Page 262 - Rifles 2017 Issue No 3

WE ARE ALSO
PLEASED TO
HAVE BEEN
AWARDED
OUR FIRST
TRIP ADVISOR
CERTIFICATE
OF
EXCELLENCE
WHICH WE
HOPE WILL
BE THE FIRST
OF MANY
Shropshire Regimental Museum
Over this past year the museum has been fortunate in securing a number of grants that have enabled it to carry out various projects both in the galleries and behind-the-scenes. One of these grants, kindly provided by the Army Museum’s Ogilby Trust, has enabled us to purchase good-quality replica children’s uniform for our younger visitors to try on during their visit. Another grant, awarded by the Association of Independent Museums, was used to improve the care and storage of the museum’s reserve collections, while making them more easily accessible to researchers and creating more useable space in the storeroom. Running alongside both projects the museum also carried out an audience development project with the aim of evaluating the current visitor experience and how the displays might be improved to encourage new and repeat visitors across all ages.
For the rst time in recent years the museum has had an active involvement in Armed Forces Day by providing archival images for a midnight son et lumière which launched the event in Shrewsbury, while also running a small pop-up museum in the Quarry Park the following day. The weekend was a great success and generated a lot of interest in the museum which we hope will help to raise the pro le of the museum locally. We are also pleased to have been awarded our rst Trip Advisor Certif- icate of Excellence which we hope will be the rst of many as we continue to strive to improve our visitor experience.
We continue to receive regular donations of artefacts for the museum collections, a highlight of which is the sword of Major General Sir Charles T. Dawkins KCMG CB. The kind donors of the sword had found it hidden in the back of the attic, and although they managed to trace the previous owner of the house it was decided that the sword should
come to the museum. Major General Dawkins was gazetted to the 85th KLI in May 1878 and served in the Second Anglo-Afghan War and Second Boer War, in which he was twice mentioned in despatches and awarded the Brevet rank of Lieutenant Colonel. In August 1905 he took over command of the 1st Bn KSLI and held this appointment for four years. From 1910 until 1914 he was AQMG Eastern Command, and upon the outbreak of war became AQMG to the General Staff, General Headquarters, France. In October 1914 he was promoted Brigadier General, and less than a year later became Major General and CB. In the latter part of November 1917 he was invalided home and died just two years later from the illness he contracted on duty in France. We hope to put the sword on display in earlier 2018.
For more information on upcoming events, news about the Museum, or to join our Friends Associ- ation, please visit our website at www.shrop- shireregimentalmuseum.co.uk, where you will also nd our online shop and research service.
260 REGIMENTAL ASSOCIATIONS
THE RIFLES