Museum show respect for soldiers (From Salisbury Journal)

Museum show respect for soldiers

1:12pm Monday 15th March 2010

• Print
• Email
• Share
• Comments(0)

THE Rifles (Berkshire and Wiltshire) Museum in Salisbury’s Cathedral Close, has been flying its flag at half mast as a mark of respect for the latest Rifles soldiers who have been killed in action while serving in Afghanistan.

Since its formation in 2007, the Rifles Regiment has lost forty-one soldiers killed in action while serving in Afghanistan, as well as eight in Iraq.

In the week to March 8, six soldiers were killed in Afghanistan and the museum's regimental flag was flown at half mast every day.

In May the museum will be opening a new exhibition called Afghanistan, which will cover the period from 1880 and the Battle of Maiwand through to today’s battles with the Taliban.

It will include film footage of life on the frontline in Afghanistan taken recently, a display of weapons used by the Taliban and Afghan tribesmen from previous wars.

Also on display will be artefacts, various images, information panels and a Rifles Roll of honour which contains images of the soldiers with a brief obituary of each; this is being kept updated, together with a museum book of condolence.

Many of the items on display, which include ration packs, photographs, uniforms and equipment, have been donated to the museum by soldiers from the 4th Battalion, The Rifles who are based at Bulford, and whose commanding officer, Lieutenant Colonel Rupert Jones, is a museum trustee.

• Print
• Email
• Share
• Comments(0)