Army Museums Ogilby Trust Annual ReviewAnnual 2020 Review 2019-20

www.armymuseums.org.uk 1 Army Museums Ogilby Trust Annual Review 2020 Army Museums Ogilby Trust Annual Review 2020

AMOT Annual Review 2019-20

Chairman’s report 4 Director’s report 5

AMOT news Patrons FM Sir John Chapple GCB CBE DL AMOT update 6 Sir Robert Crawford CBE AMOT World War I digitisation project update 8 Chairman Lt Gen Sir Philip Trousdell KBE CB Heritage sector updates Deputy Chairman Archive assistance 10 Major General David McDowall CBE War and Conflict Subject Specialist Network 16 Trustees Mr Jeremy Archer Digital skills for heritage 18 Ms Christine Bernath Mr James Codrington Colonel Steve Davies MBE Netwrok projects Brigadier Charles Grant OBE Major General Craig Lawrence CBE The Royal United Services Institute 19 Brigadier Allan Mallinson The Royal Signals Museum 22 Mr Timothy Parkes TD Ms Tansy Robson REME Museum 26 The Hon Mrs Katherine Swinfen Eady Cumbria’s Museum of Military Life 28 Director The Army Flying Museum 32 Andrew Lloyd MBE The Scottish Horse 35 Deputy Director The Regimental Museum of The Royal Welsh 39 Jennifer Allison

Front Cover: © REME Museum Research

Registered Charity No. 250907 Decoding distinguishing marks 40 58 The Close, Salisbury, Wiltshire, SP1 2EX Fusiliers in captivity 42 Telephone: 01722 332 188 Email: [email protected] www.armymuseums.org.uk Learn more...

Produced by Kate Knowles Alabaré 44 Military Publications and Communications [email protected] Waterloo: Living History 46

2 www.armymuseums.org.uk www.armymuseums.org.uk 3 AMOT news Army Museums Ogilby Trust Annual Review 2020 Army Museums Ogilby Trust Annual Review 2020 AMOT news Deputy chairman’s report Director’s report by Major General David McDowall CBE by Andrew Lloyd MBE

I was delighted to accept the invitation to become Vice Chairman of AMOT earlier this year, If there is one theme that has been a constant backdrop to the work of AMOT since we were and I take this opportunity to pay tribute to my predecessor, Brigadier Charles Grant. I know founded by Robert Ogilby in 1954 it is public access. This has moved collections from the that the chairman and my fellow Trustees are delighted to know that Charles will continue to private preserves of the regimental messes to endowed museums. We have adapted to museum serve on the Board. development over the years with educational outreach and travelling exhibitions and hands on visitor experiences. Our curatorial staff are probably better trained and museum experienced These have been difficult times for all the museums to visit again. than at any time in our collective history and present a closer reflection of the nation. within the AMOT network, and AMOT staff have I wish to pay tribute to the AMOT staff who have aimed to support collections in a number of ways, been available by phone and email throughout this This memorable year in all our lives has presented much more. depending on the individual need. crisis, to discuss any issues which museums have. new challenges none of us expected and we have met We as a team have enjoyed working with you over AMOT, like all organisations, has had to adapt quickly the challenge but not without some bruising. AMOT this year and thank you for your vital role in preserving Resilience and no doubt this will impact on our ongoing future will try to help where it can over the next months and and creating an accessible national treasure house of Army museums have demonstrated their tenacity way of working. you will hear more quite soon. military heritage. 2021 is almost upon us and launching and resilience by adapting to the demands of the TOM will feature high on the events calendar for Thank you current environment. Deeply grateful AMOT and the over 100 participating collections. We are not out of the woods yet, but I believe that I pay the same tribute to the Trustees, curators and The Ogilby Muster (TOM) has dominated our work the last few months have not only demonstrated the all members of staff in army museums throughout the over much of 2020 and we are deeply grateful for Fabric of our nation ability of the network museums to rise to a challenge, it United Kingdom and thank you for your continued the interest, enthusiasm and occasional constructive We will not forget the more routine business of has also shown the support which they have from their dedication and efforts. criticism you have contributed. This digital future telling the stories and keeping the British Army in the local and national communities in their desire to be able We will meet again. is going to grow in importance and will extend well family fabric of our nation which is our core mission. beyond archives to artefacts, marketing, research and Stay safe and keep in touch

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Rather than division by job or responsibilities, all of those AMOT updates signed up will have access to all discussions taking place, increasing the opportunity Covid 19 network. We will continue to monitor the guidance to share best practice, to As the impact of Covid-19 began to be felt and and will stay in touch with our members to keep them ask for advice and to lockdown was implemented in early 2020, AMOT staff updated on any changes which come about as a result offer support. faced similar issues to other organisations across the of Covid-19. If you would like UK and needed to adapt to a new way of operating. to find out more, Trustee Changes The AMOT team moved to home working, and or if you are a despite some internet ‘hiccups’ and a few other issues, The Army Museums Ogilby Trust has welcomed member in the we were up and running within a couple of weeks three new Trustees to its Board in 2020. network and and able to respond to the network, offering support Major General Craig Lawrence CBE was the Director would like to It’s hard work working for AMOT for funding applications, signposting to appropriate of Joint Warfare and is now a lecturer at the Royal sign up for resources and helping with other requests for College of Defence Studies. Craig is also a published the group, please get in information and advice. Home working created some author, with his first book being a commemorative touch. challenges, but it also had its benefits, including some history of the Gurkha Regiment: The Gurkhas: 200 AMOT Project Grants four-footed work colleagues who were keen to offer Years of Service to the Crown (Uniform, 2015). their support! Ms Tansy Robson is a policy adviser in the Strategy The 2020 Project Grants programme took place as Our focus moved from physical meetings to online and Design Team at the Department for International scheduled at the beginning of 2020. Unfortunately, digital engagement and we have continued working Trade having previously worked at the Cabinet Office soon after informing successful applicants, the impact Sybil finds the Northumberland Fusiliers’ article fascinating in this way for the majority of 2020. Those meetings and the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI). Tansy of Covid-19 became known. Projects were put on which were scheduled and could be moved online went has an MSc in International Relations and War Studies, have increased in user numbers and have been a useful hold, some had to be cancelled and others had to be ahead, and those that required in person attendance is an RAF Reservist and has a keen interest in military tool for sharing information such as reports from adapted in order to proceed. Work continues with these were delayed until guidance allowed for them to take history. the wider heritage sector, and resources such as risk applicants to see how best AMOT can support them place. Mrs Katherine Swinfen Eady is a professional assessments. and their organisation with the work which they wish Digital meetings have been especially successful for artist having trained at the Edinburgh School of Art. It quickly became apparent that the majority of to undertake. us. We now host our own Trustee meetings online and Katherine has an MA in War Studies and has published staff working in museums in the AMOT network The AMOT Project Grants programme has always have found that we are able to arrange digital meetings a memoir of an officer-ancestor: Cornerstones: The wear multiple hats in order to carry out their roles. remained flexible in regard to the projects which the with partners, old and new, which would have been Life of HM Farmar, from Omdurman to the Western A curator might be responsible for education and Trust would fund and support. Our guidance attempted problematic pre-Covid. Front (Helion, 2018). policy development, a director might be responsible to be non-specific in regard to what we would or Access to our offices in Salisbury became possible We bid farewell to Justin Maciejewski DSO MBE, for front of house management and enquiries, and an wouldn’t fund to avoid restricting what a museum from July 2020. However, the period of lockdown and Director of the National Army Museum who decided education officer might be heavily involved in object would apply for and to encourage the development the time since has given AMOT the opportunity to to leave the Board in February in order to focus on his cataloguing and exhibitions. We have also recognised of projects which might be difficult to fund from other consider its future working style. Working from home work as a trustee for a non-heritage charitable trust. We that information which one group is aware of and sources. and restricting travel to other locations has not only thank him for his contributions during his term with discussing could be of use to other groups — cue a lot Due to the impact which Covid-19 has had on reduced Trust expenditure, which can be redirected into AMOT and wish him well. of cross-posting between pages. For those who had almost all of the museums in the network, the AMOT the network, but has also reduced the carbon footprint signed up to all four, having to log in and track four 2021 Project Grants programme will be adapted. We of the Trust, an incredibly important consideration for Slack Support Groups different accounts is not the best use of a person’s time. will offer further guidance and structure and will any organisation. Soon after lockdown was implemented, AMOT It was intended that these groups would be in place require more information from applicants. AMOT has been able to show that staff can continue established four online support groups for use by throughout the lockdown period, but we feel that they Information regarding the AMOT Grants with the core responsibilities of the Trust despite the its members using the platform Slack. These groups could continue to be a useful resource for our members programme will be circulated via the AMOT newsletter restrictions which were put in place. As such, we will covered four key areas of museum operations: in the coming months. As such, we plan to continue to and will be available on our website. Once information now introduce a mix of home and office working. Collections, Education, Front of House and ‘Director’ offer them for the foreseeable future. However, having has been made available, if you wish to discuss your This will have little to no impact on museums and which represented those responsible for areas such as recognised the varied nature of job roles across our project or ideas, or if you have any concerns regarding collections and we will remain flexible in our approach policies, governance and senior management decisions. network, in November 2020 the four groups will merge the application process, please feel free to contact so that we can continue to respond to the needs of the During the lockdown period and since, these groups into one — the AMOT Army Museums Support Group. [email protected].

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AMOT World War I digitisation project update by Simon Chandler-Barratt, Project Manager - AMOT World War I Digitisation Project

AMOT secured funding (funded by the Chancellor using LIBOR Funds) for the purpose of the digitisation of document archive material; prioritising on World War I within a date range of 1900-1929; and for the preservation and access of material, giving research and public access. The project commenced in April 2017.

Current State of Play – Covid-19 Statement Digitisation Programme With the potential for delay from the current global Max Communications Ltd are continuing to digitise pandemic, AMOT are pleased to report that the LIBOR- material held at their Woolwich site and we are in funded project has continued to progress through detailed discussions on the planning and logistics implementation due to the sterling efforts of the AMOT of returning material, held at Woolwich, to available project team, the available participating collection participating collection holders, operating in line with holders and our contracted suppliers. Covid-19 guidelines. A programme has been agreed The project team understood that this was going to and is in progress. be an incredibly challenging time and as we all moved As an enhancement to the original brief we added forward into the developing “new normal” world an extra layer of metadata to the collections, enabling landscape, were mindful of the workload involved in transcription of key words within handwritten able to continue to work remotely throughout the that endeavour and are working hard to support the documents giving increased searchability. Covid-19 lockdown period. participating collection holders. The project has been The platform gives access and a search function for fortunate in being able to continue throughout the The Ogilby Muster Platform the digitised material, some of which has highlighted lockdown period and the project team have been in Following a rigorous OJEU (The Official Journal of the range, depth and interest of this very important daily contact with our main suppliers to ensure project the European Union) Procurement Process, the project time of British history. The collection includes some progression. appointed Imagen Ltd as the platform provider on 25 poignant, personal accounts of individual and family We are grateful to the collection holders for all their November 2019. stories, shared for the first time through this project. organisations outside of the network, nationally hard work and effort, especially during these difficult Imagen Ltd are progressing the ingest of collections’ The Ogilby Muster Platform currently holds over and internationally, who have expressed interest in times. material to The Ogilby Muster platform and have been 1.4 million media objects, documents, audio and video collaboration, which we are continuing to develop and recordings. These figures are increasing daily. link to our ongoing strategy for the sustainability of the We adapted the planned induction training for project. collection users from face to face to online training The Ogilby Muster Platform Key sessions in line with the Covid-19 guidelines. These Stakeholders Event – pre-launch have been well supported, well received and are ongoing. Following this induction, we will be working AMOT is intending to host a key stakeholder’s event with external agencies and network members to in the spring of 2021. Invitations will be extended to develop and offer a wider suite of courses in the future participating agencies who have been supportive of the as the platform develops. project and participating collection holders. Watch this space as we continue to move forward Representation with the launch and development of the Ogilby Muster The network collections are well represented Platform. AMOT and the project team will continue to throughout the United Kingdom and in some cases work closely with the participating collection holders cover the totality of the region. and our chosen suppliers on this exciting journey to The project has received enquiries from ensure continuing success and project sustainability.

8 www.armymuseums.org.uk www.armymuseums.org.uk 9 Heritage sector updates Army Museums Ogilby Trust Annual Review 2020 Army Museums Ogilby Trust Annual Review 2020 AMOT projectAMOT grants news Archive assistance by Caroline Sampson Development Manager, National and Networks, The National Archives

I’m sure we’ll all have thought, read and heard many variations on this same sentence recently but doesn’t it seem incredible that just a few short months ago, we were only beginning to hear and think about something called coronavirus? We couldn’t have imagined the impact it would have on our lives, both personal and professional. 2020 really has been the most exceptional year and the repercussions could be with us for a good while yet.

The National Archives has, like other organisations the situation has evolved has, for me, been one of the in the cultural and heritage sector, been working its most striking aspects of the crisis. I was on leave when way through the COVID-19 challenges. For us, it’s lockdown was announced and didn’t even have a been a blend of making arrangements to close down chance to collect my laptop from my desk drawer! and then gradually re-open our own site at Kew, our sector leadership role and our responsibilities as a Support government department in our own right. The latter Alongside our own internal adjustments, such as has included advising DCMS on the impact of the swiftly enabling staff to work from home, we had pandemic on the sector and advocating for resources to move incredibly quickly to provide support for to support archive services through these tough times. archives who were making their own service closure arrangements. And therein lies one of our biggest Rapidity challenges — the sheer diversity of the archive sector, I am part of the Archive Sector Development comprising national museums, county archive services, Department at The National Archives and have been small specialist services, and museums like yourselves at the heart of communicating with the archive sector with archive holdings. Those working with archives throughout the emergency. The rapidity with which understandably turn to us as the lead body for the archives sector for guidance and reassurance that their decision-making is sound. In reality, every archive service or organisation which owns and manages archive collections is different. Staffing levels, premises and collections all differ widely across the sector and so solutions are not, and cannot be, ‘one size fits all’.

Flexible Our response regarding closure arrangements was a blend of ‘the big picture’ — updating official statements for key programmes such as Places of Deposit and Archive Service Accreditation - and responding to individual questions and enquiries. We also made our grant schemes more flexible. We extended application deadlines and explored with current grant recipients the opportunities to adapt projects that were already underway to reflect the changed circumstances. Overall, our key message remained that, while our

10 www.armymuseums.org.uk www.armymuseums.org.uk 11 Heritage sector updates Army Museums Ogilby Trust Annual Review 2020 Army Museums Ogilby Trust Annual Review 2020 AMOT training grants

Kew site itself was closed at the time, Archive Sector that The National Archives itself was taking at Kew, Development was very much open for business. In all recognising the interest from across the sector in how cases, we suggested a risk assessment approach tailored we ourselves were approaching the challenges. Deliver a wide variety of information to your to the specifics of individual services’ circumstances. The speed and enthusiasm with which the heritage Keeping staff, users and collections safe was and and cultural sector has embraced video and other visitors’ mobile phones. Quickly and easily. remains at the heart of all planning. virtual platforms has for me been one of the real success stories of the pandemic. We have joined others in Inform swiftly adapting our existing training and engagement Early on, we took steps to capture the impact of offer to be delivered virtually instead of face to face. COVID-19 disruption on the wider archive sector by From locked-down AV.... Skills and confidence circulating a brief survey. The main purpose of this was ...to multimedia by phone to inform our plans for sector support now and in the One of our big lockdown successes has been future, and to understand the reality of this sudden the Novice to Know-How online training resource, In half a day! change to our normal ways of working. We are very providing learners with the skills and confidence grateful to colleagues across the sector for providing required to implement a simple and proactive digital From £120 useful intelligence about their experiences and will be preservation workflow within their organisation. following up with a more detailed survey in the coming Demand has been incredibly high and we’ve received months. really positive feedback as colleagues working from We also ran webinars on business continuity, which home have seized the unexpected opportunity to target acted both as an information-gathering exercise for a key piece of CPD or tackle a known issue within their ourselves to inform future event planning but, also to organisation. bring colleagues together to share stories of what went well and what didn’t in a badly needed ‘get things off Collaboration your chest’ session. Collaboration has been another key theme for me. TNA has been working with the Archives and Records Generous Association (ARA) to support the record keeping We have published headline findings from the sector in as many ways as possible. We have provided survey and webinars and graphs of these findings additional funding to help ARA set up a COVID-19 on our website. I’ve been struck repeatedly by how support hub - ARA Together - and also helped fund generous colleagues across the sector have been in the creation and launch of the History Begins at Home supporting each other at this time, and how kind and project. understanding everyone is as many of us take our Colleagues from across the sector have come first steps into virtual event delivery and new ways of together to provide mutual support, share experiences working. and contribute to events and activities. I became an We have more plans in the pipeline so do keep an archivist 30 years ago and colleagues’ generosity and eye out for more events that may be of interest. willingness to share remain one of the key reasons why I have found working in the heritage and cultural sector Making plans so rewarding. It seemed that no sooner had services closed than we InfoAktiv Mobile provides a Covid-safe alternative to Update were starting to get questions about making plans for audio points, video points, tour guides and handouts. re-opening. Once again, we realised that it would not We continue to monitor official guidance as it Book a free trial today. be sensible or appropriate for us to try to issue formal evolves and update our making plans for re-opening guidance or instructions on what to do or not to do. webpages as necessary, sharing links and updates with Instead we advocated a risk assessment approach once networks and services on an ongoing basis. If AMOT 01730-320322 | https://infoaktiv.co.uk/infoaktiv-mobile | [email protected] again, and shared on our website a series of overarching members with archive collections have any concerns or principles to guide local planning, supported by lists queries about the implications of the pandemic on their of useful resources and checklists of things to consider. service or collections, please don’t hesitate to get in Touch Audio Multi- Virtual We also published some information about the steps touch with us at [email protected] Screen Visual Media Reality

12 www.armymuseums.org.uk www.armymuseums.org.uk 13 Advertorial Army Museums Ogilby Trust Annual Review 2020 Army Museums Ogilby Trust Annual Review 2020 Advertorial Solutions to cope with Coronavirus by Dave Slater, InfoAktiv

Practical solutions to get the best out of interactive AV post-lockdown. Visit https://infoaktiv.co.uk/solutions-to-counter-covid/ for more details.

Protect - Reassure - Innovate Reinforce safety measures and messages Touch screens and AV equipment are among the easiest things to keep clean, however some visitors will • Use video loops in still be circumspect about using them. Here are some reception to reassure practical solutions to keep your touch screens and AV visitors and explain your equipment hygienic and reassure people that they are site’s safety measures. safe visiting your museum. You can also use technology • Position screens and to your advantage; proactively managing risks, creating listening points to new options for visitors to access information, and encourage social using volunteers’ lock-down time to create new content. distancing. • Reduce face-to-face contact by using audio, video Encourage people to visit by reassuring and interactive screens to provide information and them they are safe answer common questions that visitors have. Use DEEP CLEAN SCREEN software to ensure that • Put messages on touch screens to remind users to touch screens and other items are cleaned and sanitised sanitise their hands. properly. For £30 this covers a base in your risk • Use your touch screens to play looping videos assessment and reassures the public that they are safe and/or direct visitors to InfoAktiv Mobile. Free offers and support for AMOT museums in your premises by displaying the ‘PROTECTED BY • Replace conventional push-buttons on audio DEEP CLEAN SCREEN’ logo. https://deepcleanscreen. points, lighting and other electronic displays with “InfoAktiv Refresher” and “PowerPoint for InfoAktiv” courses com/. short range ‘electronic eyes’. Half-day online classes to brush up your skills followed by one-on-one time to review your displays and help you to optimise them. These are free for AMOT museums until the end of 2020. Let visitors use their smartphones to view Virtual tours information Virtual tours are a great way to keep in the public Post-Lockdown AV Guidance Eliminate the need to touch audio players, video eye and engage with people who can’t visit. Free review of your AV installation and requirements, guidance on how to make it safe points, handheld ‘paddles’ and walk-around tour There are many different approaches to suit every and how to make the most of it emerging from lockdown. All systems are eligible for review, devices. This is normally fast, simple and cheap to do organisation’s needs and budget. regardless of whether they were supplied by InfoAktiv. by using InfoAktiv Mobile to provide the content on At one extreme you can have everything done for visitors’ own mobile devices. https://infoaktiv.co.uk/ you, or you can save a lot of money by doing the work Free Virtual Tour Hosting infoaktiv-mobile/ in-house. https://infoaktiv.co.uk/virtual-tours/. All virtual tours created by InfoAktiv are eligible to have two scenes hosted free of charge on our shared virtual tour portal. This has the benefits that: 1) You only need to link to it from your web site instead of A simple revenue opportunity Use ‘down time’ to create new displays having the technical challenge of installing it on your own site and 2) you can benefit from other visitors Provide touch screen styluses for visitors who really and content to the portal clicking through to your web site. https://infoaktiv.co.uk/virtual-tours-military-museums/. don’t want to touch anything. Raise money by having If your volunteers are confined to quarters there is them branded with logos as a souvenir item to sell a huge amount of creative work and research they can Payment Holiday on Site Licenses in your gift shop. Beware that touch screens can be do refreshing and creating new interactive displays. If you have an annually paid site license for InfoAktiv software damaged by hard-tipped styluses and gadgets. Make The hard part is doing the research, getting it on your we will not be charging for the lock-down period. sure to use soft-tipped ones that are designed for touch InfoAktiv systems is easy. And we’re always available Contact [email protected] if you would like to take advantage of any of these offers screens. to help!

14 www.armymuseums.org.uk www.armymuseums.org.uk 15 Heritage sector updates Army Museums Ogilby Trust Annual Review 2020 Army Museums Ogilby Trust Annual Review 2020 Heritage sector updates War and Conflict Subject Specialist Network Reviewing our first year, July 2019 – July 2020 by Charlotte Pearce, War and Conflict Subject Specialist Network Manager

The War and Conflict Subject Specialist Network (SSN) is a partnership programme led by Digital Portal, Mapping the Centenary, launched on Imperial War Museums with the generous support of Arts Council England, to build capacity, the IWM website in June 2020. The portal contains connections and confidence in the cultural heritage sector. Our aim is to share knowledge and information about projects undertaken by SSN skills amongst the many organisations and groups across the UK and further afield, who look at members and other organisations that marked the stories of war and conflict from the First World War to the present day. We also have a strand First World War Centenary from 2014-2019. This was that focuses on Wartime Aviation Heritage, kindly supported by Art Fund. supported by a programme of in-person and online The SSN is free to join, and open to those who also communicate with our members via our regular events to share best practice on digital archiving and work for or with not-for-profit organisations. We enewsletters and @IWM_Network Twitter. preservation, including a webinar in partnership with welcome members from the museums and galleries the University of Glasgow and the Digital Preservation sector, community organisations, national and local Building knowledge and sharing skills Coalition. government, heritage institutions, performing arts The core of the SSN is to share specialist knowledge We were also delighted to have been awarded groups, and from the education sector. We have more and develop good practice for telling stories relating funding from The Esmée Fairbairn Collections than 450 members, throughout the UK and in several to war and conflict. To this end, we provide a secure Fund, delivered by the Museums Association, for a overseas countries including Japan, USA and Australia. online file sharing service, where members can access new project entitled Connecting, sharing, learning: In this article, we will reflect on our first year of and share content such as historical resources and sustaining relationships between collections and activity from July 2019 – July 2020, and look ahead to guidance documents. Recent examples include digitised older communities during the COVID-19 pandemic. our future plans, particularly in light of COVID-19. collections material relating to the anniversaries of the Between July 2020 and June 2021, IWM will work with Cold War study visit August 2019 Battle of Britain and of the end of the Second World SSN members to pilot a programme which trials new Networking opportunities War, including film, photographs and timelines. methods of digital engagement with people aged 70 “It has been useful and a benefit to us.” In July 2019 we held our first SSN event, closely Additionally, we have a range of practical resources and over — both those living at home and those in followed by a launch event for the Wartime Aviation relating to social media, podcasting and fundraising, all residential care — with long-term benefits for audiences “What they have done so far is great, more of the Heritage strand in August 2019. At these events we of which are particularly relevant as we adjust to new and organisations. same in the future.” invited short presentations from our members, and ways of working. encouraged informal discussion and networking. Before COVID-19 we held study visits, where Reflections 2020 Conference Following on from this, we held a further three small groups of SSN members spent two days visiting Continuous evaluation and being responsive to the The ‘next normal’: engaging with schools with networking events in different locations so as to attract different cultural institutions and looked at alternative needs of our members is crucial for the success of the stories of war and conflict, in light of COVID-19, regional audiences, and we welcomed more than 100 practices and approaches to specific subjects. We SSN. A survey of SSN members conducted in May 2020 Thursday 19 and 20 November 2020 people in total. continue to offer this digitally, by providing skills-based has been invaluable in helping us to look back over our The COVID-19 pandemic has dramatically affected We also created an online Register of Expertise, workshops and conference-style events, all of which first year, and to make future plans in the challenging the ways that children learn, and the heritage sector available on the SSN pages of the IWM website. This are free for our members to attend. In July 2020 we also context of COVID-19. Below is some of the wonderful faces the challenge of adapting to this. This online is a searchable directory of SSN members, which launched a partnerships blog on the IWM website, and feedback we received in the survey — we hope that conference will consider how we can continue to includes their basic information and their particular invite members to write guest posts so as to showcase you too will join our network and we look forward to engage schools with stories of conflict from the First subject specialisms/skills. This tool has been very their activity to a public audience. working with you going forward. World War to the present day, by looking at the digital useful for members to make connections and encourage Find out more about the SSN, and sign up free of offer across different organisations and preparing for collaboration. Working with members on projects charge, at ssn.iwm.org.uk physical visits to resume. We will have sessions looking The COVID-19 pandemic prompted us to re- The SSN also undertakes projects which involve co- specifically at STEM provision (Science, Technology, evaluate our event plans for 2020. With sector concern production with our members, which produce content Thank you Engineering and Mathematics). about travelling and holding face-to-face events, that benefits the whole Network as well as our public “Thank you to the IWM team. They are highly In collaboration with Aviation Heritage UK, Military we offer online programming including informal audiences. professional and the way that content is presented Aviation Heritage Networks and Army Museums networking and presentations on historical themes. We The DCMS-funded First World War Centenary shows their high production values.” Ogilby Trust.

16 www.armymuseums.org.uk www.armymuseums.org.uk 17 Heritage sector updates Army Museums Ogilby Trust Annual Review 2020 Army Museums Ogilby Trust Annual Review 2020 Network projects Digital skills for heritage The Royal United Services by Harriet Hall Campaigns Project Manager, The National Lottery Heritage Fund Institute Launched in February 2020, Digital Skills for Heritage is an initiative from the National Its collections, developing military history as a Lottery Heritage Fund, designed to raise digital skills and confidence across the whole UK heritage sector. The COVID-19 pandemic has made the need for organisations to understand discipline and its ‘lost’ museum and make use of digital more pressing than ever before. by Jacqui Grainger, Librarian, RUSI/Techne AHRC CDA,

Digital technology keeps staff, volunteers and progresses we will be sharing case studies and learning University of Westminster communities connected. It helps organisations increase across the sector. We will be looking to recruit a second The Royal United Services Institute for Defence and Security Studies was founded in 1831 and resilience and bring heritage to more people. But cohort in 2021. is the world’s oldest surviving think tank for security studies. Its founding played a key role in making use of digital has required many organisations The Digital Skills for Heritage initiative has also establishing both military science and military history as academic disciplines. Less well known, to quickly up-skill. We have worked with our partners championed the development of digital skills for is its role in museum history. and grantees to make sure we are meeting the sector’s smaller heritage organisations through the Digital emerging needs. So far, Digital Skills for Heritage Confidence Fund. This fund provided grants and The museum, and library, were integral Adm William Henry Smyth (1788 – 1865) was a has directly supported nearly 6,000 people working mentoring for organisations to get started on specific parts of RUSI’s founding mission to address the Royal Navy officer, hydrographer, astronomer and in heritage through online training, workshops and digital initiatives. It was targeted at organisations active perceived military failures of the Napoleonic numismatist. He is noted for his involvement in other activities. Many more have made use of online in one of our 13 Areas of Focus outlined in our Strategic Wars by providing a forum for the exchange the early history of several learned societies, for his resources that provide practical advice on a wide range Funding Framework. We will be providing case studies and development of ideas and information. The hydrographic charts, his astronomical work, and for of topics, including working with children and young to the sector that look at how these organisations have museum performed the role of a ‘national’ military a wide range of publications and translations. Smyth people online, making online content accessible to all, developed their digital skills. museum for most of the 19th and early 20th century, had built up significant private collections through online privacy and security and getting started with To better understand the needs of the sector, waning in significance as the Imperial War Museum, his professional experience and scientific studies. online learning. we commissioned Timmus Ltd to conduct a sector the National Maritime Museum and the National Henry Downes entered the Royal Navy in 1805 and As part of the initiative, we have funded two benchmarking survey which ran from 14 April to 10 July Army Museum were founded in turn from 1917- retired in 1829 when he became the first Director of projects to provide free digital skills training to heritage 2020. It enabled heritage organisations to gain insight 1960. the United Service Institution. Downes had made his organisations across the UK. into their use of digital technology and provided them name with the capture of the Henriquetta, a notorious The Digital Heritage Lab is a free programme for with practical support for developing this. The sign ups A more professional approach Brazilian slaver in 1829. He was also a serious amateur small and medium heritage organisations seeking also helped us to identify digital priorities for the sector. In 1829 an article in the United Service Journal natural historian and had amassed a collection of to develop their digital capabilities across a range of We will be sharing the findings in October 2020. written by Capt WH Smyth advocated for a military exotic taxidermy and ‘curiosities’ (O’Connor, Between areas. The programme offers workshops, events and These activities have helped organisations to and naval society that applied ‘the tone of science’ Peace and War, RUSI, 2011). Gen Sir Howard Douglas, digital bootcamps. It is managed by the Arts Marketing develop their effective use of digital technology — to a more professional approach to the training 3rd Baronet (1776 – 1861) was an English army Association in partnership with Arts Fundraising and many for the first time — and navigate the challenges and education of officers and men. The founding general, author, colonial administrator and member Philanthropy, One Further and the Collections Trust. of lockdown. The National Lottery Heritage Fund of what was to become RUSI, the Naval and of parliament for Liverpool. He saw action in the Heritage Digital is a digital skills programme led by recently received an additional £1m funding from Military Library and Museum, was the response Peninsular War but had risen to fame supervising the The Heritage Alliance and supported by Media Trust, the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport to this carried out by Cdr Henry Downes and Royal Military College in High Wycombe, later the Staff Charity Digital and Naomi Korn Associates. They (DCMS) to support the next stage of our digital skills Maj Gen Sir Howard Douglas. These approaches College and the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst. are offering training, masterclasses and resources work — helping organisations increase resilience, included officers developing a paternalistic mode Douglas published works of military science, was a focusing on marketing, engaging audiences, intellectual attract new members and volunteers and provide of command and not deserting the battlefield when Fellow of the Royal Society and a founder member of property, data protection and online business tools new digital services. We will be producing further battle approached; and that they would be more the Royal Geographical Society. and processes. In addition to these programmes we information on how you can get involved in September effective if trained to think and act on their own have commissioned Culture24 to run a professional 2020. initiative. These changes, too, were a consequence Founding collections development course called Leading the Sector. They To find out more, sign up to our newsletter and of contemporary social change: a growing middle- The collecting habits of Smyth and Downes probably are working with a cohort of 16 leaders from medium- select the ‘digital’ box and visit our Digital Skills for class who educated their sons in public schools and influenced the founding collections of the Naval to-large organisations across the UK. As the course Heritage web page. bought them commissions. and Military Library and Museum. Douglas was an

18 www.armymuseums.org.uk www.armymuseums.org.uk 19 Network projects Army Museums Ogilby Trust Annual Review 2020 Army Museums Ogilby Trust Annual Review 2020 Network projects

experienced networker who bought in support for the ‘Ethnological and Miscellaneous portion of the Museum Angerstein family and is now on loan to new venture from ‘the highest echelons of the British of the Royal United Service Institution, Whitehall Yard’ the Household Cavalry Museum. political establishment’ (O’Connor, 2011). This bought for the Pitt Rivers Museum. As a sale of an ethnological The exhibits in this photograph have about the endorsement of the founding patrons: King collection it was unique as most sales of collections at been identified with the assistance of William IV and Arthur Wellesley, Duke of Wellington. the time were of private libraries. The museum was the staff at the Scott Polar Research In 1833, after briefly being in temporary a highly successful visitor attraction and appeared in Institute, we know most of the objects accommodation, the Board of Works granted the use of popular guidebooks. The Siborne model of the Battle in this photo relate to Scott and Vanbrugh House in Whitehall Yard. Vanbrugh House of Waterloo, now to be seen in the NAM, was its prize Antarctic exploration. Lady Kathleen underwent building work to provide a library, a model exhibit, commissioned by the institute, it ensured Scott, a member of the Royal Society room, and a natural history room. Further buildings popular interest. of Sculptors, made this bust of her were acquired by the institute so that in 1849 there was The development of Whitehall Yard in 1895 husband, Robert Falcon Scott, Scott of also a lecture theatre. meant that RUSI had to move from Vanbrugh House. the Antarctic, for the Scott Polar Institute Queen Victoria provided a ‘grace and favour’ lease and it was exhibited at RUSI prior to the Eclecticism in Banqueting House as a new home for the museum institute’s opening and the sled, too, is This interior scene is from the Illustrated London and a new building adjoining Banqueting House, was now at the SPRI. News. The early eclecticism of the museum isn’t shown commissioned from Sir Aston Webb and his partner Dispersal here; its strengths in natural history and ethnography Ingress Bell, architects of many significant buildings were notable. including Admiralty Arch. The new prestigious In 1959 the lease on Banqueting Indeed, it was ‘swamped with... stuffed animals and building was to have offices, reception rooms, library House was rescinded and the museum geological specimens’ (O’Connor, 2011) and in 1858 the and lecture theatre. A new space, the Map Room, was closed in 1962. The Charity Commission collections were refocused and some of the collections created on the top floor for the Institute’s substantial intervened with the dispersal of the were sold. This reorganisation of the collections was map collection. collections. They opposed the sale of the focused on four areas: military, naval, ethnological and Some notable exhibits in the museum included: museum’s collection in its entirety — natural history with odd heterogenous specimens and The skeleton of Marengo, the famous war mount which was the government’s financial duplicates cleared out. The next phase of reselection of Napoleon I of France. Named after the Battle of alternative to future support for RUSI. took place in 1861, when at a sale at Sothebys, Col Fox, Marengo 1800, between French forces under Napoleon The Glenbow Foundation of Calgary, later Pitt Rivers, purchased lots from a sale listed as Bonaparte and Austrian forces near the city of backed by the Canadian Government, Alessandria, in Piedmont, had expressed an interest in buying the Bust of Robert Falcon Scott, digital image provided by RUSI, original photo copyright Italy. Marengo was imported RUSI Museum collection outright but of AMOT and held in the collections at RUSI to France from Egypt in 1799 the outline the Charity Commission of militaria as part of their founding collections. The as a six-year-old. Marengo proposed dispersed the collection across many archival records of the museum are now the subject of was captured in 1815 at institutions and into private ownership. The Charity a research project in collaboration with the University the Battle of Waterloo by Commission addressed a letter to all the stakeholders of Westminster for which I have been awarded Techne William Henry Francis Petre, that divided the collection into three categories: that AHRC funding. 11th Baron Petre, brought on trust to the nation, that owned by RUSI and that to the United Kingdom and on loan from individuals. The artefacts deemed on Continued to evolve sold to Lt Col Angerstein of trust were those donated to the museum because of its RUSI has continued to evolve, in the 1860s it the Grenadier Guards. After significance nationally as a repository and these were addressed the issue of an aging membership no longer his death his skeleton, minus to remain accessible to the public; most of the collection on active service by launching the RUSI Journal, a two hooves, was preserved falling into this category was transferred to the IWM, peer-reviewed journal of significance today, as a means and later passed to RUSI the NMM and the NAM, some went to institutions with of attracting officers posted across the empire to the and is now at the NAM. One similar public remits. benefits of membership. of the remaining hooves The closure of the museum halved RUSI’s income was given to the officers of Significant and began a process of transformation that widened its the Brigade of Guards as a The parts of the collection RUSI owned outright it focus on international relations, geopolitics and security snuff box. The other hoof could keep or sell as it wished, and those artefacts on studies and now has a membership that includes civil was mounted as a silver loan were returned to their owners. In the final event, servants, politicians, journalists and academics as well Indian Armoury, Old and new London c.1880 inkwell and retained by the the Glenbow Museum purchased a significant collection as the military.

20 www.armymuseums.org.uk www.armymuseums.org.uk 21 Network projects Army Museums Ogilby Trust Annual Review 2020 Army Museums Ogilby Trust Annual Review 2020 Network projects Roger So Far… by Nick Kendall-Carpenter, Museum Director, Royal Signals Museum

Roger So Far… celebrates the history of the Corps of Royal Signals as they mark their centenary year in 2020. Nick Kendall-Carpenter, Museum Director, reflects on the creation of the book: Picture yourself agreeing to do what you think will be a 10,000 piece jigsaw that must be completed within a rigid deadline. Once you have completed the jigsaw the manufacturer will make 10,000 copies of your version.

You don’t have a picture but you know that you are stressful staff teamwork, strong 11th hour engagement missing many of the pieces, some of the pieces you have from the serving corps and far too many late nights, are duplicates (although possibly cut up into smaller early mornings and week-end workings. pieces) and some belong in different puzzles. Many of Read on for an extract from Roger So Far… The First the pieces appear interchangeable but should you put a 100 Years of the Royal Corps of Signals: piece in the wrong place it will certainly be found when it is too late to correct it and you will be ridiculed as a The Operations Continue… result. You know that some of the missing pieces are in During the decade from 2009 to 2019 the corps your archive or library or the bowels of your computer deployed overseas on numerous operations. Each but you don’t know where or even what they look like. operation came with its own set of human and technical You do know, however, that very few pieces relating to challenges, which corps personnel met with innovation the last 25 years have been put in the archive. and adaptation. The following examples represent a You find that you and the manufacturer are using very small sample of the corps’ overseas activities. Task Task Task by Stuart Brown different software that doesn’t communicate easily, that the recently retired volunteer who you had been Operation Elgin tactical communications in theatre and strategic multiple satellite bearers. counting on to do a lot of the work is recalled to work Following the easing of tensions in the Balkans, communications back to the UK. They worked with As one of the first British SNCOs in the Combined on a government emergency, that quantum physics the EU maintained a force in Bosnia, and Nato one multinational partners providing and mentoring on the Joint Special Operations Task Force – Syria HQ, SSgt is more complicated than you thought and that the in Kosovo. After 2012, the EU force in Bosnia was a tactical CIS capabilities, including Bowman and Harris Marty Sloan deployed to Jordan in March 2015. He person you deal with at the manufacturer has gone on 600-strong multinational battalion, and the Nato force 117F and 152A radios, and operational CIS such as DII was an embedded member of a new US SF-led joint maternity leave. in Kosovo was significantly stronger (3,500). Both forces and Housekeeper. They also managed the in-theatre coalition HQ. His role was as the UK J6 (CIS) Manager You then discover that some of the pieces you have sought to maintain safe and secure environments. Small Swe-Dish CCT-120 SatCom points of presence and the – a particularly challenging role as his deployment put into position have been copied verbatim from the numbers of UK forces, with corps support, continued to GIN-T, as well as working closely with Nato contractors covered the initial, critical period of establishing a new jigsaw equivalent of Wikipedia, others contain errors deploy in support of both forces. This was known as Op to provide mission secret information services. brigade-sized HQ and several satellite nodes. and need replacing with almost identical but accurate Elgin. pieces, others contain language that only people Operation Shader Expert Assistance under 25 understand and some are too secret to be Operation Toral In 2014, Op Shader, the UK provision of training and In March 2016, Maj Andy Campbell, Capt James included. Some of the pieces given to you to fill gaps After Op Herrick the corps maintained a reduced support to forces battling against ISIS (aka ISIL, Islamic Brown and Capt Bruce Dorrian-Clarke from The Land directly contradict other pieces given earlier and if you presence in Afghanistan. Approximately 600 British State, or Daesh) in Iraq and Syria, began. In 2019, the Information Assurance Group (LIAG) mobilised to change either then you will offend someone. forces deployed on Op Toral as part of Nato-led UK’s training force numbered roughly 500 personnel support a cyber and information assurance review As you approach the deadline you are told that the training, advisory, assistance and the counter-terror with soldiers from the corps deploying to support a for Op Toral in Kabul. The team was completed by size of the jigsaw has been increased to 15,000 pieces mission Op Resolute Support. 11th Signal Brigade coalition HQ staff team. They were responsible for members of PJHQ J6, Northwood Crypto Cell and and you are given an extra 6,000 pieces but suspect only units rotated a corps commitment to form the Kabul providing dedicated specialist communications support 643 Signal Troop. The aim of the task was to provide 3,000 of them belong to your jigsaw. Communications Unit, providing technical support to UK force elements across theatre. The coalition a multi-disciplined team to review all elements of The result: the task completed with seconds to spare to UK and Nato IS/communication and information environment resulted in an intricate communications cyber and information assurance, and was the first as a result of contributions from more than 400 people, systems (CIS). They ensured interoperability landscape, which included 6 different UK and US CIS of its kind. In 15 days they conducted vulnerability massive support from the volunteers, good if, at times, of CIS with Nato partners while maintaining systems across a range of security classifications and assessments of the deployed operational CIS, advised

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Operation Trenton on Information and Communication Services (ICS) Operation Newcombe processes, conducted compliance checks of network In January 2013, Sigs Tommy Fullegar and Scotty rooms, completed an information assurance audit, Doherty, from 30 Signal Regiment, deployed to Mali with reviewed the crypto and information management an Operational Liaison Reconnaissance Team (OLRT) and exploitation processes and conducted technical on Op Newcombe. At the time, French forces were surveillance countermeasure assessments of nominated conducting an operation to reclaim large parts of Mali secure areas. from rebel forces. The signallers’ main priority was to establish an operations room and secure communications Operation Monogram back to the UK as quickly as possible. They achieved this In 2009, SSgt (YofS) Autar Shrestha and 3 Corps within an hour of arrival. Initially the RAF transported Operation Newcombe NCOs from 228 Signal Squadron deployed to Kenya armoured vehicles, freight and personnel in support for 7 weeks on Op Monogram, supporting a counter- of the French operation. Five years later, with French terrorism initiative. troops still deployed, the French requested more British Operation Trenton Multiple Operations They provided training and advice to Kenya’s support. As a result, 3 RAF Chinook helicopters and In May 2016, UK forces deployed to South Sudan After Op Herrick the signal brigades continued to Administration Police, a branch of the Kenyan police almost 100 service personnel, including a detachment on Op Trenton in support of the UN peace-keeping work hard. force mainly responsible for law and order in the rural from 244 Signal Squadron (AS), deployed to Mali in 2018 mission to prevent a humanitarian crisis following the In 2018, 11 Signal Brigade supplied manpower areas, building counter-terrorism capability. They were to assist with logistics and troop movement. country’s declaration of independence in 2011. Royal for eight operations, 84 soldiers for six-month tours part of an eight-person team, led by an RAF squadron Engineers provided a temporary field hospital to assist in overseas bases, 196 personnel for additional non- leader, along with members of the Royal Marines and Operation Orbital the international peace-keeping force and then built a allocated tasks around the world, an average of eight infantry. From 2015, 11 Signal Brigade soldiers routinely permanent hospital. 11 Signal Brigade units deployed students to each of 119 special-to-arm training courses They taught theory and practical lessons on voice deployed to assist in Op Orbital in response to a teams of nine signallers on six-month rotations. They (952 total), contributed to 24 major exercises and to procedure, antennas, propagation and communications request from the Ukrainian government for guidance provided both inter- and intra-theatre connectivity, 11 collective training activities in the UK, Kenya and plans. They ensured students understood the and training for the Ukrainian armed forces in areas using a CCT-120 (Swe-Dish) satellite bearer, enabling Canada, and supported 47 Support to Experimentation importance of selecting the right HF antenna for including medical, logistics, locating IEDs and general the engineer regiments and infantry force protection and Training (SET) tasks. operations around the extensive eastern borders with infantry skills. This followed the Russian annexation of companies to operate. In addition, installation Somalia and advised on gathering information for Crimea and conflict with Russian-backed separatists in technicians from 10 Signal Regiment installed the Copies of the book can be purchased via www. intelligence purposes. eastern Ukraine. communications infrastructure for the hospitals. royalsignalsmuseum.co.uk/centenary/

24 www.armymuseums.org.uk www.armymuseums.org.uk 25 Network projects Army Museums Ogilby Trust Annual Review 2020 Army Museums Ogilby Trust Annual Review 2020 Network projects Digital education during lockdown at the REME Museum by Andrew Skelton, Education Officer, REME Museum

Although lockdown didn’t start until 23 March 2020, the REME Museum had identified a closure was likely and had already started planning to use its digital platforms to keep the museum in the public eye.

The museum digital platforms includes Facebook, Beach Armoured Recovery Vehicle (BARV) a converted Instagram and Twitter along with our website and its Sherman tank used on D-Day Normandy landings. The blog. The museum also has its own YouTube channel. plan was to create a child-friendly worksheet, showing Prior to lockdown the museum didn’t use its digital families how to use Lego to create their model BARV, platforms to deliver its education offer, providing only with a simple PowerPoint presentation that would be a ‘hands-on’ visitor experience. Digital engagement was uploaded to our YouTube channel to show them how to used however to advertise what was available, when run the experiment at home. All this would go out on activities were taking place and how to book a school Friday, 27 March 2020, the first week of lockdown! trip, or group visit. This makes it sound so much simpler than that first This all changed though as we realised the activity actually was to create. As some of you may seriousness of the situation we were all facing. Now have found out, if you aren’t used to creating digital that visitors couldn’t physically come to the museum, content what can appear very simple online is actually the education officer, curatorial and front of house very daunting to create, especially if it’s your first staff planned a digital campaign to ensure that the attempt. As the museum’s education officer, when we was to create a unified brand and to promote it in a utilising simple ingredients or material that families museum’s education programmes were accessible and were all sent home I took with me a museum laptop consistent, planned and monitored fashion, and so would normally have at home, as well as linking all engaging for all. and a lot of enthusiasm, but not a lot of technological #rememuseumchallenge was created. these together by a unified campaign of Facebook, The result of planning was to create a series knowledge. That first week involved a lot of Google We held regular weekly meetings to discuss key Instagram and Twitter posts, tweets and pictures. of activities that children and their parents could searches. I soon discovered how easy it is to convert a dates in the REME Corps history and how to tie these The work we produced was spotted by the Kids in do together whilst lockdown at home. All would PowerPoint presentation into a YouTube video, how to items in the museum’s collection. We then assigned Museum’s team who featured us as one of their Top feature the museum’s collection at their heart and to add music to it and also how to vary the video’s tasks with deadlines to the relevant staff members. 10 online activities, and we’ve been liked, shared and all with STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering timings, to ensure people could easily understand what Most importantly we conducted lots of analysis to followed by various museums throughout the UK, both and Mathematics) as the theme. Every week I, as to do. It was a steep learning curve, but was also highly determine what was proving popular and when people military and civilian as well as gaining a lot more the education officer, would create a themed activity rewarding. To aid me in achieving all this I had support accessed and downloaded the information. We then followers on our various digital channels. that would be shared on our digital from the curatorial team. Colleagues helped with ideas, used this analysis to plan the optimum timing and All of this can be platforms and the curatorial editing, proofreading and finally testing everything frequency of adverts and challenge releases. seen by going to team would post articles, before that first activity went ‘live’. These meetings also helped highlight issues or our website www. images and a blog that The question was, now we knew we could do it, problems that would arise, from the failure of my WiFi rememuseum.org. would complement the how to make these activities stand out? The answer to how to upload large files to YouTube. Even, what to uk on our YouTube education theme. do when you’ve accidentally reconfigured part of the channel https:// The first activity museum’s website – top tip: ask if anyone knows how www.youtube. was to be a simple to sort it out, you’ll be impressed at the skill set of your com/feed/ science experiment colleagues and friends. my_videos or that looked at water Since then, the museum digital education offer has by following us displacement gone on to include YouTube video’s featuring myself on Facebook using as the demonstrating how to make air powered vehicles, at https:// collection item create bottle rockets, make an origami tank and a www. the museum’s rubber band pistol amongst others. We have also facebook. World War II produced worksheets for every activity we feature, all com/REMEMuseum.

26 www.armymuseums.org.uk www.armymuseums.org.uk 27 Network projects Army Museums Ogilby Trust Annual Review 2020 Army Museums Ogilby Trust Annual Review 2020 Network projects Blood, Sweat and Tears Working with veterans on a contemporary collecting project by Jules Wooding, Museum Manager, Cumbria’s Museum of Military Life; Trustee, Royal Military Police Museum

In 2019, we embarked on an ambitious contemporary collecting project, supported by a grant from the Armed Forces Covenant Fund. Our task? To create an archive of material connected to the recent conflict in Afghanistan. Inspired by the Third Afghan War of 1919, of which our antecedent the Border Regiment was involved, our initial idea was to work with a group of veterans to curate an exhibition using original photographs from 100 ago. However, it soon became apparent that our initial ideas had to change. The more modern conflict was waiting to be documented…

Having an idea is one thing, finding participants is which included establishing an archive of material for another. Cumbria is a large geographical county with the museum. Some brought in loan items to include Postcards, posters and leaflets were distributed to encourage people to sign up to the project a relatively small population. The local regimental in the exhibition, many gave us photographs, and association gave us a start point with a few veterans others contributed ideas and advice on what should be we decided to ask participants to use these words as participants themselves. Comments included ‘I wanted offering to help, which was followed up with a piece included in the displays. inspiration for a title for the exhibition. They delivered to share my experiences; I kept a lot to myself post- on the local radio station, putting posters up in shops, As the archive was the goal of this project, we were the goods — ‘Blood, Sweat and Tears’ was born. Afghan. It was a great chance to let others know how it postcards in pubs, speaking to the local press and keen to capture their recollections and memories. The Participants actively assisted in the creation of the was!’ and ‘In all the staff listened to everyone involved, promoting the project at every opportunity. Take-up was initial meeting provided a structure, evolving into a Blood, Sweat and Tears exhibition, including choosing and then as a group decided on the best way of putting slow but the message started to generate interest. questionnaire, which was sent out to all who expressed the paint colour (woven jute for those interested!) and these into the exhibition’ showed that the process was We were keen for the modern project to be owned an interest. But we also wanted to use film and audio helping us paint the display walls, writing Afghan appreciated and valued by all concerned. This was their by the veterans themselves, and it was important the to capture their responses. Together with a local camp names on the exhibition signpost, approving exhibition, their project which included the creation of museum did not lead on the project. We established filmmaker, we utilised the questionnaire as the basis for exhibition branding and design, describing the use a modern archive of the material recorded, captured, a series of weekend meetings to encourage interested interviews, but not everyone was keen to be filmed. So, of ‘wag bags,’ recalling their Afghan experiences to and stored for future generations to use. This was an people to drop in. The first meeting immediately hit a a few were recorded, including one over the telephone. ensure that everything included in the displays was problem clashing with an England Six Nations match, Their voices, whether through written answers, or accurate and relevant. The final film, approved by highlighted by one of the veterans themselves. A quick on audio or film, were to provide a major part of the all participants beforehand, became a dominant part rush to reschedule timings met with only two veterans exhibition and contribute to the Afghan archive. of the exhibition, screened on a large wall with a turning up and no meeting agenda. Luckily, one veteran Although the participants were very patient with loud soundtrack that could be heard throughout the brought a photograph which became a discussion the process, they were also keen to get the exhibition displays. This was important so that the participants’ point. The ice was broken, the two men recounted their up and running. One stumbling block was the title. On voices were heard throughout the exhibition. Their experiences, I asked questions and frantically wrote their signing up to the project, each participant was asked words, taken from the questionnaires, audio, and film, responses down. As the pair departed, more veterans to contribute three words which they felt described were also quoted directly onto the text panels. arrived. Seemingly, the Six Nations issue had not affected their time in Afghanistan. Initially an evaluation idea, From the exhibition preview, to which everyone the group that arrived in the afternoon! By the end of the this became an illuminating part of how they saw their was invited, press interviews, talks to groups and day I had copious pages of notes, and as co-production service and their experience in Afghan. Words like Armed Forces Day events, participants were involved was an essential part of the process, these became the ‘life-changing, ‘proud’ and ‘challenging’ were often in all associated activity, as it was their experiences basis of a questionnaire and structure for the project. As repeated but others such as ‘camaraderie,’ ‘relentless’ the project was highlighting. We evaluated the co- the drop-in meetings progressed, participants further and ‘apprehensive’ also appeared. As the participants production process throughout and held a debrief at Charlie, loaning items to the exhibition =- seen here with curator contributed and developed ideas to progress the project, increased, so did the three words. At one meeting the end of the project to monitor the impact on the Stuart Eastwood

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A general view of the Blood, Sweat and Tears exhibition at the museum Three veterans being interviewed by ITV Border within the exhibition opportunity to raise the profile and awareness of our Branding of the exhibition was important and Armed Forces in a much more recent conflict. the style was approved by veterans Overall, we had 34 participants sign-up to the project of which 21 were actively involved, eight were passive (ie: did not respond after initial contact) and five were outside the scope of the project. Participants could be from any branch of the Armed Forces but had to live in Cumbria or have served in the Duke of Lancaster’s Regiment. Between 20 May and 4 September 2019, over 10,000 people visited the exhibition. The feedback from visitors was exceptional, 124 evaluation forms completed, and our comments book was full. Although not put together as a touring exhibition, Blood, Sweat and Tears has been on display Tony writing the names on the camp signpost at the York Army Museum and is due to go to the Fusiliers Museum in Bury and the Royal Military Museum at Southwick Park as coronavirus restrictions are lifted. The museum also toured a smaller display within Cumbria visiting Barrow, Keswick, Alston, Workington, and Kendal to promote the project. The exhibition has been a real learning curve for both the museum and participants, and although the Afghan project focused on working with a small group, the museum staff have developed confidence in engaging veterans and is keen to develop this in the future. We continue to communicate with our Afghan veterans and in February, three of the project participants and a reservist soldier from 4 Lancs accompanied me on a visit to the Imperial War Museum in Salford to find out more about the #Iwasthere volunteering project. Many of the participants enjoyed working with the museum, are keen to support us and have expressed an interest in being involved with us in the future. All together a successful project, culminating in an addition to our archives ‘Afghanistan’ and a It was important that the veterans contributed ideas and suggestions. Here Kav, Graham, Pete and Charlie help develop ideas supportive group of veterans who are keen to be for content involved with the museum. Visit to the Imperial War Museum – February 2020

30 www.armymuseums.org.uk www.armymuseums.org.uk 31 Network projects Army Museums Ogilby Trust Annual Review 2020 Army Museums Ogilby Trust Annual Review 2020 Network projects A flying success by Dan Ball, Outreach and Engagement Manager, Army Flying Museum

As part of the Army Flying Museum’s National Lottery Heritage funded Project Eagle we have been working with a range of different community groups and individuals to discover stories of courage, bravery and comradeship through immersive object handling sessions with groups across Hampshire and Wiltshire, through our exciting programme of community curated café spotlight displays. Additionally we have been working with the Army Welfare Service to run museum connected sessions with the young eagles youth group using the museum’s collections, stories and artefacts as inspiration for learning, engagement and inspiration.

Since the start of the project and throughout 2019 which involved over 30 different community groups and 2020 we have undertaken several community involving cub, beaver, scout and young people’s projects. The current art installation is called Pilots group, dementia support groups, Headway Salisbury on Parade where we invited knitters and crafters to and older people’s social groups run by a number of help create a mass display of mini pilots and soldiers housing schemes and support organisations such as inspired by a world war knitting pattern which invited Brendoncare and the Methodist Housing Association. people at home to knit things for the forces during Each group made their own flag, inspired by historic world war two. Over 100 mini people were created, army air corps symbols and badges to represent them, with some created by individuals across the UK and their group and local community. These will be on monthly sessions at the museum through our Young group ‘The Base’ and members of Southampton Young one even being loaned to us from a person in Canada, display until the end of October with a number of them Eagles sessions where activities are inspired or linked to Archaeologists Club (YAC). These bags will be on complete with an eagle sitting on its shoulder! These being handed back to the groups who participated, to specific themes or stories in the museum’s collections. display for visitors to see until the end of the year. were created by people during lockdown and now are keep as a legacy. At the moment we have broadened our reach and are Five groups took part, with 175 people in total taking proudly on display until early November. Once they now working with families online. These sessions have part. This project was featured in the Army Families come off display they will form a family friendly i-spy Young Eagles: explored life for people both on the home front as well Federation magazine Army and You. trail for people to follow and spot the pilots deployed Another branch of the project has seen us work as serving personnel during world war two. These Magnificent Mini Medals for Remembrance: around the museum’s aircraft and galleries. closely with the Army Welfare community development sessions have paused for the summer but will continue Another community project we undertook with officers based at Middle Wallop, Worthy Down, on a monthly basis for the rest of the year and until the Our next community display, inspired by the community groups across Hampshire and Wiltshire Thorney Island and Marchwood. For the families of end of the project in July 2021. Over 50 young people museum’s medal collection, is inviting people to help prior to lockdown was the Squadron Flags project, serving personnel at Middle Wallop, we were running have taken part in these sessions since they started create mini medals inspired by our stories of courage, last September. As part of the virtual sessions we were bravery and comradeship in time for Remembrance joined by actors from local theatre companies, Red in November, along with poppies. Last year we had Sauce Theatre and Historical Huzzahs who performed over 3000 poppies made by people from across the UK stories of civilian and military personnel during World and this year we will be inviting people to help create War Two and D-Day. a mass art installation using the poppies and medals. Alongside the display, (pending social distancing Community kit bags restrictions) we will be working with groups either in Five different community groups across Hampshire person or virtually to discover some of our fascinating also created their own patches for their own community stories from the first world war (Royal Flying Corps kit bags. Each group had an interactive outreach session Victoria cross recipients) and the stories of the brave where they explored the history of army flying through and courageous glider pilot regiment of the second objects, sounds, smells and uniforms and then used world war. these as inspiration to create their own kit bag. Kit All these community curated displays have been bags were made by 5th Winchester Cubs, 6th Gosport featured on BBC local radio including BBC Radio Cubs, Barton Stacey Primary School Forces children Solent, Berkshire and Wiltshire, on social media, in Let’s

32 www.armymuseums.org.uk www.armymuseums.org.uk 33 Network projects Army Museums Ogilby Trust Annual Review 2020 Army Museums Ogilby Trust Annual Review 2020 Network projects The Scottish Horse by Ruth Brown, Scottish Horse Archives

The Scottish Horse collection used to be held by the Scottish Horse Museum which was located within the original headquarters of the regiment in Dunkeld. This museum closed in 1994 and the collection was dispersed between the National War Museum in Edinburgh, Blair Atholl Castle, Yeomanry House in Cupar and ourselves. As we did not have room at the time within the archive, which was housed in the tower of the cathedral, we chose to take the records only.

Previously, the community archive was staffed by Community Fund, to install interactive screens to allow volunteers and opened three mornings per week. They the archive to showcase all Dunkeld’s history, including lockdown we launched our digital sessions using also carried out research requests via email. The archive that of the Scottish Horse. A web site for the archive is Zoom and Microsoft Teams so that we could still work had been running with an annual deficit for some time being built and we hope to launch this at the beginning with already engaged audiences and groups but, also and ways of covering its overheads had to be found. of September, along with our Facebook page. with more groups further afield both in the UK and AMOT’s support has enabled us to employ a We have also gained funding from Museum internationally. Through lockdown we worked with member of staff who has been working at ways of Galleries Scotland for contactless donation boxes over 200 groups including over 6000 people across improving what the archive has to offer to the ‘tourist’ and PPE to enable us to re-open during the Covid-19 the country and abroad. Going forward we will be with a view to increasing foot-fall and in turn, revenue. pandemic, which we hope to do in September. continuing these as well as hopefully running in- Dunkeld attracts a huge number of visitors each year, Museum Galleries Scotland have further funding person sessions with groups, across the Hampshire and with over 88 000 visiting the cathedral alone. The available to us so we are in the process of applying for Knit and Simply Knitting magazines, and featuring on Wiltshire area as well as reaching out to groups further visitors pass by our door daily, so it made sense to think new IT and digitisation equipment, and as they are British Forces Broadcasting Service Radio at Salisbury afield virtually. of ways of encouraging them in. offering funding to create new business streams, we are Plain and Forces TV News. We are approximately just over half way through Further funding has been granted from the applying to establish a shop, both within the archive our three-year National Lottery Heritage funded project Scottish and Southern Electricity/ Griffin Windfarm and online. Outreach sessions: which will end next July, but have already engaged and We feel very privileged to now be part of AMOT’s As part of the NLHF project we have been visiting worked with just under 10,000 people from across the project to digitise the World War One collections held in and working with a range of community groups of Hampshire and Wiltshire area through our outreach regimental and corps museums throughout the UK. We different ages across Hampshire and Wiltshire to sessions (in person and digital sessions), through our are achieving all we had ever hoped but were unable to bring the museum to them, including access groups, community spotlight art installation displays (working do so as an individual unit. older people’s social groups, those with learning with different organisations, community groups, Because of the amalgamation between the Scottish disabilities, youth groups and young carers. Since individuals and older persons groups), and pop up Horse and the Fife and Forfar Yeomanry in 1956 and museum activities at events. the closing of the museum in Dunkeld in 1994, we knew that the Fife and Forfar held many Scottish Horse Exciting, unusual and relevant artefacts within their barracks. These artefacts, such as Both the outreach sessions and community spotlight musical instruments, the regimental silver, medals etc. displays have been a fantastic way to bring the story are not currently available to the public as the barracks of army flying to life through exciting, unusual and at Cupar remain in use by the Scottish and North Irish relevant ways to a much wider and bigger audience to Yeomanry, Reserve Light Cavalry Regiment. We are in a range of new and existing audiences and groups who the process of photographing these objects with a view might not have known about the army air corps, its to creating a ‘virtual museum’ to be shown within the predecessors and its history. archive and online. For more information about the museum’s outreach During the initial visit to Cupar Barracks it became and community engagement services and programmes apparent that they held regimental records and see: https://www.armyflying.com/outreach/ or photographs for the Fife and Forfar Yeomanry and after contact [email protected] discussion between them and AMOT, they are now part

34 www.armymuseums.org.uk www.armymuseums.org.uk 35 Network projects Army Museums Ogilby Trust Annual Review 2020 Army Museums Ogilby Trust Annual Review 2020 Network projects

of the digitisation project. training and reinforcement units. The remaining six We also plan to encourage students from schools, formed the 1st and 2nd Scottish Horse Brigades and colleges, and universities to use the Scottish Horse moved to England. In 1915 the 1st Brigade sailed for collection for research. Egypt but on the way was diverted to Gallipoli where Thanks to AMOT’s support the Scottish Horse it fought as infantry from September to December. It collection will be made more available through the then moved to Egypt. In September 1916 part of the online database, The Ogilby Muster. This database will brigade was converted to infantry and formed the 13th “When you read about the Gordons and the glories of the Greys, also enable us to pull out the stories of the Scottish (Scottish Horse) Battalion of The Black Watch (the rest The Black Watch and the Seaforths and you’re singing Scottish praise, Horse from the vast collection of letters, telegrams, of the brigade helped to form The 10th Battalion of the Don’t forget to Scotland’s glory there is still another force, diaries etc. Cameron Highlanders). From Egypt, the 13th Black That will live in song and story: The Famous Scottish Horse. AMOT’s support has created many opportunities to Watch and the 10th Camerons moved to Salonika and secure the future of the archive and its collections, and fought there until June 1918. The 13th Black Watch For they were ranked as yeoman, and they quickly made their name, we very much appreciate their help. moved to France and took part in the final advance Feared and honoured by their foemen and upon the roll of fame, in late 1918. The 2nd Brigade stayed in England, Stands Tulebardin’s Horse and Scotland’s yeoman force- A brief history; moving later to Fife and, in 1918, to Ireland. After the The equal of the glorious Greys: The Famous Scottish Horse. The regiment was originally raised to form two war the Scottish Horse reformed as a Territorial Army mounted infantry units in the South African War; one cavalry unit based in Dunkeld with squadrons in At Benson’s fight near Bethel, where explosive bullets fell, made up of Scotsmen living in South Africa and at Aberdeen and in Perthshire. In the Second World War The field was filled with fallen and it seemed a living hell; home, and the other made up of Scotsmen from home the regiment was converted into 2 artillery units, the There was no thought of surrender to that overwhelming force. and living in Australia (mainly Victoria). This regiment 79th and 80th (Scottish Horse) Medium Regiments, For surrender is unknown to: The Famous Scottish Horse. was disbanded after the war and in 1903 was raised Royal Artillery. Both regiments trained in the United again in Scotland as a territorial (or part-time) army Kingdom initially; the 79th moved to Normandy in In the dim and distant future when the years have rolled away, cavalry unit, forming two regiments; the first based in 1944 and fought in France, Holland and Germany and And your prattling toddling babies have grown old and worn and grey, Dunkeld and Perthshire, and the second in Aberdeen the 80th moved to North Africa in February 1943 and They will tell their children’s children of that famous yeoman force, and the North East. On the outbreak of the First World fought in Sicily and Italy – including at Anzio. After the Once Scotland’s pride and glory: The Famous Scottish Horse. War these two regiments were mobilised and recruiting Second World War the regiment again reformed as a was so brisk that a third regiment was quickly formed, Territorial Army cavalry unit based in Dunkeld until it followed by each of the three regiments forming a was amalgamated with the Fife and Forfar Yeomanry in Written by Quartermaster J.W.W.Campbell, second-line and then a third-line regiment. The three 1956. A successor unit, C Squadron of the Scottish and a former New South Wales ‘Lancer, third-line regiments remained in the Dunkeld area as North Irish Horse, is based in Cupar, Fife. from Newcastle, Australia, 1901

36 www.armymuseums.org.uk www.armymuseums.org.uk 37 Network projects Army Museums Ogilby Trust Annual Review 2020 Army Museums Ogilby Trust Annual Review 2020 Network projects The relocation of The Regimental Museum of The Royal Welsh by Richard Davies Curator, The Regimental Museum of The Royal Welsh

Readers of this excellent publication may be aware of The Regimental Museum of The Royal and how the groups and individuals we have identified Welsh’s plans to move from our current location on Brecon Barracks to a new location in the as potential supporters might be best approached. town centre. This project revolves around the acquisition and refurbishment of the Grade II In addition to this, a firm of conservation architects listed former Brecon Library. has been appointed and a number of meetings have been held with the conservation and senior planning Officially opened by Prince Charles on 23 July the solid Victorian and Edwardian buildings associated officers of the local planning authority, the Brecon 1969, it was designed by Breconshire County Council’s with libraries. Beacons National Park. They were understandably County Architect JA McRobbie. The building’s The museum’s desire to move has been prompted keen to learn of our plans, given the former library is appearance was meant to mimic a series of books on by continued difficulties in obtaining a lease for a prominent local building in the middle of the town a shelf, but McRobbie’s innovative plans also took our current home from the Defence Infrastructure centre and they do not want it to remain unused for advantage of modern materials and design principles Organisation. The museum’s trustees had spent a great too long. Although the scheme is at an early stage, the BBNP officers have reacted positively to our ideas. They to create a structure that was completely different to deal of time over a long period negotiating with the Stories DIO and their representatives in order to create an have also helpfully confirmed a change of use request is acceptable lease, but these efforts ultimately proved unnecessary as museums and libraries occupy the same The founding of the antecedent regiments. fruitless. planning category. Brecon as a military centre. We then became aware of Powys County Council’s The 41st in North America. (the successor local authority to Breconshire County A more sustainable future Waterloo and the 69th Regiment. Council), plans to enlarge Brecon Museum and create Contact has also been made with The Carbon The Anglo-Sikh War. a cultural centre for the town by incorporating the Trust, a charity dedicated to partnering with The Crimean War. library into a new building. The trustees expressed an businesses, organisations and governments around the The Anglo-Zulu War. interest in the former library to the council, and after world to help lead the way to a more sustainable future. The Boer War. some preliminary discussions, a draft contract for We believe the library’s current heating and lighting World War One. purchase was provided to us in July 2020. Negotiations systems are probably substantially unchanged since World War Two. are currently on-going in order to produce a mutually the late 1960s; certainly, the building’s energy efficiency The modern regiment and its current activities. satisfactory document. rating places it in the lowest possible category. Both Although I have never served in the military, systems will need to be upgraded in order to bring Themes I am given to understand the phrase “concurrent them up to the standards rightly expected of modern Concepts of gallantry. activity” is often used by the armed forces in order to buildings, and we feel our on-going discussions with The impact of technology on warfare. describe a situation where many things are happening The Carbon Trust will be crucial as we consider the The contribution of women to the military. simultaneously. This would certainly be a very good installation of green, low maintenance and low cost Welsh military traditions. description of our project’s current circumstances. A technologies. Wales’ regiments in India. sub-committee of the museum’s board of trustees has Attention has also been given to what the public been formed, and this is directing the acquisition of the will actually see when they visit the new museum. A Taken together, we feel these ideas, particularly building as well as the initial structural work to make it series of chronological stories and cross-cutting themes if presented from the perspective of the personnel weatherproof (due to a lack of available funds, Powys have been decided upon in principle, and although it is who saw action in these conflicts or who could shed County Council has somewhat neglected the building’s inevitable these will be subject to revision over time, we additional light on these themes, will make for a series maintenance in recent years). The same committee has feel the following play to the strengths of the museum’s of fascinating displays that befits a modern museum also begun to consider the vital issue of fundraising, wonderful collection. with a bright future.

38 www.armymuseums.org.uk www.armymuseums.org.uk 39 Research Army Museums Ogilby Trust Annual Review 2020 Army Museums Ogilby Trust Annual Review 2020 Research Decoding distinguishing marks of The Battle of the Somme by Elliot Metcalfe, Assistant Curator, HorsePower, the Museum of the King’s Royal Hussars

It is a huge privilege to have been asked to talk about my research as a military historian in battalions ready for offensive. re-creating digital versions AMOT’s Annual Review. I read military history at Aberystwyth University from 2009 to The 8 Division are a good example of how markings of markings otherwise 2012, before starting work at HorsePower, the Museum of the King’s Royal Hussars as their used on the Somme are often overlooked or forgotten. lost to history. I am Assistant Curator in 2016. Growing up hearing family stories of my great grandfather’s service In 1917 a comprehensive scheme of distinguishing currently anticipating the with the Durham Light Infantry during the Great War has left me gripped by the period ever marks was adopted by all units throughout the book will be ready and since. It was through this passion that I first started researching the distinguishing marks that division, and these are often referenced to. However, available by the end of were adopted by the British Army during the Great War. As 2020 draws to a close, I soon hope less well known is during the Battle of the Somme in 2020 to early 2021. If all to have published my first book on this elusive subject. ‘Distinguishing Marks of The Great War 1916, only the carrying parties of the Divisional Royal goes to plan, I will be – The Battle of The Somme 1916’ examines and illustrates the special markings, flags and other Engineers wore a badge as designated by Divisional following this up with devices adopted by the British Army for the Somme Offensive. Headquarters. Further markings were designated a second publication within the division at brigade level, with 25 Brigade on distinguishing As some readers may be aware, the British Army to identify any relevant records held, without the issuing armbands for observers and runners, whilst marks of the Great saw a widespread introduction of distinguishing laborious process of combing through physical records 70 Brigade adopted a series of flags for battalions and War, specifically on the marks in the Great War, used for tactically marking held in the archives. As a military historian, I will get a dumps, and a red rosette for orderlies with Brigade Cavalry and Yeomanry regiments of the British units, vehicles, and locations. These include (but are much quicker turnaround, more information, and the Headquarters. Army. certainly not limited to); cloth patches worn on tunics, opportunity to view the records from the comfort of Whilst my main focus has been on my Somme helmet markings, divisional and unit signs, flags and so home without having to travel several hundred miles in Somewhat unusual research, the lockdown period has also allowed me to much more. As these were usually adopted at unit or some cases. Many of the markings adopted for the Somme re-design and relaunch my website on Dorset during divisional level, little in the way of records now survive are somewhat unusual, like the huge 16-inch-long the Great War, mainly covering those commemorated detailing these markings. The most comprehensive Fantastic source yellow patches worn by the 19 and 34 Divisions, or on local war memorials, which can be visited at www. source is held by the Imperial War Museum, who had In addition, period photographs and postcards have the coloured pieces of ribbon hanging from the rear of dorsetinthegreatwar.co.uk. Wanting to share my Great the foresight to start gathering the information as early proven a fantastic source of illustration for the project, helmet covers in the 137 Brigade. Perhaps the strangest War research to a wider audience, I also created my as 1917. Sadly, the records are far from complete, with and I’m keen to illustrate the book with as many as were the pink haversacks of the 7 Division! own online blog as my platform to share my knowledge many units failing to provide the information. Over possible. To do this, I have been attending various Although I have managed to find a great deal for and military history interests with those interested, several years, I have painstakingly compiled these fairs and events to try and source them, but again with most of the formations who took part in the Somme, particularly as the lockdown restrictions meant that markings from a host of sources, including archives, lockdown, all such events have been cancelled for 2020, I am always keen to find more. I would love to find talks and conferences couldn’t take place. Over the privately held material and of course, museums. and who knows what will happen in 2021! further personal references by men who served, rather lockdown period, I have currently written posts on Interest in the aforementioned markings has than in official records. These would offer a fascinating subjects such as armoured cars at Ctesiphon, military Light at the end of the tunnel certainly peaked in the last couple of years, with insight into the wearing of distinguishing marks, museums and cavalry in 1914. The blog was launched The project has taken a hit during lockdown, as I the centenary of the Great War, and some very good especially as I suspect that many men were unhappy on 1 July, to coincide with the anniversary of the have been unable to visit or contact various archives material has been published on the subject. But being with the prospect of going over the top with a large, opening of the Battle of the Somme, linking it to the that I believe may contain relevant information. The such a large and complex area of research, these books bright coloured patch attached to them. upcoming book. same applies for museums which, although many are have only just scratched the surface. It was the Battle now re-open, I am reluctant to burden with a research of the Somme in 1916 when distinguishing marks Deliberation Intriguing request, as I am painfully aware that these cannot take were really used on a large scale for the first time, with After much deliberation and speaking with various As part of my research into this intriguing subject, priority at this present time. Despite these setbacks, many being adopted solely for the offensive and later publishers, I have taken the decision to self-publish. I I would be most grateful to hear from any sites there is most certainly a light at the end of the tunnel discarded. Despite the Somme being an area of history feel this will allow full control of exactly how the book which may have information, photographs or objects in terms of research capability. This is the AMOT that is extremely well researched and written about, looks, which is really important to me as I would like relating to any of these markings mention within digitalisation project of Great War period records held nothing has been researched in-depth or specifically it to be fully illustrated in colour (which wasn’t an their collections. Also, for those who would like more within military museum collections. From a museum published regarding the well-prepared system of option through publishers). As such, much of my time information on my work or to visit my blog, please visit point of view, this will allow us to quickly be able distinguishing marks adopted by corps, divisions and has been spent refreshing my graphic design skills and www.metcalfemilitaryhistory.co.uk

40 www.armymuseums.org.uk www.armymuseums.org.uk 41 Research Army Museums Ogilby Trust Annual Review 2020 Army Museums Ogilby Trust Annual Review 2020 Research Fusiliers in captivity: A 75th anniversary tribute by Sibylla Jane Flower

Japanese forces have surrendered unconditionally and the war is over… In August 1945, leaflets proclaiming the above headline were dropped, by planes, over allied prisoner of war camps in the Far East. For the prisoners and their families this long-awaited and welcome news hold, because if the ship came three months after victory in Europe had been celebrated. was hit and sunk or went on fire, to me it seemed as Four years earlier, on 30 October 1941, 9 Battalion of I met many of the Fusiliers of 9 Battalion at a if it would be a death trap, the Royal Northumberland Fusiliers (RNF) embarked reunion at Alnwick Castle in 1982, when the cheers and I would sooner take on the Warwick Castle and set sail from Liverpool rang out at the mention of my father’s name; later, my chances up on deck for service in the Middle East. News of Japan’s entry a prisoner of war reunion at Doxford Hall, Chathill, where you can see what is into the war, and their attacks on British, Dutch and Northumberland, in 1992 brought us together once happening …” American territories, meant that 9 Battalion, Royal more, and Fusilier Tommy Straker accompanied me Fusilier Jim Fram- Northumberland Fusiliers were diverted to Singapore. throughout the ceremonies in London on VJ Day Taylor My father, Lt Col HS Flower, was second-in- 1995. These meetings provided the inspiration for my 9 Bn RNF command of 9 Battalion, the Royal Northumberland extensive research and writings on the experiences of Fusiliers, which arrived in Singapore on 5 February prisoners of war of the Japanese. In the prisoner of 1942, 10 days before the surrender of the Allied Forces Lt Col HS Flower was appointed OBE ‘in recognition war camps food was in to the Japanese. He succeeded Lt Col LC Thomas as of gallant and distinguished services’ as a prisoner of extremely short supply. commanding officer after Thomas, who had valuable war. “… One Fusilier had battle experience, was ordered to escape. The Free French ship, the Felix Roussel, was a particularly bad dose of It has been a privilege to meet many of the Fusiliers transporting 9 Battalion RNF on the final stage of their dysentery. The rations of Far East Prisoners of War of the 9 Battalion, Royal Northumberland Fusiliers photographed at Chatton, Northumberland in 1995. The record for this photograph on the Museum’s collection database who endured the captivity with my father especially journey to Singapore, along the Banka Straits when it rice, vegetables and dried unfortunately does not provide the names of those pictured. If you can help identify any of them, please do those who formed the mobile force which laid the and the rest of the convoy were attacked by 27 Japanese fish were of no help. The contact The Northumberland Fusiliers Museum rails from Tarsao to Konkuita on the Thailand-Burma planes. The anti-aircraft guns onboard fired constantly doctor expected him to Remembrance Railway. at the enemy aircraft in an effort to prevent them from die unless suitable nourishment could be provided for him Of those who did not return home, 15 were killed taking accurate aim, but extra food was almost unobtainable and with rampant in action, seven died of wounds received in action, but the ship was hit by inflation, very expensive … Working pay for men was 25 129 died in captivity and 22 were lost at sea when two bombs. One of the cents a day. Men of the company contributed the money for the Rakuyo Maru, which was transporting British, battalion machine guns the Fusilier to have a tin of milk a day for 10 days — and he Australian and American troops from the Thailand- took a direct hit and survived.” Burma Railway to Japan, was torpedoed and sunk on Fusiliers JH Ryan and G Lt Owen Eva, 9 Battalion RNF 12 September 1944. Errington were killed in By far, most lost their lives through dysentery and the attack. A captivity remembered cholera due to the unsanitary conditions in the camps, “I was ordered to go Treatment and punishments were brutal. In a letter many died of malnutrition and others from tropical down into the ship’s hold to the brother of Sgt Ted Reay ,who was executed on 23 diseases such as beriberi and malaria. to form a chain of supply March 1943 along with three fellow prisoners for trying Those that returned were shadows of their former for ammunition for the to escape, Capt Henry McCreath wrote: selves and did not return to the rapturous welcome that machine guns, and we “He and his three colleagues were very brave men. I do the soldiers returning from other theatres of war had had to keep the flow of know that many of his friends, both officers and NCOs and received. ammunition going very Fusiliers tried to persuade them not to make a break — to no Many continued to suffer ill health throughout their fast to keep the guns going avail. They never had a chance as there was really nowhere to lives. They rarely talked about their experiences, the … I didn’t like the idea of go … I have often wondered if he would have listened to me – hardships, and the brutality that they suffered at the From the collection of Sibylla Jane Flower being down there in the I wish I had been in a position to speak to him at the time.” hands of their Japanese captors.

42 www.armymuseums.org.uk www.armymuseums.org.uk 43 Learn more… Army Museums Ogilby Trust Annual Review 2020 Army Museums Ogilby Trust Annual Review 2020 Learn more… Alabaré – supporting the vulnerable by Claire Sime Woodchester Mansion (an unfinished gothic mansion Marketing & Individual Giving Manager in Gloucestershire), at the top of Portsmouth’s Regional charity Alabaré has 30 years’ experience in supporting vulnerable and marginalised Spinnaker Tower (with people to escape the crisis of homelessness and build safe, fulfilling lives for themselves once optional abseiling also more. For the last 10 years they have been able to provide additional specialist support for available!) and at Wiltshire Armed Forces Veterans. County Hall in the coming year. They are also looking for a number of museums and castles around the Alabaré’s Homes for Veterans country, particularly in the currently provides a home and security regions around their homes for up to 115 veterans every night who and services, who would The Big Sleep would otherwise be forced to live on like to host an Alabaré Big Sleep. from its maker giving an emotional insight into the our streets. Their 23 homes stretch experiences and thanks they so want to express to our across the south and south west of Visually striking Armed Forces. The exhibition was co-created by the England and over north and south As part of the 2019 National Armed Forces Weekend BBCs Sewing Soldier, Lt Col Neil Stace. Wales. Alabaré paired up with English Heritage and the Royal Each year Alabaré must raise Artillery Band to present a unique Beating Retreat Memorable nearly £800k in donations to run their at Old Sarum Castle, overlooking the historic city Alabaré is currently putting together an exciting Homes for Veterans and accompanying of Salisbury. The event was led by Alabaré’s Patron two-year events programme to raise funds and support services. As part of their General The Lord Dannatt GCB CBE MC and honoured awareness of their Homes for Veterans initiative. They fundraising activities the charity run the service of all those in our Armed Forces, past and are looking for unusual and interesting venues to a number of exciting and innovative present, and their families. Also on show that weekend pair up with and together create some enticing and events, giving ticket holders and was a visually striking and moving exhibition of over memorable events and would love to hear from any participants the opportunity to try new experiences, are forced onto our streets. Previous locations have 1000 flags, each stitched and sent in by individuals from venues who are looking for partners to work with. whilst knowing they are making a huge difference to included Stonehenge, Gloucester Prison, Weymouth’s around the country. With a huge array of subjects and For more information about Alabaré go to www. the lives of vulnerable Veterans. Nothe Fort and the charity’s annual event at Salisbury motifs, each flag was accompanied by a short passage alabare.co.uk or email [email protected] Alabaré’s flag ship series of events see participants Cathedral. bed down under the stars or in unlikely places to Despite being postponed due to the current raise funds and awareness of the plight of those who event restrictions, Alabaré is planning Big Sleeps at

Flags of thanks

44 www.armymuseums.org.uk www.armymuseums.org.uk 45 Learn more… Army Museums Ogilby Trust Annual Review 2020 Army Museums Ogilby Trust Annual Review 2020 Learn more… Waterloo: Living History by Mike Greenwood, Director of Public Engagement for Waterloo Uncovered

Mike Greenwood of Waterloo Uncovered, describes how the work of the charity helps people find peace from war. In a sun-baked field in Belgium, a group of men and women dressed in an assortment of shorts, T-shirts and high-vis vests are on hands and knees paying close attention to the parched clay soil. The heavy afternoon air is pierced by the scraping of trowels and the urgent beeping of electronic sensors. Nearby, under the close scrutiny of a professional eye, a man is crumbling the soil from a lump he’s teased out from a spot pinpointed by the loop of a metal detector. He raises a heavily tattooed arm (a clue perhaps, to his own military origins) and grins. Between his fingers he holds a rounded lump of lead: definitely a musket ball; probably British; possibly fired by brothers in arms from his own regiment, 200 years earlier. A minor archaeological discovery perhaps, but in that moment, he’s made an important connection with history and, in some small way, found a way to put the troubling experiences of his own past into a more positive perspective. This is Waterloo Uncovered, at work on the battlefield of Waterloo.

Few events can be as decisive as that which played veterans and serving military personnel (VSMP), many out in the quiet countryside south of Brussels one of them suffering from the physical and mental impacts Archaeologist Sam Wilson identifies a find with a group of British, Dutch and American veterans. Photo by Chris van Houts Sunday in June, 1815. Over the course of the day, three of their service. The project had its origins in the shared armies collided on the rain-sodden ridge of Mont-Saint- experience of two men, Mark Evans and Charlie has the potential to help people with their recovery and potential of the enterprise to be developed: they run Jean; in a space of less than three square miles, nearly Foinette. Both had studied archaeology together and rehabilitation. Building on the regimental connection, two summer schools in conjunction with the dig, and 200,000 men from Britain, Germany, the Netherlands, both subsequently served as officers in the Coldstream and with the cooperation of Project Hougoumont who students work alongside archaeologists and veterans. Belgium and France fought a cataclysmic battle Guards - a regimental connection that was to prove maintain the site, the first group of archaeologists, And then there are the volunteers. They come from that brought an end to a quarter-century of warfare key in opening up this closely protected battlefield to VSMP, and experts in an assortment of specialisms a range of backgrounds and disciplines: professional among the European powers. By the close of the day, archaeological exploration. began their explorations in the year of the battle’s archaeologists supervise the teams working on different perhaps 10,000 men lay dead on the field, with tens of bi-centenary, 2015. Since then, participants have made aspects of the dig (one face familiar from TV is that of thousands more wounded and maimed, and Napoleon Mental legacy important new discoveries about the battle — and Phil Harding, archaeologist and veteran of Time Team); Bonaparte’s vision of a European Empire ended forever. On leaving the army, Mark was encouraged to about themselves. experienced metal detectorists train veterans to work The Battle of Waterloo is situated on the edge of revisit archaeology as a means of working through the Committed from the start to achieving the alongside the archaeologists; other volunteers provide modern history: few other battles were recorded in such mental legacy of his own experiences in Afghanistan. highest standards in both archaeology and welfare, support with logistics, transport, or communications. detail by those eyewitnesses who survived, in letters, Meanwhile Charlie, still serving with the battalion, partnerships have always been at the heart of Waterloo Artists, poets and photographers lend their expertise journals, memoirs and monologues; few battles have took his men on a tour of Hougoumont Farm on Uncovered. World-leading archaeological expertise is to help create complementary activities to keep freighted bookshelves with such a cargo of subsequent the battlefield of Waterloo. Hougoumont is “sacred provided by The Centre for Battlefield Archaeology participants engaged and able to try new experiences. histories and reinterpretations, which continue to be ground” to the regiment: the walled compound of farm at the University of Glasgow, led by Professor produced to this day. What new things remain to be buildings, gardens and orchards served as a fortress Tony Pollard, and by L-P: Archaeology practice. Wellbeing and support said, therefore? What discoveries are still to be made? out in front of the allied line and became the scene Local expertise has been key: the Belgian regional The wellbeing and support programme is central The charity Waterloo Uncovered has been of a dramatic “battle-within-a-battle”. It’s one of the archaeological service, Agence Wallonne du Patrimoine to Waterloo Uncovered’s mission. Each year, working addressing that challenge since 2015 with a project Coldstream Guards’ proudest battle honours (although, (AWAP) has been involved from the start, facilitating with related welfare charities and often with regiments in which archaeology, history and the experiences of as the archaeological evidence was to show, one that access and adding their own knowledge of the site, themselves, a diverse group of new participants from contemporary servicemen and women converge to they share with other regiments!). as has the University of Ghent, whose expertise in a mix of service backgrounds is carefully selected to forge compelling new insights into this most iconic of Mark and Charlie made two important realisations: techniques of scanning and visualising the landscape embark on a 12-month programme focusing on five battlefields. firstly, that little archaeological work had taken place on have become increasingly important as the dig extends key areas: recovery, wellbeing, transition to civilian Waterloo Uncovered combines world-leading the battlefield; and secondly, that being part of a team to new areas of the battlefield. The University of life, education and employment. A team of professional archaeology with the recovery and wellbeing of working through the processes of an archaeological dig Utrecht, in the Netherlands, allows the educational support staff, with many decades of experience between

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A team led by archaeologist Alistair Douglas investigate the small garden area in the middle of the courtyard at Mont-Saint-Jean farm. The team investigate the newly opened trenches in the east side of the Mont-Saint-Jean farm orchard, overlooking the reverse slope. Photo by Chris van Houts Photo by Chris van Houts them, work with all of the participants to identify Once there, the experience of being reintroduced fought in the battle 200 years ago, so that each nation audio interviews, articles and lectures has proven very personal goals to be achieved, monitor progress, give to a familiar service background, the chance to learn is represented in an exploration of a shared history. popular with audiences, attracting over half a million support and rigorously evaluate outcomes. new skills in a very hands-on manner, the methodical, Waterloo Uncovered is keen to work with organisations views since March. The programme begins with visits and tours run almost meditative nature of detailed archaeological that can help build an understanding of the context of And what of the archaeology? Has it been possible with supportive organisations such as the National work and the personalised support on offer can be life- the battle, and of the people who fought in it, and help in practice, to find new things to say and to uncover Army Museum and the British Museum who provide changing for many participants, helping them to come reach out to new audiences. new revelations on this much-studied battlefield? Some an opportunity for people to meet each other, to handle to terms with difficult episodes from their past. So far, of the 6000+ finds speak volumes: finds and to get an overview of the historical context. over 100 serving and veteran participants have been “Having to put your hand up and say “I need help” A huge amount of musket balls and grape The momentum then gathers pace until the dig each supported. — that was the biggest shock. Waterloo Uncovered, for shot attesting to the series of vicious assaults on July - the highlight of the programme. me, is really important. Studying the history of warfare Hougoumont, with evidence of French incursions “Waterloo Uncovered has given me a handrail to life through time, and the impact it has had on people, — it has helped me keep focused whilst dealing with helps you realise that the only thing that changes is the the day-to-day stress.” technology, not the human”. Waterloo Uncovered participant Waterloo Uncovered participant

Working in an international environment is an This year, Waterloo Uncovered was unable to important aspect of the project — in 2019, for example, excavate due to Covid-19. Instead, it turned its efforts the group of veterans, volunteers, students and support to running a virtual programme of activities and staff was drawn from 11 different countries. In addition, information for participants and to communicating each year the dig welcomes a group of service people about its work to a wider audience via their website from the Netherlands, and there are plans to extend (http://www.waterloouncovered.com) and their The finds team led by Hillery Harrison review over 58 musketballs A close up of the Coldstream Guards button found at Hougoumont the collaboration to include veterans and service YouTube channel (https://m.youtube.com/c/ found in the cornfield near Mont-Saint-Jean in only half a day. farm. Photo by Chris van Houts. personnel from all the modern nations whose peoples WaterlooUncovered). A mix of short film features, Photo by Chris van Houts

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history and the contemporary experiences and perspectives of participants will lie at the heart of the work of Waterloo Uncovered. Professor Tony Pollard, director of the Centre for Battlefield Archaeology at the University of Glasgow, and a director of the excavation offers this final insight into what makes the project so special for him: “There’s the extra dimension of working with veterans as part of Waterloo Uncovered. It’s brilliant to share a laugh and see the benefit people in the team are getting. But for me as an archaeologist Time Team’s Phil Harding introduces a group of veteran participants to the site of there’s more. Some of our team on Hougoumont farm. Photo by Chris van Houts Waterloo Uncovered have had first- through the defences; hand experience of close-quarter fighting in walled The remains of buildings destroyed in the battle, compounds in Iraq or Afghanistan - very like the layout allowing archaeologists and historians to revise their of Hougoumont, for example. You can be kneeling next understanding of the layout of Hougoumont - and why to them in a trench and they’ll notice something that the French failed to succeed there; you haven’t, and you’ll think: “Yes, you’re right!” That’s Personal items including — most tellingly — a uniquely valuable perspective for an archaeologist to uniform buttons from both Coldstream and Scots have”. Guards, showing the mix of units involved in the The Waterloo Uncovered team are always happy to desperate defence of the North Gate; answer questions and discuss collaboration. For more Moving the focus to the farm of Mont-Saint-Jean - information about Waterloo Uncovered, either: used as Wellington’s main field hospital — evidence email [email protected], was found of a fire fight around the hospital, well in the visit the website www.waterloouncovered.com rear of the allied main position and probably relating to (where you can find links to social media), a breakthrough by French cavalry; or sign for the newsletter. French artillery rounds from the point in the The 2019 Impact Report can be found and battle where they came closest to victory, and a large, downloaded here, and provides an excellent summary unexploded howitzer shell from their bombardment of of recent work and achievements. the ridge sheltering the Allied infantry line; Most poignant of all, grim evidence of the work of battlefield surgeons to save lives, in the form of the amputated limbs of badly wounded men, some showing catastrophic injuries and carrying embedded bullets; The rediscovery of the remains of the “lost” chateau of Frichermont over on the left of Wellington’s line. Held by the Dutch during the battle, its site had been lost to view for decades. Much has been found and much more remains to be discovered. Future plans include a dedicated PhD project to make the first geophysical survey of Dutch army engineer Moos Raaijmakers gives veteran Shaun the battlefield, and further excavation in a number Stocker a lesson in metal detecting skills at Mont-Saint-Jean. of locations. And, as ever, the fusion of archaeology, Photo by Chris van Houts

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