing them to build a new talk for the Museum Talks Programme, which we offer to schools and other interested groups
and societies. Within the last month the museum has received from our contact
in Dublin, a rifle oil bottle and a number
of badges and buckles, all of which were used by the Irish Volunteers, taking part
in the Rebellion. It is hoped a new display will be built around these items telling the story in brief of the part played by the four battalions of the regiment in Dublin in April 1916.
Working behind the scenes of the Museum, we have a splendid group of volunteers who have accepted specific tasks which will enhance the image (presentation of artifacts) and archival capabilities of the museum. Mel Siddons spends his time cleaning and mounting medals ready for display. Angela Tarnowski has taken on conservation of artifacts and is also involved in other vital paperwork. Michael Kirkby spends his time downloading the 7,000 photographs we have of our WWII War Diaries and typing them into usable word documents. Finally Cliff Housley continues to build the data-base of men who have served in
the regiment from 1941 onwards and we have currently details on some 12,000 plus men. In addition he has also built
up the Record of the several thousand Officers who have served within all of the battalions, Regular, Territorial and Service from 1741 to 1970. Also those who served
145
The Mercian Regiment Museum
(Worcestershire) by Major (Retd) Bob Prophet
As reported in the last issue, the Worcestershire Regiment Archives and Museum Reserve Collection moved to
the new TA Centre, Dancox House, in Pheasant Street, Worcester, in November 2010. The move from Norton Barracks
was masterminded and completed with
the utmost efficiency by Dave Sands, the Museum Attendant, with help from the many volunteers and a removal company. The permanent display remains in Worcester City Art Gallery and Museum and continues to attract large numbers of visitors – including schoolchildren as part of their education.
Before the move, new storage racking was installed in the stores so that the many boxes of archive papers and artefacts
could be put on shelves ready for sorting out at a later date. That process started immediately but it is likely to be many more months before a proper catalogue and index system can be produced. However, the researchers were able to start work almost immediately answering queries from the public and they have succeeded in keeping
up with the demand. The facilities in our
new building are superb with air-conditioned research room, large store and office. We have military and civilian telephone lines, five standalone MoD computers, a photocopier/ printer and we share a fax machine with 214 Bty RA (V), who, as the host unit in Dancox House, look after us extremely well. Our Volunteers’ main task
is to respond to the
many enquiries from
members of the public
(“What did Grandpa
do in the War?”). They
use their vast personal
knowledge of the Regiment and of the Archives to produce a detailed response
to the satisfaction of the enquirer. Other tasks include the continued filing and logging of documents and helping the Museum Attendant to tidy the new stores
– a thankless but very necessary task. Our regular Volunteers include Col (Retd) John Lowles, Lt Col (Retd) Pat Love (who has been a Museum Volunteer for over 22 years),
Maj (Retd) Roger Richards, Mr Doug Lucas, Gp Capt (Retd) John Barker (our medals expert) and Mr John Davies; this year, we have said a sad farewell to Mr Mick Wilkes although he pops in regularly to ensure that we are still working hard! In recent weeks, new faces have been seen in Dancox House as more volunteers come to see what it is
all about – thanks to Col John Lowles’ recruiting efforts.
Early in 2011, the Museum Trustees decided to keep up with changes in the Infantry
by renaming the Museum; another reason which prompted the Trustees to take action was the suggestion that Ministry of Defence support could be withdrawn from any regimental museum which does not reflect a current regiment. This hasn’t yet happened but it is a very real threat. It is the Trustees’ intention to create a “Helmand” exhibition and anyone who has anything of interest (maps, uniforms, enemy items, weapons etc) is asked to donate (or lend) that item to the museum.
We now have a large body of Trustees who are responsible for creating the policy to ensure the continued running and updating of the Museum and for ensuring that the Museum keeps abreast of current rules and regulations. We worked hard
to achieve full Accreditation in July 2009 (without this, MoD support would have been removed) and we have just heard that the Accreditation goalposts have moved: there is no question of our resting on our laurels as we now have new standards to maintain. Our Trustees are: Capt (Retd) Hugh Richards (Chairman), Brig Peter Dennis,
Lt Col Colin Marks (CO 2 MERCIAN), Lt
Col Dominic Wilford (CO 4 MERCIAN), Lt Col (Retd) Brian Clarke, Lt Col (Retd) Mark Jackson, Lt Col (Retd) Pat Love, Maj (Retd) Andrew Wadland, Mr John Davies, Cllr Andy Roberts, Mr Robin Hill (Curatorial Adviser), Maj (Retd) Bob Prophet (Treasurer), Ms Cindy Baines (Curator and Secretary).
The sole MoD employee in the Museum in Worcester is Mr Dave Sands, the Museum Attendant, who is responsible
to the Curator (and, therefore, de facto,
to the Chairman and Trustees) for the day-to-day running of the Museum. It is
he who accounts for, maintains and stores all artefacts – a never-ending task. Whilst sorting through the archives recently,
Dave Sands found and transcribed onto computer a book entitled “The Orders Diary of Septimus Henry Palairet 29th Regt of Foot”. The many entries, he has extracted, show what life was like in The 29th Regiment of Foot in 1834. Details of these extractions can be obtained by contacting Mr Sands.
“What did Grandpa do in the War?”
THE MERCIAN EAGLE