Obituaries

Th e Royal Green JACKETS (RIFLES ) MUSEU M WINC HESTER The Museum has enjoyed a particularly busy and successful summer. During June, July and August there were more visitors in each month than in any previous June, July and August during the last ten years. In July and August there were over 2,000 visitors in each month. As a result visitor numbers are up 22% during the first eight months of 2011 compared to 2010. We are currently projecting a total number of visitors during the year of c. 12,500. There are a number of reasons for the increase. First, the summer exhibition, “The WI in Hampshire in Peace and War”, has attracted considerable interest including in The Times and in the regional and local media. As a result large numbers of women have visited, many of whom had never previously visited a military museum. The exhibition remains open until Saturday 17 September inclusive. Secondly, the Museum has reverted to opening on Sundays during the summer months. This has undoubtedly meant that some people have visited who might not otherwise have done so. Lastly, the Audience Development Plan approved by Trustees in February has led to more aggressive marketing with a new brochure about to enter circulation. The WI exhibition was opened on 15 July by Dame Mary Fagan, the Lord Lieutenant of Hampshire, in the presence of a number of dignitaries all of whom commented extremely favourably on the content. A particular feature has been a facsimile two-fifths the size of the original, huge “Women’s Work in Wartime” wall hanging which originated in Winchester in 1946 and which took approximately 400 embroiderers nearly four years to complete. The original is owned by the Imperial War Museum and has been in a store at Duxford in Cambridgeshire for many years. There is now a wish to see it permanently displayed in Hampshire. One of the most pleasing events of the summer was a visit to the Museum by Field Marshal Lord Bramall, Lady Bramall and their son, Nicolas, on 23 July, during which the Field Marshal very generously donated his Field Marshal’s baton to the Museum. It is a condition of the gift that the Field Marshal should be able to loan back his baton should he require it for any ceremonial event that he may be required to attend during the remainder of his life. In addition to Lord Bramall’s baton, a number of other items have been received to boost the Museum’s very considerable collection of over 7,000 objects and 5,000 medals in Winchester. One of the more interesting is the international football cap awarded to, and the shirt worn by, Rifleman G. A. Littler of The King’s Royal Rifle Corps when he represented the England Amateur Football Team in a friendly against the Netherlands on 24 March 1913. Littler, who was later promoted to the rank of Sergeant, sadly died on 11 May 1915, aged 27, as a result of wounds received while serving with 2 KRRC at Neuve Chapelle. Finally, this E-zine contribution would be incomplete without a tribute to Colonel Ian McCausland who died on 16 August. Ian was for many years a Trustee of the Museum and also archivist for The King’s Royal Rifle Corps. He had a depth of knowledge of matters relating to the KRRC which no one else could match. His loss will be keenly felt as those remaining struggle to research information which he had at his fingertips. CBQ Wallace ************** “In July and August there were over 2,000 visitors in each month. As a result visitor num- bers are up 22% during the first eight months of 2011 compared to 2010.

Field Marshal Lord Bramall’s baton Rfn Littler’s England football cap 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 General Wallace, Museum Chairman, shows the Lord Lieutenant some of the items on display in the WI exhibi- tion. Steve Brine, the MP for

Winchester, is on the left.

ental hi story on a Mug from the qm

`s locker