Soldiers of Oxfordshire Museum (SOFO

from RGJ E-Zine 2015

Fire up the Audi A8L

Soldiers of Oxfordshire Museum (SOFO)S ldi f O f d hi M (SOFO)

‘Above the Dreaming Spires’ Oxfordshire’s Great War Aviation Story opened in September 2015 and will continue until Easter 2016. A public appeal to support the research behind the exhibition has again led to many fascinating and personal family histories being bought to SOFO for us to develop into an intriguing look into the heroic and glamorous pilots who fought above the trenches.One of the most fascinating case histories is that of Robert Brooke-Popham, the Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry’s famous aviator. ‘Brookham’ was one of the earliest pioneers of military aviation. Enlisting with the regiment in 1898, he learnt to fl y at Camberley and became one of the fi rst squadron commanders in the Royal Flying Corps. He was one of the fi rst men to predict that the war would bring air to air combat to prominence and that it would be a deciding factor in transforming military operations.

‘Crossing The Line’, a short fi lm, not widely distributed, by Sir Peter Jackson, the Hollywood director behind the Hobbit is also being shown throughout the exhibition, providing an evocative backdrop to Oxfordshire’s fl ying story during a remarkable period of aviation history. county; battlefi elds, barracks and military airbases are to be found throughout the region and its people have participated in national and global confl icts, refl ected in the exhibition areas within the galleries.

The second timeline focuses on the Oxfordshire Yeomanry and highlights its unique connection with Winston Churchill, born at nearby Blenheim Palace. The fi nal timeline tells the history of the Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry, Redcoats to Rifl emen.

Each timeline opens up the opportunity for the museum to explore new aspects of confl ict from the earliest recorded soldier to the impact that British forces have around the world today.

The museum is also embarking on installing its vast medal collection with a medal inter active which will focus on three main themes; Personalities, Campaigns and Anniversaries. A successful fundraising campaign, supported by regimental families and WREN has allowed the Trust to dedicate a space within the Garden Gallery to the medals.

Three large timelines are being installed into the Garden Gallery to refl ect the museum as the home for ‘confl ict and county’. The fi rst tells the key military stories of the Opening times, gallery highlights and information about our research service can all be found by visiting our website www.sofo.org.uk.

New Book

REDCOATS TO RIFLEMAN is a newly produced and colourfully illustrated 24 page Short History of the County Regiment of Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire. It traces the continuum of the Regiment from 1741 to The Rifl es and is a ready reference for both the heritage of the Regiment and its current presence in the counties.

Copies can be obtained from the RGJ Museum or from the Oxford Branch of the RGJ Association. The cost is £3:00 + 80p for p&p. To order, please send a cheque made payable to RGJ Association Oxford Branch for £3:80 with your name and address to Geoff Day, 88 The Phelps, Kidlington, Oxon, OX5 1TL. Please telephone 07775981088 for any queries or email direct to geoffday@gmx.com.