Featured: The Great War POW Album and Pilot's Log Book of Lt. Frederick Matthews

Recently donated to the museum was an incredible collection of items relating to Frederick Matthews, often referred to as 'Eric', who served with the Queens Own Oxfordshire Hussars and later the Royal Flying Corps. Eric's story is already featured in our Airpower display in the museum's permanent exhibition space, alongside copies of images now part of the collection as a result of this kind donation.

Signed photograph of a group of officers from Frederick Matthews' album

Among the items donated was an album kept whilst he was a Prisoner of War in Germany, which contains a wealth of photographs of his fellow POWs, himself and his accommodation, as well as other prisoners autographs, drawings, press cuttings and cartoons.

Cartoon from Frederick Matthews' POW album, "Where ignorance is bliss'

Accompanying the album is Lietenant Matthews' Pilot's Flying Log Book, with entries detailing all his flights from November 1916 to April 1917, his cloth pilot's wings badges from the RFC and later RAF, and his medals. His 1914 Star is impressed with 'Pte F Matthews Oxf Yeo.' while his British War and Victory Medals bear his later rank and position as 'Lieut F Matthews RAF'.

As well as these, the museum now holds a collection of letters home written before and after he became a POW and numerous other photos, postcards and assorted documents he had collected throughout his service and imprisonment. The images featured here give just a snapshot of this detailed and diverse personal collection.

Visit the museum and read more about Lt. Frederick 'Eric' Matthews in our permanent Airpower exhibit.