Cheshire Military Museum

 The last stop on our family and friends road trip was Chester. This city has a long history, best known as the Roman town of Deva, of which the remains of the amphitheatre, baths and walls can still be seen.  

The later walls also saw action in the 16 months between September 1644 and February 1646 during the civil wars. The Sealed Knot have a plaque in the Roman bath gardens to commemorate the siege.

We are fortunate in the UK to have many regimental museums, often run by volunteers or charitable trusts. Chester has the Cheshire Military Museum in the old barracks. It tells the story of the Cheshire Soldiers from the 17th century to the present day.

Exhibits are displayed chronologically, with a mixture of uniforms, equipment and display boards. Cheshire had infantry and cavalry regiments who fought in most of Britain's major wars in every century.

 

While the broad sweep of history is interesting, the smaller exhibits are often the most interesting. Like this draughts board made by WW1 infantry out of postcards and stamps.

Or this Roll Book found at Sulva Bay, Gallipoli. 

This Croix de Guerre was awarded to the 12th Battalion for an attack on Pip Ridge in the Salonika Campaign, a particular interest of mine.

This is rare WW2 sight. A British cavalryman with a horse. This depicts a trooper from the Cheshire Yeomanry in the Syria Campaign of 1941.

 

Finally, for the wargamers, a nice diorama. The Scinde campaign, if I remember correctly.