As part of their work experience this year, two students Oscar and Oliver chose to display a No32 telescopic rifle sight for the Lee Enfield No4T as the Object of the Month (OOTM).The sight was a slightly awkward object to display due to the various dials and fixtures that prevented it lying flat! As the OOTM case has to be moved around a lot to switch the lights on, I…
This set of models was used by the Deddington Air Raid Precautions (ARP) to plan their operations during WW2. Later becoming the Civil Defence Service, the ARP were responsible for keeping their local area safe during an air raid. Their jobs included enforcing blackouts, preparing the air raid sirens, and directing people to safety in their shelters. These models could be used to plan strategies in the event of fires…
Today we were donated a leaflet about the multi-use ‘Kredemnon’, a WW2 version of the more modern snood. It seems like it was a very versatile garment – you can even ‘Make a skirt of it while your clothes are drying’!The leaflet wishes ‘Good Luck’ to those brave soldiers who wanted to try it out…Do you have any 1930’s – 1970’s items that are related to Oxfordshire soldiers? SOFO are currently…
Lance Corporal Hodgkins was part of the volunteers attached to the 1st Battalion of the Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry. He served in Second Boer War in South Africa from 1901-1902, and later served in WWI.Although we do not hold much information on Hodgkins in our soldier database; his objects reveal some interesting insights into his life. The first image shows a collection of objects owned by Hodgkins: a pocket…
Private Thomas Edward Taylor (201095) worked as a hairdresser in Oxford before joining the 2/4th Battalion of the OBLI in October 1914. He was the barber of the battalion until he was honourably discharged aged 26 in 1918 as being ‘no longer fit for war’. He was later awarded the Silver War Badge for his service. Upon his return to England Taylor set up his own business in Oxford, and…
Frederick Brooks, or ‘Freddie’ as he was known, was born in St Giles, Reading in March of 1881. Employed as a general labourer, he was originally enlisted to the 6th Royal Berkshire Regiment, but later transferred to the 4th Battalion then 6th Battalion of the Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry. He saw service in France and Flanders from 1st Sept 1917, and was awarded both the British War and Long…
This blog aims to open up the Soldiers of Oxfordshire Museum archive and share more of our objects and stories. We will also have updates on what’s been happening at the museum, videos describing our Object of the Month, and news of new collections projects and volunteering opportunities.
Oxfordshire Imperial YeomanryThe Anglo-Boer War 1899 – 1902A Royal Warrant, dated 24th December 1899 provided for the creation of the Imperial Yeomanry as a volunteer cavalry force, which would be recruited from the yeomanry, until now only employed on home service and now required to serve and fight overseas or from civilians who possessed the requisite qualifications for cavalry service. The new force to be armed and organised as mounted…
THE OXFORDSHIRE AND BUCKINGHAMSHIRE LIGHT INFANTRY2ND BATTALION (52ND) PALESTINE 1945 – 1947“It was a campaign during which the last few groups of wartime national servicemen of all ranks and their successors, who joined after VJ Day, bore the brunt of the workload and of any dangers that were involved.” Colonel P.E. Gerahty CBEPALESTINE IN 1945Under a League of Nations mandate in 1922 Palestine, Transjordan and Mesopotamia were placed under British…
