Collection: The Fusilier Museum Warwick

Collection-level records:

• Collection history (Collection development policy)

  The collection was first displayed in a museum at Budbrooke Barracks (1928 – 1960) before moving to St John’s House. The base of the collection is Regimental items donated by officers/soldiers (ex-servicemen). Today many donations are also received from members of the public. The collection provides a basis for displays, education, research, and study.

  Source: Collection development policy

  Date: 2024

  Licence: CC BY-NC

• Collection overview (Collection development policy)

  The objects illustrate the history of the Regiment* from its formation In 1674 to the present day. The items belonged to soldiers who served with the Regiment, or have a connection to the Regiment, its allies, or enemies.

  *When describing the Museum collection the term the ‘Regiment’ applies to Lillington’s Regiment of Foot (1674 – 1743), Sixth Regiment of Foot (1743 – 1782), Sixth or First Warwickshire Regiment of Foot (1782 – 1832), Sixth or Royal [First] Warwickshire Regiment (`1832 – 1881), Royal Warwickshire Regiment (1881 – 1963), Royal Warwickshire Fusiliers (1963 – 1968) and the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers (1968 – ).

  The collection contains different types of objects.

  Type of object	Approx no. of objects
  Archives (personal documents, letters, postcards, diaries, maps, scrapbooks and official army records, photographs	7000
  Medals (unofficial Regimental to official campaign medals, gallantry medals, long service and good conduct medals, miniature medals, and sports awards	3200
  Memorial Plaques	70
  Musical instruments (bugles, drums, and a flute)	30
  Textiles (Regimental Colours, pennants, foreign flags, and embroideries	200
  Silver (Regimental and sporting memorabilia)	110
  Library books	70
  Fine art	150
  Framed photographs and prints	90
  Weapons (firearms, edged weapons, and miscellaneous weapons, ammunition – used by soldiers serving with the Regiment and their opponents)	250
  Decorative art (mainly Regimental ceramics and glasses, memorial tusks & horns)	90
  Uniforms (mainly Victorian period onwards. The earliest are Birmingham Loyal Association and the Militia – full-dress and service-dress, officers, non- commissioned officers, and other ranks)	600
  Costume accessories – hats, helmets, belts, sashes, footwear etc.	1000
  Badges	750
  Equipment	150
  Relics and souvenirs	300
  Biological specimens	1

  From March 2023, after a hiatus of six months while the museum completed its new build at Pageant House, the museum’s MODES database has been regularly updated with new location information and new acquisitions (compiled from the accession register). During this process, some improvements have been made to descriptions where this is possible. As of beginning of April 2024, the total number of entries on the database was 13839. Teams of volunteers are working through the collections to audit, document, condition check and, where needed, repack items. When they have identified an object without an accession number, they have issued it with an ‘E’ number acting as a temporary ID until either the accession number has been found by cross-link to records, or a new retrospective accession number is issued.

  Although the earliest objects in the collection date from 1674 (letters from William Prince of Orange to Sir Walter Vane about the formation of the Regiment), the majority of the collection dates from the nineteenth century onwards. The key themes represented within the collection are major battles, particularly both World Wars, and personal stories of individual soldiers and their daily routine. Material relating to the activities of the current Royal Regiment of Fusiliers, the successor regiment of the Royal Warwickshire Regiment, are only acquired where there is a clear connection to the areas of the historic recruiting grounds of the regiment in Warwickshire, Coventry and Birmingham.

  Source: Collection development policy

  Date: 2024

  Licence: CC BY-NC