GURKHA MUSEUM NEWS

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CURATOR'S REPORT ON THE GURKHA MUSEUM - 2007

Museum Review.

The past year has been most rewarding for visitor numbers coming to the Gurkha Museum - up 13 %, but sluggish for trading, which must be measured against the general economic climate in the United Kingdom. The Trading Company had a highly successful trading year up to December 2006 - our best ever. However, despite the publicity provided by the spring 2007 edition of the Gurkha Welfare Trust's 'Samachara', shop sales remained sluggish. Congratulations go to the numerous Volunteers and Gurkha Staff who have manned the Museum Shop and Mobile Shops over the summer period. Beside the increase in visitors to the Museum, there was a keen interest in the numerous lectures staged throughout the year, particularly our first lecture and curry lunch for members of the GBA on 13 April 2007 given by Lieutenant Colonel Peter Reeve on "Partition of India and the Meo Uprising". The GBA lecture and curry lunch will be continued this year and details will be shown later in the report.

Farewell to Staff.

Last autumn we bade farewell to our four long serving Gurkha Staff who retired from the army. Rifleman Meghbahadur Rai, following his discharge, was able to apply to the Civil Service and successfully passed his interview (in competition with four other British candidates) to become a full time Attendant at the Museum. Incidentally, Mr Meghbahadur Rai is the first GOR to compete and win a placement with the Civil Service under the new Gurkha TACOS. Replacements for the retired Gurkhas have now arrived at the Museum and we hope our visitors will be able to meet Corporal Ombahadur Thapa, Rifleman Chetbahadur Rana and Rifleman Balbahadur Tamang.

McDonald Gallery.

The McDonald Gallery has again been the venue for the many Gurkha Regimental Association Reunions, an extremely successful summer joint Exhibition with the Royal Green Jackets Museum, titled "Rifles and Kukris - Delhi, 1857" and the hosting of the Friends Lecture "The Gurkhas in the Falklands - 25th Anniversary" by Major Mike Seear and curry lunch on 15 June 2007. The commercial use of the Gallery has ensured that the budget for 2007 was on target and many members of the public have been able to see our special collection of paintings, medals and accoutrements on display. This year, to mark the 150th Anniversary of the Indian Mutiny, Colonel Denis Wood wrote a Museum Publication (No 22) titled "Gurkhas in the Indian Mutiny 1857-1859". The ,Museum jointly staged an exhibition with the Royal Green Jackets in the Indian Army Room. The Royal Military Academy Sandhurst on 12 August 2007, The main summer exhibition was successfully opened by Field Marshals Lord Bramall and Sir John Chapple on 17 August and ran until 16th September. The exhibition covered the role played by H.M. 52nd Light Infantry, H.M. 1st/60th Rifles, the Gurkha Sirmoor Battalion and the Kemaoon Battalion during the beginning of the Indian Mutiny and throughout the Siege of Delhi, 1857. The Times produced a very informative and complimentary article on the Museum's Exhibition. The Museum's Annual Lecture in October on "Gurkhas in Afghanistan - 2007" by Major Jamie Murray, RGR was a resounding success and heavily over subscribed. A "Dargai Anniversary" Luncheon was held on19 October by the Gordon Highlander's under John Urquhart's direction. He gave a stirring account of the campaign, with additional assistance from General Sir Peter Duffell and Rodney Turk who highlighted the action of the 2nd and 3rd Gurkha Rifles respectively.

Winchester Military Museums.

Winchester Military Museums (WMM) again had an interesting year. The winter series of lectures (staged each month between October - March) appealed to an increasing audience from within a 25 mile radius of Winchester. The Access and Learning Educational Programme now includes over 25 schools from the Local Education Authority Area and encourages an increasing number of school age students into the Military Museums. There was a highly successful Schools Open Day which drew over 700 children in early August.

The Brigade of Gurkhas Visitor Centre.

The Brigade of Gurkhas Visitor Centre, Shorncliffe continues to attract a growing number of the general public and local schools on visit to the exhibits. The Visitor Centre staged an exhibition on the Borneo Campaign from November 2006 - April 2007. It is now staging an exhibition on the Siege of Delhi, 1857 which will run until February 2008. There are also a growing number of school children from the Folkestone area visiting the Centre for Access and Learning to know more about Gurkhas and their culture. A new member of staff, Rifleman Shamshir Rai, joined the team of Gurkhas at the Shorncliffe Visitor Centre in August 2007.

Aquisitions and Improvements.

This year, the Friends funding has enabled new purchases of weapons, an Enfield rifle, a Fusil Rifle and their respective bayonets as used in the Indian Mutiny. Both weapons were displayed at the 150th Anniversary of Delhi, 1857 Open Day at  RMA Sandhurst and in the joint Museum summer exhibition. The 3rd QAO Gurkha Rifles Officer's Association kindly presented an oil painting by the artist, Jason Askew depicting "HM 52nd Lt, the Kemaoon Battalion (3GR) and 1st Punjab Infantry assaulting the Kashmir Gate, Delhi, 14 September, 1857" The Friends commissioned an oil painting for the Museum by Jason Askew depicting "The Officers dining at the Delhi table in Hindu Rao 's House, Delhi 1857". Both paintings were displayed in the exhibition and will hang in the McDonald Gallery of the Museum. Phase 2 of the Touch Screen Project incorporating the Serving Brigade of Gurkhas is currently under production and is expected to be completed by December 2007. During 2008, the third phase of the Touch Screen project will be undertaken to cover the Campaigns of World War 2 in which Gurkhas fought. The Inter Active Project Phase 1, opened in December 2006, covering Nepalese Religion, Dress, Customs and History has been very popular with visitors and schools.

Forecast of Events (see also Diary of Events - Click here ).

Looking ahead, I would like to remind readers of forthcoming events for the 2008 diary.

• An "Exhibition of Drawings and Paintings" from 1 - 13 April 2008.
• The GBA Lecture on "The Malayan Campaign 1948 -1960 - A Gurkha Infantry Officer's Recollections" by Lieutenant Colonel E Gopsell DSO, OBE, MC. The lecture on Friday 18 April 2008 at the Museum to members of the GBA will begin at 11.00am followed by a curry lunch.
• The Friends Lecture on "The Sikh Wars 1846 - J 849" by Saranjit Singh. The lecture at the Museum to the Friends will be held on Friday 13 June 2008 at 11.00am followed by a curry lunch.
• The Summer Exhibition for 2008 will commemorate the "60th Anniversary of the Start of the Malayan Campaign 1948 - 1960" and will run from 9 August - 7 September 2008.
• The Annual Theme Lecture by Daniel Marston on "The Malayan Campaign", including a curry lunch, will be staged on 10th October, followed by the Friends AGM and Tea on Saturday 11 October 2008.

Booking details for the lectures are attached.

Digitisation of the Campaign Medal Collection.

The next work project will be the digitisation of the Campaign Medal Collection which will begin next year. The aim of the Museum is to introduce new technology to show all the campaign medals in which Gurkhas have fought since 1815. Through the medium of sound and vision, we will explain the medals and ribbons, the geographical region of operation and provide facts of regimental interest. This project will be incorporated into a touch screen programme. By the summer 2008 the Museum hopes to launch its new web site which will provide a modern and informative face to marketing the Museum.

Friends of the Museum.

The Museum continually encourages members of the Brigade, both serving and retired to become a 'Friend of the Museum'. For the annual sum of £15.00 per annum a Friend is provided with a Newsletter published in March each year. The information includes Museum activities, new purchases of items of interest, information on forthcoming lectures (at concessionary rates), new items available of shop stock and gifts.

A booking form for The Friends Lecture and Curry Lunch staged in June each year is enclosed with the Friends Newsletter. Friends are provided with free entrance to the Museum and for a guest. Finally, Friends have an opportunity to attend the AGM and Tea in October each year where they can express their views on purchases of items for the Museum collection and improvements for the Museum' displays.

Summary.

We look forward to meeting our readers during the next twelve months and hope that you will be able to come and see the new projects and exhibitions that will be staged during 2008 and attend the lectures.