Page 72 - Bugle Spring 2025

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THE RIFLEMAN’S MUSEUM
The 2012 study of Army Museums
recommended that by 2030 there should
only be one MOD funded museum per active
Army regiment. Whilst easy for regiments
with limited amalgamations it is much
more difficult for The Rifles who have 11
antecedent regimental museums, 4 of which
are still MOD part funded. A 2023 study has
seen The Rifles Council decide to retain an
MOD funded ‘hub’ museum in Winchester,
while supporting the network of remaining
forming and antecedent RIFLES museums
across the country with RIFLES displays and
exhibitions.
The Royal Green Jackets (RIFLES)
Museum in Winchester holds the Army’s
Rifle Regiment collection back to the 1750s
and had previously hosted the small RIFLES
Collection. In late 2023 The Rifles Museum
Trust disbanded and passed its collection
and funding to the RGJ (RIFLES) Museum
Trust who agreed to create a more relevant
and appealing RIFLES display linking rifle
regiment history from the 1750s through to
the present day. The display will give serving
Riflemen a better
understanding
of their unique
heritage and
show the public
the consequent characteristics of the modern
regiment, its involvement in recent operations
and contribution to the United Kingdom’s
security.
This is a significant project for the museum
involving a change of name to The Rifleman’s
Museum, hiring and training new staff, a
new website with more of the collection and
history online, and a major enhancement to
the museum’s displays of the current regiment.
An initial description of what the ‘hub’ museum
might eventually provide includes:
a. A superb presentation and interpretation of
the story of Riflemen to the present day –
with a strong online element.
b. An online ‘Regimental History’
communications component including
educational resources for serving Riflemen.
c. An exhibition curatorial capability that
works with the network (forming and
antecedent museums and collections)
to generate, display and fund a RIFLES
presence within their permanent and/or
temporary exhibitions.
d. A history collection capability that
continuously collects, preserves and
digitises objects, documents, images, and
other media from recent and ever-growing
RIFLES history.
It will take several years, and significant
It will take
several
years, and
significant
additional
funding,
to achieve
this vision
but good
progress
has
already
been made
The museum name was changed
and a new website has been launched
(riflemansmuseum.co.uk). It has been rebuilt
from scratch and will eventually include a
large collection of online stories and artefacts
for remote access and to supplement museum
visits. The Museum has also just concluded a
comprehensive tender competition to redesign
the entrance, shop and RIFLES section of the
museum. The changes are principally aimed
at creating a more exciting and innovative
display of the current regiment, flowing from
its history. We expect to have some initial
drawings by February with the design phase
concluded by April followed by construction
tendering and fundraising with completion in
the Autumn. This work will help inform plans
for pop-up RIFLES heritage displays in other
antecedent museums which we would hope
to start rolling out in 2026. The museum is
also looking to create a new reference and
research area upgrading facilities largely
unchanged since the 1960s. This project will
follow on once the new RIFLES displays are
in place.
This transformation will create a new living
Rifle Regiment Museum which celebrates the
history and origins of Riflemen and connects
these to the current regiment. The museum
has funds for approximately half the cost
additional funding, to achieve this vision but
good progress has already been made.
of the project and so will be raising funds
later this year to ensure its completion. If you
would like further information then please
contact the Museum Curator at curator@
riflemansmuseum.com.