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  • Chelsea, London

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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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The reception of the Colours of the disbanded Irish regiments, Windsor Castle, 1922

The Story of the Disbanded Irish Regiments

In 1922, the creation of the Irish Free State (now the Republic of Ireland) led to the disbandment of six regiments of the British Army which had traditionally recruited there. This video provides a brief overview of their story.

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Cap badge, Machine Gun Corps, 1917

Machine Gun Corps

This corps was formed in 1915 to help meet the demands of trench warfare on the Western Front. It was disbanded in 1922 as part of cost-saving efforts to reduce the Army to peacetime levels.

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Gerry Chester, during training with the Royal Tank Regiment, c1942

Sergeant Arthur ‘Gerry’ Chester

Gerry Chester served with the tanks of the North Irish Horse in North Africa and Italy during the Second World War. Like other tankmen, he forged a close bond with his crew mates, with whom he endured many hardships and combat actions.

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Sergeant Major James Frederick Plunkett, 2nd Battalion, the Royal Irish Regiment, c1911

Lieutenant Colonel James Frederick Plunkett

James Frederick Plunkett served on the Western Front throughout the First World War. His courage, leadership and devotion to duty enabled him to rise through the ranks and become one of the most highly decorated servicemen of the war.

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Sir John Chapple, 1987

Field Marshal Sir John Chapple

Field Marshal Sir John Chapple had a most distinguished military career. He was also passionate about military heritage and history, and a steadfast supporter of the National Army Museum.

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Hospital Sergeant Frederick Newman, 1850

Hospital Sergeant Frederick Newman

Frederick Newman served with the 97th Foot in the 1840s and '50s. Like many Victorian soldiers, he spent most of his military career abroad, enduring various hardships. He met his fate during the first cruel winter of the Crimean War.

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Gunner of the Royal Artillery at a Covid mobile testing unit, West Midlands Safari Park, June 2020

Recording the Army’s Covid response

British Army personnel have made a significant contribution to the UK's response to the Covid-19 pandemic. In 2020, the National Army Museum initiated a contemporary collecting project to record their efforts.

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‘Amar Singh - fait a Orléans’, 16 October 1914

Paul Sarrut: Interpreting the Army on the Western Front

Paul Sarrut was a French soldier who was posted to the British Army as a military liaison officer and interpreter during the First World War. Trained as an artist, Sarrut created an important visual record of the 3rd (Lahore) Division in France.

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Section Leader Mary Oldnall of the ATS working electrical apparatus, Shoeburyness, c1941

Hidden voices: Mary Coomer

The voice of Mary Coomer, who served in the ATS during the Second World War, was recently discovered in the National Army Museum's collection of oral history interviews. This is her story, in her own words.

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Valerie Erskine Howe, Auxiliary Territorial Service, on a motorbike, c1944

Hidden voices: Valerie Erskine Howe

What would you do if your partner told you to get out there and 'learn about life' before they would marry you? Valerie Erskine Howe opted to join the Army... in the middle of a war. This is her story.

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Major-General John Alexander Dunlop Wallace, Colonel of the 88th Regiment of Foot (Connaught Rangers), c1835

General Sir John Alexander Wallace

John Alexander Wallace commanded the 1st Battalion of the 88th Regiment of Foot (Connaught Rangers) during the Peninsular War. His courage and leadership helped forge the identity and fighting reputation of this celebrated Irish unit.

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Cap badge, Royal Army Medical Corps, c1941

Royal Army Medical Corps

Formed in 1898, but within origins dating back to the 1660s, this specialist corps was responsible for maintaining the health of British Army service personnel. In 2024, it merged with two other corps to form the Royal Army Medical Service.

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Remembrance

The Royal Artillery Memorial, Hyde Park Corner, London, 1925
Story

Honouring the fallen

After the First World War, British society had to come to terms with the loss of huge numbers of its service personnel. Across the country, people found ways to commemorate the fallen at a local and national level.

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The coffin of the Unknown Warrior borne in a wagon with a guard of Allied soldiers, 10 November 1920
Story

The Unknown Warrior: A mystery solved

The grave of the Unknown Warrior contains the remains of an unidentified British serviceman, interred in 1920 to honour the fallen of the First World War. The secretive selection process remains shrouded in mystery.

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The Cenotaph in Whitehall, 1919
story

Peace and commemoration

After the Armistice in November 1918, millions of soldiers hoped they would soon go home. But demobilising so many troops was a huge task. How best to mark the Allied victory also became a subject for debate.

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"First time @NAM_London today. Thoroughly enjoyed it. Thought the presentation & interpretation made the subject accessible..."

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