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Royal Hampshire Regiment Museum @royalhampsmuseum.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

Into the archive... Thrice decorated, wounded and promoted from the ranks, Captain Joseph Milne was one of the only men of the 2nd Battalion to serve from their first day of action at Gallipoli on the 25th April 1915, through to the end of the war on the 11th of November 1918.

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Royal Hampshire Regiment Museum @royalhampsmuseum.bsky.social · 13/05/2026

#OnThisDay in 1944, Captain Richard Wakeford of the 2/4th Bn Hampshire Regiment won the Victoria Cross in the battle of Monte Cassino in Italy. Wounded in the face, both arms and both legs, he remained in command of his men for 7 hours to achieve their objective and take a German position. #bravery

Image is a black and white portrait photograph of Captain Richard Wakeford in uniform, wearing an army cap.

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Royal Hampshire Regiment Museum @royalhampsmuseum.bsky.social · 12/05/2026

#InternationalNursesDay here is Esme Bowker, a VAD (Voluntary Aid Detachment) nurse in WW1, who also founded a fund for Hampshire Regiment Prisoners at Kut in WW1. She had each 'adopted' by a local family who sent letters and supplies. Find out more about this amazing lady in the museum.

A black and white photograph of 2 female nurses in uniform sitting on a grassy slope. There is a tweed coat in the foreground. Both are looking down. The uniform is that of a VAD nurse from WW1, of a longsleeved dress, white apron with red cross on the chest, and a white cap.

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Royal Hampshire Regiment Museum @royalhampsmuseum.bsky.social · 01/01/2026

Happy New Year! ✨ This lovely Victorian card found in one of our photo albums says: 'May every leaf of Times old volume hold Joys that forget you not and never grow old.' #victoriancard #happynewyear #newyearsday #hampshirehistory #visitwinchester #visithampshire

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Royal Hampshire Regiment Museum @royalhampsmuseum.bsky.social · 25/12/2025

Merry Christmas from the all of us at the Royal Hampshire Regiment Museum, and from these lovely chaps in the Falklands! (1982-83). #ArchiveAdventCalendar #MerryChristmas #royalhampshireregiment

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Royal Hampshire Regiment Museum @royalhampsmuseum.bsky.social · 24/12/2025

"Then there was a children's party [in Malaya], [the] highlight of which was the arrival of Father Christmas by air. 'He' was 'dropped' by parachute from an Auster aircraft behind some buildings and finished the last stage by Jeep." (RHAMPS Regimental Journal 1956) 🎅 #ArchiveAdventCalendar #Santa

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Royal Hampshire Regiment Museum @royalhampsmuseum.bsky.social · 23/12/2025

These pictures show the Winter Landscape of Italy in 1944/45, as the 5th Battalion moved from Gottammare (where they had celebrated Christmas) to Taranto. ❄️ #WinterWonderland #ArchiveAdventCalendar #museumarchive #visitwinchester #visithampshire #archiveadvent #adventcalendar #militarymuseum

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Royal Hampshire Regiment Museum @royalhampsmuseum.bsky.social · 22/12/2025

These Victorian Christmas cards were discovered in one of our photograph albums when we were digitising it. The naughty children are playing some quite nasty pranks on unsuspecting people! We're not sure you'd see a Christmas card with these designs on today! ✉️ #ArchiveAdventCalendar #museumarchive

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Royal Hampshire Regiment Museum @royalhampsmuseum.bsky.social · 21/12/2025

With origins tracing back to the 1840s Christmas crackers have long been a festive tradition. This photo shows men of the 1st Battalion celebrating Christmas in Malaya in 1955, with a Christmas cracker for every man! #FestiveTraditions #ArchiveAdventCalendar #museumarchive #visitwinchester

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Royal Hampshire Regiment Museum @royalhampsmuseum.bsky.social · 20/12/2025

This picture shows two men of B Company, 1st Battalion, enjoying some much-deserved R&R and cooking a meal over a fire at Errol Flynn’s estate in Jamaica in 1961. 🔥 #ArchiveAdventCalendar #museumarchive #visitwinchester #visithampshire #archiveadvent #adventcalendar #militarymuseum #warmfire

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Royal Hampshire Regiment Museum @royalhampsmuseum.bsky.social · 19/12/2025

This invitation to a Christmas Sherry Party was extended to Miss E Ryan by the 1st Bn's Officers in 1937, when they were in Kamptee, India. In 1938 Elizabeth got engaged to and married Lieutenant Lier, Hampshire Regiment. Did they maybe meet at this party? 💍 #ChristmasParty #ArchiveAdventCalendar

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Royal Hampshire Regiment Museum @royalhampsmuseum.bsky.social · 15/12/2025

A recruitment poster for the 9th (Cyclist) Battalion, as they were established for General Service for the First World War. Before it entered our collection it was used as a means of packing up a picture! 🎁🖼️ #ArchiveAdventCalendar #WrappingPaper #hampshirehistory #visitwinchester #visithampshire

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Royal Hampshire Regiment Museum @royalhampsmuseum.bsky.social · 14/12/2025

This photo of christmas decorations at Yildiz Barracks in Istanbul is a bit of a mystery! The Battalion had left Turkey for Egypt on the 16th December, so is this photograph labelled as the wrong place, or maybe this is for the previous Christmas? #ArchiveAdventCalendar #hampshirehistory

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Royal Hampshire Regiment Museum @royalhampsmuseum.bsky.social · 13/12/2025

Here is an image of a 25 Russian Rubles banknote from 1909. Between 1918-1919, 2nd and 1/9th battalions of the Hampshire Regiment served in North Russia. #ArchiveAdventCalendar #Shopping #royalhampshireregiment

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Royal Hampshire Regiment Museum @royalhampsmuseum.bsky.social · 12/12/2025

No Christmas would be complete without a paper crown! Men of the 1st Battalion can be seen wearing theirs at their 1955 Christmas dinner in Malaya. 👑 #FestiveClothes #ArchiveAdventCalendar #museumarchive #visitwinchester #visithampshire #archiveadvent #adventcalendar #militarymuseum

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Royal Hampshire Regiment Museum @royalhampsmuseum.bsky.social · 04/12/2025

A copy of the programme for 'Tigers Xmas Show, 1980', and it lists Xmas Carols as part of the show. #ChristmasCarol #ArchiveAdventCalendar @arascotland.bsky.social

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Royal Hampshire Regiment Museum @royalhampsmuseum.bsky.social · 01/12/2025

Our #ArchiveAdventCalendar begins with #presents. This tin was given to soldiers in hospital at Christmas 1914. With a picture of Queen Alexandra on the front it contained cigarettes. The recipient was at Netley Hospital. @arascot.bsky.social #netleychapel #localhistory #winchestermilitarymuseums

Image shows a small metal tin, with a faded coloured portrait of Queen Alexandra facing left from waist up. She is wearing a crown, a pale-coloured dress with a blue sash over her left and black sash over her right shoulder. XMAS 1914 is written in the top left corner and there are some odd letters along the bottom where the picture is torn.

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Royal Hampshire Regiment Museum @royalhampsmuseum.bsky.social · 31/03/2025

Spring has sprung in our Memorial Garden! The forsythia, bluebells, tulips, daffodils, and of course the magnolia are all looking fabulous!

A garden bed with some small yellow daffodils at the front and 5 taller, red tulips behind.

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Royal Hampshire Regiment Museum @royalhampsmuseum.bsky.social · 15/02/2025

#OTD in 1971 decimalisation was introduced. This anniversary is a great occasion to showcase some of the old & special currencies we have in our collection: invasion currency, Allied Military Currency and British Armed Forces Special Vouchers used by soldiers in the countries they were occupying.

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Royal Hampshire Regiment Museum @royalhampsmuseum.bsky.social · 10/02/2025

#OTD in 1814 the 37th Regiment of Foot joined the Duke of Wellington’s Army as it pushed into France against Napoleon. The 37th helped to contain the French Garrison of Bayonne until peace was declared in April 1814. Pictured is the uniform of a 37th Foot Private.

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Royal Hampshire Regiment Museum @royalhampsmuseum.bsky.social · 29/01/2025

#OTD in 1944 during #WW2, Arthur McAlister of the Hampshire Regiment was awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal #DCM during the battle for Mount Damiano in #Italy. When all other Officers were killed or wounded, McAlister rallied the Battalion and led repeated attacks despite being wounded himself.

A sepia image of a smiling man in army uniform. His hat bears the Hampshire Regiment Officers' Cap Badge (8 pointed star with rose in the centre). His medal ribbons are visible. The photo has been written on in pen "fond love to all, Arthur".

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Royal Hampshire Regiment Museum @royalhampsmuseum.bsky.social · 24/01/2025

It's #InternationalDayofEducation today, and we could not let it pass without showing off this treasure from the archives. Sgt Raymont managed to pass his 2nd Class exams in 1920, but clearly the person printing the official Army Form could not spell - who can find the mistake?

Official Army Certificate printed in black ink on beige paper, listing the award and topics examined for the 2nd class certificate of education with a glaring typo in the title of the award.

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Royal Hampshire Regiment Museum @royalhampsmuseum.bsky.social · 18/12/2024

Merry Christmas Everyone! The Royal Hampshire Regiment Museum in Winchester hopes you all have a great festive period.

Black and White image of a large room decorated for Christmas Dinner with streamers in the 1930s, with a banner wishing everyone 'Xmas Greetings'.

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