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…
THE OXFORDSHIRE AND BUCKINGHAMSHIRE LIGHT INFANTRY Cyprus 1956 – 1958 THE 1ST GREEN JACKETS (43rd & 52nd) Cyprus 1958 – 1959INSURGENCY IN CYPRUSIn 1878 Cyprus came under British administration before being formally annexed during World War 1 and made a British Colony in 1921. The island was of particular strategic importance as a base in the Levant especially after the British withdrawal from Egypt on 1954. After the First World War…
Brunei on occasions called the Venice and the Vienna of South East Asia, lies 275 miles north of the equator on the north-west coast of Borneo. The total area of the country is 2,200 square miles of which 75% is covered with tropical rainforest: on the coastal belt mangrove and nipah palm swamp forests are interspersed with areas of cultivation which extend up the alluvial river valleys to the interior. In…
The Museum maintains and displays an interesting selection of objects and memorabilia that assist in amplifying the story of Winston Churchill’s experiences as soldier in peace and war.Most people know that wartime leader Winston Churchill was born in Blenheim Palace in 1874 and buried in nearby Bladon Churchyard in 1965 but few realise that he was also one of Oxfordshire’s most distinguished soldiers.Internationally he was Britain’s leader in the darkest hours…
We would like to hear from you.The Soldiers of Oxfordshire Museum is seeking Oxfordshire residents who would like to talk about their memories of the Second World War. We are carrying out a project to record the stories of Oxfordshire residents who lived through the Second World War, to ensure that your stories are recorded for posterity for future generations. The recordings are held in the Museum archive, and are…
The memories, stories and reminiscences of Oxfordshire people whether they have been servicemen, servicewomen, those who served to protect the County in war or were touched by conflict are recorded and kept by the Museum for current and future generations. Here is a selection of those stories. © MOD Crown Copyright 2009 Photographer Cpl Rupert Frere. Lieutenant Colonel Rupert Thorneloe MBEIn the summer of 2009, Lieutenant Colonel Rupert Thorneloe MBE,…
Past Exhibitions If you missed one of the many temporary exhibitions we have developed and hosted since the museum, you can find the next best thing here – including copies of the original information panels and images. Celebrating the 10th Anniversary, this exhibition showcased some of our favourite objects and collections from the archives while telling the story of the museum from its origins.
