Somerset Military Museum

Somerset Military Museum
Somerset Military Museum is located in Somerset
Somerset Military Museum
Location within Somerset and the United Kingdom
Established1974
LocationTaunton, Somerset
Coordinates51°01′09″N 3°06′00″W / 51.0191°N 3.1000°W / 51.0191; -3.1000
Websitewww.sommilmuseum.org.uk

The Somerset Military Museum is part of the Museum of Somerset located in the 12th century great hall of Taunton Castle, in Taunton, Somerset.[1][2] It is a "registered and accredited museum" with the British Museums, Libraries, and Archives Council,[3] and is a part of the Museum of Somerset.[4] The museum covers Somerset's military history from 1685 onward.[1] It received a £10,000 grant from the Somerset Military Museum Trust for the restoration project.[5]

History

The Somerset Military Museum was established to accommodate the collections of the Somerset Light Infantry and the Somerset Volunteers at the Somerset County Museum in Taunton.[6] It was officially opened by Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother on 7 May 1974.[7] Queen Elizabeth II, accompanied by the Duke of Edinburgh, visited the museum on 8 May 1987.[8]

Exhibitions

The main exhibitions in the Somerset Military Museum are being designed to show the history of Somerset's military regiments.[9] They are being organized into two groups: a group of exhibitions on conflicts and another group of exhibitions on life in the regiments.[10]

The Somerset Military Museum contains exhibitions for objects such as a silver model of the Gateway of India. In 1948, the Somerset Light Infantry was the last British brigade to leave India, and they were given the model.[11] Another exhibition is of Prince Albert's Somerset Light Brigade.[12] This exhibition discusses the unit's involvement in the Battle of Jellalabad and the First Anglo-Afghan War.[1] Other exhibitions include ones on the Somerset and Cornwall Light Infantry, West Somerset Yeomanry, North Somerset Yeomanry, and the Somerset Rifles.[12]

References

  1. ^ a b c "Somerset Military Museum". Army Museums Ogilby Trust. Retrieved 18 January 2011.
  2. ^ "Somerset Military Museum". Archon Directory. British National Archives. Retrieved 18 January 2011.
  3. ^ "Registered and Accredited Museums". Museums, Libraries, and Archives Council. Archived from the original (PDF) on 27 July 2011. Retrieved 18 January 2011.
  4. ^ "Museum of Somerset". Services directory. Somerset County Council. Archived from the original on 3 May 2011. Retrieved 18 January 2011.
  5. ^ "Somerset Heritage Service Newsletter April 2010" (PDF). Somerset County Council. Retrieved 25 August 2011.
  6. ^ "Timeline of Somerset Museums". Retrieved 23 June 2018.
  7. ^ "Queen Mother visits to open military museum in Taunton". Somerset County Gazette. 31 March 2019.
  8. ^ "Queen's visit puts Taunton's 500-year-old Royal myth to bed". Somerset County Gazette. 30 March 2019.
  9. ^ "Somerset Military Museum". Services directory. Somerset County Council. Retrieved 18 January 2011.
  10. ^ "Official Site of the Somerset Military Museum". Somerset Military Museum. Retrieved 18 January 2011.
  11. ^ "Brigadier John Platt". The Times. 20 October 2006. Retrieved 25 August 2011.[dead link‍]
  12. ^ a b "Histories". Somerset Military Museum. Retrieved 18 January 2011.