MAIDSTONE BOROUGH COUNCIL
THE QUEEN’S OWN ROYAL WEST KENT REGIMENT
MUSEUM TRUST COMMITTEE
REPORT OF THE MUSEUMS & HERITAGE MANAGER
Report prepared by Simon Lace, Museums & Heritage Manager
Date Issued: December 2012
Queen’s Own Royal West Kent Regiment Museum Trust
Annual Report 2011-12
1. The Queen’s Own Buffs Regimental Association remain very supportive of the regimental museum. Over the last year with the support of Council staff they have organized three events held in Maidstone Museum for their members.
2. Discussions with the Association concerning the development of a programme of externally funded improvements to the regimental museum have begun. Consultation with other partners and with visitors will begin early in 2013.
3. The Association has submitted a planning application (MA/12/2008) for the erection of a bronze statue of a soldier which is intended to commemorate the Royal West Kent Regiment. They propose that the statue be located in the front courtyard of Maidstone Museum opposite the Gurkha statue that was placed there in 2009.
4. Media interest in the Regimental Museum remains high. Articles and stories relating to the regimental museum regularly appear in the local press and on TV.
5. During the year 20 individual donors made donations to the regimental collection. These include;
· Medals, cigarette case, watch guard, camera and purse (containing lucky black cat and “Ypres” ring) of 2Lt Percy Stevens, 7thBn RWK
· Silver cigar box of Capt C E Stern, 4th Bn RWK
· Military Cross, 1914-15 Star, 1914-19 War Medal, Victory Medal of Capt E Fulcher
· 1914-19 War Medal and Victory Medal of Albert Agnew
· 1939-45 Star, Africa Star, Italy Star, Defence Medal, 1939-45 War Medal of George Wilson
· Medals (Territorial Medal, 1939-45 War Medal with oak leaf clasp, Defence Medal, Burma Star, Africa Star with 8th Army clasp, 1939-45 Star), miniatures, diary, photographs and kukri of Major Shaw, RWK
· 1914-19 War Medal + Victory medal of Pte W Dutton, RWK
· Defence Medal, 1939-45 War Medal, documentation, photo album with RWK embroidered crest of Pte F W H Joyce, RWK (donor lives in New Zealand)
· Autograph album relating to 8th Bn, RWK
6. A short audio-visual presentation recording the memories of eight veterans of the Battle of Kohima (1944) has been prepared. It will soon be installed in the Museum for visitors to view.
7. An interactive computer display has been installed in the museum which provides information about the medals on display. This was funded by the Museum Trust.
8. Looking ahead, the regimental museum will be the focus of much interest when we commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Great War in the summer of 2014. Work has already started on developing a programme of activities for the anniversary.