Bugles, Weapons and a Platoon "Bible" - exploring the museum's latest acquisitions

Send us Fan MailAhead of the Museum Open Day on Saturday 12th September, Col Andy Taylor and Rev Paul Roberts meet in the museum to look at items recently donated or acquired for the museum.They begin with a First World War brass bugle issued to the Herefordshire Regiment's Supplementary Company - made up of old Territorial soldiers who were too old to fight overseas.  Our pair examine the role of the Supplementary Company including guarding German civil internees on the Isle of Man.Two new weapons have been acquired from the Royal Air Force Museum's reserve collection and will be on show in our museum cases for our open day.  The advantages and disadvantages of the Mark II Sten gun are discussed.  This weapon was used widely during the Second World War by British and Commonwealth units as well as by resistance fighters on the continent.  Men of the Herefordshire Regiment used this weapon in the liberation of North-West Europe in 1944 and 1945; unfortunately with the result of several casualties within the regiment itself.The Stirling sub-machine gun, the Sten's successor is also examined and finds its place in our post-war display case.  Often issued to tank crews, radio operators and others working in confined spaces, it was popular on exercise as it was much lighter than the  L1A1 Self Loading Rifle to carry, even if it was far less accurate!Finally, inside a pig skin case is a platoon "bible" compiled by Second Lieutenant Geoffrey Poppleton Lloyd, a Leominster solicitor, listing all the men in his platoon that he took to Gallipoli in July 1915.  There are fascinating details, including everything from hat size to home addresses, pay and allowances.  Our pair discuss the important role pastoral role played by platoon officers and Lloyd's wartime career - being evacuated from both Gallipoli and later Egypt and his attachment to the 1st Battalion, Kings Shropshire Light Infantry (KSLI).  He was captured by German forces on the first day of the Spring Offensive in March 1918, along with Andy and Paul's ancestor Charles Percy Taylor.If you are around on 12th September and would like to visit the museum, call along to Suvla Barracks, Harold Street, Hereford, HR1 2QX.  We are open as part of the National Heritage Open Day Scheme on Saturday 12 September from 1030hrs until 1500hrs .Support the showIf you like what you hear, don't forget to like and subscribe to help us reach a wider audience. Visit our website - Herefordshire Light Infantry Museum; follow us on Facebook Herefordshire Regimental Museum | Facebook or visit our Youtube channel Herefordshire Regimental Museum - YouTube.Support the Museum?  Become a Patreon supporter or a Become a FriendTheme Tune - The Lincolnshire Poacher, performed by the outstanding Haverhill Silver Band.This podcast generously supported by the Army Museums Ogilby Trust.