Join museum volunteer Ian Robinson and Community Curator James Wilkins for this in-depth look at some of the stories behind the objects on our 50 Object exhibition.
From personal items carried by local servicemen and women, to equipment, medals and memorabilia, each object reveals a story that connects the county, its people, and historic conflicts across the centuries.
Over the last 300 years the people and regiments of Oxfordshire have actively shaped Britain’s most important conflicts from the American War of Independence and the Napoleonic Wars to the First and Second World Wars and beyond.
Two regiments are most associated with the county: The Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry (Oxf & Bucks LI) and The Queens Own Oxfordshire Hussars (QOOH) also known as the Oxfordshire Yeomanry. Over the course of their history they were deployed across the world in various capacities including the defence of Europe and the British Empire. Their involvement has often proved critical in the key military events of British history, be it the 52nd (Oxfordshire) Regiment of Foot charging the French Imperial Guard during the Battle of Waterloo or the 2nd Battalion of the Oxf & Bucks LI landing in gliders to secure exits from the Normandy beaches on D-Day.
Whilst the regiments may no longer exist independently bearing the name of Oxfordshire, our current county regiment, The Rifles, can trace its lineage to the Oxf & Bucks LI via The Royal Green Jackets. The Queens Own Oxfordshire Hussars name is similarly preserved by the 142 (Queens Own Oxfordshire Hussars) Vehicle Squadron of the Royal Logistic Corps, based at Banbury.
Talk tickets include day admission to the museum and galleries.
