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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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Landing troops from transports at Lao Shan Bay, September 1914

Siege of Tsingtao

In the autumn of 1914, British soldiers fought alongside the Japanese in China. Their goal was the German naval base at Tsingtao, which finally fell in November after a two-month siege.

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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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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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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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3rd Battalion The Parachute Regiment searching for snipers in Gaynaeim village, 1951

Suez Canal Zone

Between 1945 and 1956, British soldiers garrisoned bases on the Suez Canal in Egypt. A harsh climate, disease and attacks by local nationalists made Suez one of the most unpopular Army postings.

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On patrol in the jungles of North Borneo, c1964

Indonesian Confrontation

Between 1963 and 1966, British Commonwealth forces fought against Indonesia in a conflict that focused on the future of Brunei and North Borneo.

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Aden Emergency

The Aden Emergency (1963-67) was an insurgency against British rule in the south of the Arabian Peninsula. The unrest hastened British plans for withdrawal and marked the end of 20 years of decolonisation.

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British infantry vehicles advancing, Iraq, 1991

Gulf War

The war against Iraq in 1990-91 saw the largest single deployment of British troops since the Second World War. Altogether, about 35,000 British servicemen and women served in the campaign.

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A 25-pounder of 45 Field Regiment, Royal Artillery, fires at enemy positions on the Imjin, 1951

Battle of the Imjin River

Fought in April 1951 in Korea, this was the bloodiest engagement endured by the British Army since the Second World War. For three days, the 29th British Independent Infantry Brigade Group thwarted massed Chinese attacks.

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Lieutenant Colonel Robert Clive at Plassey, 1757

Battle of Plassey

Robert Clive's victory at Plassey on 23 June 1757 led to the British becoming the greatest economic and military power in India.

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Abyssinia Expedition

The 1868 expedition to Abyssinia (now Ethiopia) was one of the most ambitious and expensive military campaigns ever undertaken by the British Army.

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Battle of Aliwal

This battle was fought on 28 January 1846 during the First Sikh War. A British-Indian force took on the Sikh army of the Punjab. It ended in a decisive British victory and is seen by some as a ‘near perfect battle’.

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Remembrance

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