The Royal Green Jackets Regimental Associa on
THE ROYAL GREEN JACKETS (RIFLES) MUSEUM BATTLE OF WATERLOO BICENTENARY EXHIBITION It was a great day when, after two years of preparation and planning, we heard that the Trustees’ application to the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) for a grant of £100,000 to part-fund a Battle of Waterloo Bicentenary exhibition in 2015 had been successful. The news was released to the public on 17 November. A huge amount of work is now in hand to ensure that the exhibition is ready to open on 25 March 2015, three months in advance of the bicentenary of the Battle of Waterloo on 18 June.
The items in the display case shown in the a achment belonged to or related to the Duke of Wellington: Court Dress coatee worn when Col-in-Chief of The Rifle Brigade Garter Sash Embroidered waistcoat Tie pin and two studs Le er from the Duke Ink stand made from one of his chargers hooves Statue e of the Duke of Wellington 3 x medallions rela ng to the death and burial of the Duke of Wellington Lithograph of the funeral procession 2 x illustra ons of the funeral from the Illustrated London News (copies) B/W copy of the pain ng ‘The First of May’ B/W copy of a portrait of the Duke of Wellington by Phillips
There are lots of reasons why the Trustees have chosen to invest a large amount of time, effort and money in this exhibition. For a start, the bicentenary is expected to attract considerable national and international attention and we want some to be focused on our Museum. Currently no other regimental museum in the country has such ambitious plans as ours. Secondly, Waterloo was a defining moment in European and British history. The causes, course and consequences of the battle, some of which still resonate today, deserve to be better understood E-Zine 2013
and remembered. Thirdly, two of the antecedent regiments of The Royal Green Jackets, the 52nd Light Infantry and the 95th Rifles, played a pivotal role in the battle. The 52nd LI initiated the rout of the French Imperial Guard that led to the defeat of the French, while the 1st/95th contributed significantly to the defence of the vital ground forward of the Mont St Jean crossroads. Waterloo was undeniably a major event in the Regiment’s history with the battle honour ‘Waterloo’ proudly emblazoned on The (To be con nued on next page) Volume 5 Issue 3 | 11
