THE ROYAL ANGLIAN REGIMENT MUSEUM APPEAL

Last year the 1st Battalion, The Royal Anglian Regiment distinguished itself during its six months operational tour in Helmand Province, Afghanistan. About one in eight of its soldiers received awards for gallantry. However, the success of the tour came at high cost. The Battalion suffered nine men killed and 68 wounded in action.

This toll has acted as a catalyst and the Regiment is to raise a Memorial at the Imperial War Museum's site at Duxford, co-locating it with the Regimental Museum. All 69 of the Regiment's soldiers who have died on duty, since it was formed from the former County regiments of East Anglia and the East Midlands, will be commemorated.

The Regimental Memorial is to cost some £150,000. In parallel with this the Museum has to update its displays in order to accommodate the weapons and artefacts brought back from Afghanistan and from future operational tours. In addition to new and extended display cabinets, a much greater emphasis will be placed on IT to reflect the exploits of the Regiment. A computer assisted research and educational facility is also planned. The total cost of the Museum enhancements is £215,000, making a combined target of £365,000. Commitments amounting to more than half the cost of the Memorial have been secured from Regimental sources.

The Memorial and Museum enhancements will work together. When the Memorial is built the names of the fallen will be permanently and very publicly recorded and that will be complemented by up to the moment displays in the adjacent Museum informing visitors of the compelling conflicts behind the names. One will do justice to the other.

If you would like to donate, you can do so:

a. On-line at www.justgiving.com
b. By sending a donation to Royal Anglian Regiment Museum Trust, Regimental Headquarters, The Keep, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, IP33 3RN
c. Or by contacting Regimental Headquarters (Major Dick Gould) on 01284 752394 or at ars@rhqroyalanglian.org.uk
d. Regimental Associations could also promote the Appeal's raffle at their events. Tickets may be obtained from Regimental Headquarters (see above).

Thank you for your support and interest.