Page 121 - MERCIAN Eagle 2015

New Acquisitions
The museum has also received a number of new acquisitions, with the most important being the medals of Brigadier Charles Morris, whose family donated the medals
to the museum. Brigadier Morris had a very active service with the 2/5th Battalion of
the Sherwood Foresters: serving in North Africa and Italy during the Second World War, Malaya (where he was Lt Col for the Malay Regiment), Singapore and Libya. Brigadier Morris passed away in 2002 and his children, Charles Morris Junior and Cara Cowen presented the museum with their father’s medals. The Museum would like to thank the Morris Family for presenting the museum with these special medals.
Other additions to the collection include
a photograph album of a WWI POW, Private Ernest Plates. Having enlisted
on 10 December 1915, he joined the 3rd Battalion on 16 February 1916, and was captured by the Germans on 31 August 1916. Ernest was held in Friedrichsfeld Bie Wessel and the photograph album captures his experience of what life was like in the camps. Another notable addition was the Last Will and Testament of Private Charles Keenan, who joined the 1st Battalion, The Sherwood Foresters in 1914, and wrote
his will at Woolly and Moody’s solicitors in Derby (who are still in practice today) before going to war. Private Keenan was killed in action two years later at the Somme.
Finally, we received the Distinguished Conduct Medal of Sergeant Harold Wilson,
which had been bequeathed to the
museum by Mrs Annie Buck of Chesterfield. Sergeant Wilson served in the 1/8th Battalion and was awarded the DCM for
his actions at Bellenglise on 29 September 1918, Montbrehaine on the 3 October and in Regnicourt on 17 October 1918. He showed courage and devotion, as he commanded his platoon and gained all objectives.
To add to the Mercian part of our collection, we have received the uniforms of Lt Col (Retd) Bill Temminck and the late Sgt C Brelsford MC. The uniforms are
a great addition to the collection as we
continue to build upon the MERCIAN part of the collection. We are actively seeking Mercian Regiment items for our collection and we would welcome any new additions from serving and retired MERCIAN soldiers from Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire. The museum would like to say thank you for
a
e
a
p
.
p
l
l
l
t
l
t
a
s
h
h
t
y
o
o
s
s
e
e
w
e
w
a
a
a
r
r
r
.
.
h
h
o
h
o
h
a
a
v
v
e
d
e
d
o
o
n
n
a
a
t
t
e
e
d
i
d
i
t
t
e
e
m
m
s
o
s
o
v
v
e
e
r
t
r
t
h
h
e
p
a
a
s
s
t
t
y
y
e
e
TRUSTEES AND VOLUNTEERS WANTED
We are actively looking for museum trustees and volunteers to continue to preserve the rich heritage of the Mercian Regiment, Worcestershire and Sherwood Foresters and Sherwood Foresters. If you have an interest in preserving regimental heritage and ethos and an enthusiasm for seeing the museum develop and prosper as one of the best museums in the country as well as having a ‘hands on’ attitude to achieving museum objectives please contact Lt Col M A Holden A/Chairman for further details at curator@ stand-firm-strike-hard.org.uk
DEPARTURES
Finally, we would like to offer the sincere thanks to Major (Retd) John Cotterill MBE, Cliff Housley and Andy McDougall, all of whom have stepped down from museum posts
this year. John and Cliff as trustees have been at the forefront of all major museum projects and activities for more than 25 years. They have been instrumental in proactively promoting and preserving regimental history and ethos. Their departure leaves a huge gap in our midst. Andy has been our book keeper coming out of retirement last year to help us through a difficult period. We wish to thank them all for their loyalty and support over many years’ service.
THE MERCIAN EAGLE
119