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Bullet extracted from Alfred Smith's lung in 1940

A Soldier's Life

The curious story of Alfred Smith

A chance discovery by a curator’s brother-in-law lifted the lid on a surprising story of service that now features in our refreshed Soldier gallery. A selection of unexceptional First World War medals proved the key to unlocking this series of extraordinary events.

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Queen’s Colour of 6th Battalion The King’s African Rifles, c1958

The regimental system

The regiment or corps is the key administrative component of the British Army. Each has its own history, traditions and insignia. To its soldiers, the regiment is a military family that provides comradeship and a unique identity.

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Christmas greetings from the front line

Here we look at some of the Christmas cards sent by soldiers during the First World War, and how they helped ease the pressures of life on the front line.

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Brass bilge-pump valve salvaged from the wreck of HMT 'Birkenhead', 1852

Women and children first

Several objects from our collection reveal a remarkable tale of self-sacrifice and steadfast military discipline during one of the 19th century’s most infamous maritime disasters.

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Captain John Grant Malcolmson VC, 3rd Bombay Light Cavalry, c1860

Malcolmson VC: Hero of the Persian War

A remarkable collection of objects, including a rare Victoria Cross, tells the heroic story of Lieutenant John Grant Malcolmson, who served during the Persian War (1856-57).

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A First World War Christmas

Soldiers throughout the First World War found ways to maintain morale and mark the festive season while separated from their loved ones.

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Formation badge of 30 (XXX) Corps, c1941

British Army organisation

Do you know your brigades from your battalions? Learn more about the organisation of the British Army and the tactical formations it has deployed on campaign.

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Antony Mallaby's dressing gown with formation badges sewn on it, c1943

Dressing gowns that earned their stripes

A child’s dressing gowns, decorated with patchworks of military badges, reveal a moving story of growing up in Britain during the Second World War and the loss of a beloved parent.

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Lieutenant Colonel Campbell Clark, 104th Regiment of Foot (Bengal Fusiliers), c1877

A lucky escape

A rare tunic from the Indian Mutiny holds a death-defying tale of gruesome gunshots, troublesome timepieces and a remarkable recovery.

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Parliamentarian soldiers at a tavern, c1645

The war on Christmas

In 1647, Christmas was almost cancelled as the Long Parliament and its army tried to banish all festivities that smacked against the sober Puritan values of the period.

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Allied soldiers on the roof of a captured A7V tank, 1918

1918: Year of victory

The German Spring Offensive saw mobile warfare return to the Western Front. Despite early gains, the Germans exhausted themselves, setting the stage for a successful Allied counter-offensive.

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The earliest European view of Niagara

Thomas Davies' watercolour, ‘An East View of the Great Cataract of Niagara’ (1762), documents the struggle for control of North America and illuminates the history of British exploration and science.

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Field Marshal Lord Allenby of Megiddo and Felixstowe, c1925

Edmund Allenby: The bull

General Sir Edmund Allenby led the British Empire to victory in the Middle East in 1918. He successfully pioneered the combined use of infantry, cavalry and aeroplanes at the Battle of Megiddo.

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Remembrance

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