The Royal Green JACKETS (RIFLES) MUSEUM WINCHESTER
In the last Ezine and again in the 2010 Association Journal I referred to a MOD study of army museums. The aim of this study has been to examine the justification for continued MOD part-funding of museums. This has naturally concerned trustees since most army museums are cash-strapped and any reduction in MOD part-funding, say, of The Royal Green Jackets (Rifles) Museum might have significant impact. Rumours abound, but until the study is complete and the outcome for individual museums is determined, we will not know how badly, or otherwise, the Museum will be affected. Meanwhile, for the Museum staff, it has been business as usual, and that means very busy.
still in progress. It is too early to judge its impact. A more vigorous approach to marketing is already in play with a new brochure close to completion. It is an interesting fact, though, that 35% of our visitors state their reason for visiting to be word-of-mouth recommendation. So, please recommend a visit to the Museum to your friends. You may also like to invite them to visit the Museum website, and if you have any comment on its content, do please let us know. One former member of the Regiment recently told us that he was disappointed that the website lacked any mention of the RGJ free-fall team that used to function 30 or so years ago. It was a good point, so we asked him to contribute At the end of February Trus- some material including photees approved a new Audience tographs. We look forward to Development Plan, the aim of receiving them. which is to raise the Museum’s profile, broaden its appeal and Visitor numbers during the first market it proactively and cost- five months of the year have effectively in order to increase fluctuated, as they often do. the number of Museum visi- The number of paying visitors tors and users, and the income and the income they provide they generate. has increased, while there has been a fall in the number of free Implementation of the plan is visits. Total visitor numbers are
down 2%. However, we hope for a good summer with a highprofile exhibition running from 15 July to 17 September, titled ‘The WI in Hampshire in Peace and War’. Click HERE for poster
The exhibition involves a rather different and unusual partnership for army museums and is probably a first. It features a magnificent 54 square feet replica of the ‘Women’s Work in Wartime’ wall hanging which, designed in Winchester in 1946, required two million stitches and took 400 workers four years to complete. Planning with the Hampshire County Federation of Women’s Institutes has been in progress for nine months. We hope the exhibition will attract national interest and bring many women through the door of the Museum who might otherwise never enter. Finally, I am especially pleased to report the donation to the Museum of a number of very welcome medal groups. They include the Distinguished Conduct Medals awarded during the First World War to Riflemen J.E. Beasley RB, E. Bridge KRRC
and G.S. Buckle KRRC. The Museum has also received the medals of Sergeant J.E. Rowling KRRC awarded for his service on the North-West Frontier in the 1890s and during the South African War(1899-1902).
The medals of Sgt J.E Rowling with a hankerchief map of South Africa
The medals are accompanied by a most interesting silk handkerchief with a map of South Africa printed on it, the only one of its kind that the Museum has.
CBQ Wallace To contact the Museum, telephone or e-mail the Curator, Christine Pullen. Tel: 01962 828549 or e-mail: curator@rgjmuseum.co.uk www.rgjmuseum.co.uk
£33,000 paid for medals awarded to Lt Col R.B. Littledale d.s.o
A DSO medal group of five awarded to Lieutenant-Colonel R.B. (Ronnie) Littledale of The King’s Royal Rifle Corps was auctioned in London on 18 May 2011 by Dix Noonan Webb for £33,000 (hammer price). The medals were sold by a private collector.
Ronnie Littledale was detached from 2nd Battalion, The King’s Royal Rifle Corps (2 KRRC) as the Transport Officer of 30th Infantry Brigade when he was captured at Calais on 26 May 1940. Thereafter he escaped four times, each time being recaptured, before being imprisoned at Colditz (Oflag IV-C) in July 1942. From there he made a daring escape with three others during the night of 13/14 October 1942, crossing the border into Switzerland on 20
October. He eventually reached England on 24 May 1943. Littledale was awarded the Distinguished Service Order for his gallantry in seeking repeatedly to escape and, in particular, for his successful ‘home run’ from Colditz (London Gazette, 4 May 1943). He is one of only two ‘escapers’ in the Second World War known to have been awarded a DSO for a successful ‘home run’.
LT Col R.B Littledale DSO
Allan Reinthal SuppoRts C4C WITH HALF MARATHON Just to let you know that I will be doing a fundraising run for the ‘Rifles’ charity ‘Care for Casualties’, the Rifles is the largest regiment in the British army and as such rotate on worldwide operations more frequently than any other unit,
as a result there have been more than 56 riflemen killed in action in the last three and a half years and over 250 seriously injured.
of soldiers who have been killed or wounded in action, unlike ‘Help for Heroes’ who only provide for infrastructure, i.e. to build swimming pools etc. Please click on link below.
Allan-Reinthal Please support this well worth cause.
Many thanks This charity provides financial support direct to dependents http://www.justgiving.com/ Allan
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