Page 108 - MERCIAN Eagle 2021

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Cheshire
Military
Museum
The past year has once again proved a challenging one for everyone here at the Cheshire Military Museum. We remained closed to the public until May when we reopened, albeit with reduced opening hours. Our new opening times are Thursday – Sunday 11- 3.30 with last entry at 3pm. This year we have welcomed members of the 4th Battalion, Mercian Regiment and
the Queens Own Yeomanry to the museum for a guided tour. It has been lovely to see some old familiar faces and to welcome new ones too. The autumn also saw the return
of popular re-enactors Brenda and Paul Carden and their dog Molly, in both their World War One and World War Two roles. Additionally, new recruit Kieran Rizzotti visited us re-enacting as a member of the Cheshire Regiment, from the Boer War period.
The museum started the new academic year in September by hosting our first education groups since the start of the pandemic. It has been wonderful to see schools back in the museum after such a long time.
Education Grants
The museum received some much needed funding to help with the restarting of the education service which will make a huge difference to us going forward. Including LIIF funding endorsed by Army Regional Infrastructure Cell. This has been used to
Some of the ‘Fallen for the Fallen’ panels in their new home at the museum
acquire equipment for the Education room and for group visitors to use around the museum. The upgraded technology will also help with offsite talks, as it is portable.
We also successfully applied for a grant from the Sustainable Improvement Fund managed by Museum Development North West on behalf of the Arts Council. The grant will allow us to decorate the education room, fund consultation with schools by an outside consultant and enable us to acquire new teaching resources. It is hoped that this project will enable us to attract more school groups to the museum in the future.
Award for Services to Military Heritage
The New Year brought good news for the Museum, our researcher Geoff Crump was awarded the British Empire Medal in
the New Years honours list for services to military heritage. Geoff has completed 42 years of voluntary service at the museum, as the Regimental researcher and is a vital part of the team. This formal recognition of his huge contribution is richly deserved. He was presented with his award by HM Lord- Lieutenant of the County of Cheshire, Lady Redmond MBE at Tatton Park, Knutsford on the 4th of November 2021.
New Acquisitions
Despite the effects of the pandemic in 2021, the public have continued to donate interesting artefacts and archives, which will help us continue to tell the story of the soldiers of Cheshire. One such donation was the medals awarded to Frederick George Sims, who had served with the 6th Battalion during World War Two. Initially enlisted into the Middlesex Regiment before the war, he was shipped to Egypt with the 8th Middlesex. On arrival he
and his group were informed they were now members of the Cheshire Regiment! Both Regiments had, just prior to World War Two, been designated Machine Gun Support Regiments, operating the Vickers Medium Machine Gun. Because operating the Vickers was regarded as a specialist skill there were numerous occasions when
Geoff Crump BEM with his wife Jaqueline
The medal and archives relating to Private B. B. Griffiths
THE MERCIAN EAGLE