Page 117 - Mercian Eagle 2014

Wellesley’s position around Vimeiro Hill was attacked from the east by Junot. The Battle of Vimeiro was the first occasion on which Napoleonic offensive tactics combining skirmishers, columns and supporting artillery fire failed against the British infantry line thanks to Wellesley’s defensive skills. The lecture room in Dancox House was packed with over 50 Friends, their guests and a number of visitors who had seen the event advertised in the local Press.
The next meeting was held on Thursday 22nd May 2014 when Dr John Paddock and members of the team of volunteers held a “Show and Tell” evening, speaking about items in the stored collections on which they were working. Some very rare an special objects were available for inspection, including the recently purchased Brown Bess musket from the Napoleonic Wars
and medals and memorabilia relating to the Great War donated by the descendants of those who served. There were also displays about Worcestershire Regiment Prisoners
of War in 1939–45, historic Regimental photographs, 19th Century caricatures of members of the Regiment and late 18th and early 19th Century Commissions signed by George III and the Prince Regent. This was an exciting evening when the Friends were able to see behind the scenes, learn about the richness of the collections and enjoy a glass of wine with former comrades and old friends.
The Friends now boasts 65 members. Membership is open to anybody who is interested in the History and traditions of the 29th and 36th Foot, The Worcestershire Regiment, The Worcestershire and
Dr John Paddock (R) extols the virtues of the Brown Bess to Mick Wilks (L) and Mrs Pat Wilson (centre) at the Show and Tell
Sherwood Foresters Regiment and The Mercian Regiment. As well as two or three meetings a year in Worcester, members receive three full colour Newsletters
about the Museum and its collections. The current subscription is (at least) £15 for one person or (at least) £20 for two
people at the same address. Membership application forms are available from Pamela Langford at The Mercian Regiment Museum (Worcestershire), Dancox House, Pheasant Street, Worcester WR1 2EE; telephone 01905 721982 or e-mail admin- mercianregimentmuseum@btconnect.com.
Sherwood Foresters Museum
by Maj John Cotterill
We have had a complete changeover
of personnel at the Sherwood Foresters Museum. Angela Tarnowski has left after
2 years as Assistant Curator to become Curator of the 9th/12th Royal Lancers Museum in Derby. We thank her for
her efforts, particularly with our recent, successful Heritage Lottery Fund grant.
Her replacement is Jennifer Brookman who has a degree in History and a Masters in Museum Studies (compare with Pamela Langford in the Museum in Worcester: no shortage of knowledge!). Jennifer is not a complete stranger to The Mercian Regiment, having worked previously in the Museum
of The Staffordshire Regiment. She is now
busy planning our forthcoming gallery move within Nottingham Castle and learning the difference between the Alma and Anzio. She can be contacted on postmaster@ wfrmuseum.org.uk or on 0115 972 4498.
The running of the Museum has now been divorced completely from RHQ (Outstation) in Foresters House and the Museum and Archives are now run by the Museum Trustees. Following this recent re-organisation and the simultaneous departure of Andy McDougall and Angela Gutteridge, it would be wrong not to acknowledge the great debt owed by
the Museum to them for their long years of service in Foresters House. Andy has
been Chief Clerk/Office Manager here for 14 years and, although he has now retired from the Civil Service, he still helps out on
a voluntary basis with our accounts and website. We remain grateful for his firm sense of duty. Angela has been a clerk in Foresters House for 23 years, including
her time with 3 WFR. The place is simply not the same now without her cheerful and invariably helpful presence. She takes our best wishes with her to her new job with a horticultural firm in Beeston. As ever, the contribution of the volunteers is invaluable in the never-ending task of accessioning and photographing artefacts and in answering the non-stop stream of enquiries.
THE MERCIAN EAGLE
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