TOPIC:

David
What remarkable exhibits!
IL.

Superb! Amazing...

Visit dated: 25/06/2022

David, many thanks for posting excellent images of the City Soldiers exhibition at the Museum of Liverpool. Since your visit, I think a couple more exhibition features have been added which would be of interest to forummers.

The image below features the diary page of Lieutenant Richard Jones present during the Siege of Ladysmith, who hailed from Liverpool and served with the King's Regiment during the Boer War. He faced a court martial following his surrender at the Battle of Helvetia, but was exonerated by being cleared of all charges. He advanced to the rank of Major during the First World War



Apologies for the poor photography! I provide a more legible transcription of his diary entry on display as follows:

"23rd,24th and 25th, nothing out of the common happened,
alot of firing in all directions at night 25 th
26th. We were all very ill during night and day,
and think we must have been poisoned, not
much firing. Long Tom did alot of shelling
Wednesday night 27th " Majuba Day". Very quiet,
a little shelling and musketry.. Went into Ladysmith
with Hunter 28th. Dull day, some rain. Lots
of our guns are firing on retiring Boers. News
of Roberts' Army taking Cronje and of
Buller's big victory on 27th. 2 Squadrons of
Buller's Cavalry entered Ladysmith in the
morning. Rations increased this morning.
LADYSMITH RELIEVED
1st March. Flying Column went out after the Boers.
Our 4 companies on detachment went to Intombi.
2nd. At Intombi, saw some of the fellows of
Buller's Force, but could not get away to visit
the column but some others did.
3rd. A to Intombi, we got a slight increase in rations,
a few potatoes,rum etc. Got a few letters.

COLUMN OF MEDALS












A column of medals attributed to the King's (Liverpool) Regiment is on display including a nine clasp examplebof a QSA.
Disappointingly, the individual medal and medal groups do not have individual descriptions or biographies, which as a keen amateur researcher/historian I really would benefit and enjoy seeing .
Perhaps the museum could invest a little more time in adding this to the exhibition.

Many thanks for your pictures, Steve, and the new exhibit.

Their method of displaying medals is not at all systematic or logical. It reminds me of the library in Dublin where the books are arranged by size!

Yes, that would be illogical! Room for improvement indeed!

My viewing of the exhibition visit yesterday was hampered by improvement work being carried out resulting in the lights being switched off within the displays, hence my photographic images not being great!
I would recommend the labelled displays at the Worcester County Museum and also the regimental museums at Edinburgh Castle as a good benchmark for the display of medals and numbered references in description thereof.
But all the same, with the greatest respect, still a good display of medals at Liverpool.

The apex of the display must surely be the two Victoria Crosses awarded for the Boer War to the King's (Liverpool) Regiment




Victoria Cross labelled thus 48 & 49 as above

For the interest of inquisitive forummers, the details of the award of the VCs as follows:

Display number 48
Corporal Henry James Knight:( later Captain): The King's (Liverpool) Regiment
VC number: 703
Date of Gazette: 4th January 1901
Account of deed: on 21st August 1900 during the operations near Van Wyk's Vlei, South Africa, Corporal Knight and four men were covering the right rear of a detachment of their company when they were attacked by the enemy. The corporal held his ground, directing his men to retire one by one to better cover, where he maintained his position for nearly an hour, covering the withdrawal of part of their company, and losing two of his four men. He then retired, taking with him two wounded men, one of whom he left in a place of safety and the other he carried himself for nearly two miles.

Display number 49
Private (later Sergeant) William Edward Heaton: 1st Battalion The King's (Liverpool ( Regiment
Date of Gazette: 18th January 1901
Account of deed:
On 23rd August 1900 at Geluk, South Africa, a company of the 1st Battalion. The King's (Liverpool) Regiment became surrounded by the enemy and was suffering severely. Private Heaton volunteered to take a message back to explain the position of the company and he carried out this mission successfully at imminent risk to his own life. Had it not been for his courage, the remainder of his company would almost certainly have had to surrender.

A visit to this section of the museum highly recommended if you should visit Liverpool Museum.
Additionally, areas devoted to Titanic and local railways aswell for further local interest.