The Royal Marines Museum launches a new exhibition in time to celebrate Armed Forces Day on 25th June. The new exhibition gives visitors an up to date view of recent deployments for Royal Marines around the world, and uses artefacts from the field to tell their story. With the recent deaths of Royal Marines in Afghanistan and the ten year anniversary of the on-going conflict in Afghanistan, now is the time to visit the Museum and learn more.
The Royal Marines Museum works to collect items that go on to represent the history of the Royal Marines for future generations. This exhibition brings the Museum up to date with artefacts collected from the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts, and looks at the role the Royal Marines play as part of the Royal Navy, focusing on the Fleet Protection Group (FPG) and their role safeguarding international waters, particularly with their fight against naval piracy.
Highlights from the exhibition include FPG kit used by Cpl Martin Murray during a counter-piracy operation in the Indian Ocean and an AK47 Assault Rifle captured from Somali pirates. Another evocative exhibit is Col Mark Gray’s UN beret and helmet cover which were worn when he was part of the UN detachment in the former Yugoslavia, where he helped save the lives of 20,000 people when he prevented the Peruca Dam from flooding after Serbian troops set off explosives. Also featured in the exhibition is the recreation of part of a Forward Operating Base (FOB) which houses a wooden sign donated by Mne Michael Bender which he made for Patrol Base Ezaray during his deployment to Afghanistan on Operation Herrick 12. The sign features the Globe and Laurel surrounded by the names of those based there at the time.
For kids there’s the opportunity to try on Royal Marines uniforms and for kids of all ages there is a General Purpose Machine Gun (GPMG) simulator to have a go on.
To commemorate the lives of Royal Marines killed in action there is a memorial wall with the name and photo of every Royal Marine killed in action recent years.
As the Museum continues to evolve and expand its collection as a lasting tribute to the Royal Marines of the past, present and future there is no better time to visit. To celebrate Armed Forces Day, kids have free entry to the Museum on Sunday 26th June on production of a Royal Marines or Royal Marines Association card.
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