1

As sit down to write my notes for the third edition of the Friends’ Newsletter, I realise

how quickly time has raced on since we began this mammouth project. It is now late

February and I am able to provide an update to all the Friends on our first full season

at Thoresby Courtyard. You may be interested to know that visitor numbers from 1st

March to end of November 2012 were over 26,000, of which 560 were school visits.

There was a vision that The Queen's Royal Lancers, The Sherwood Rangers Yeomanry and the South Nottinghamshire Hussars Yeomanry would open a joint museum in Nottinghamshire. With the help of Lady Rozelle Raynes in providing a first class venue and the generosity of our Donors and Friends, HRH Princess Alexandra opened the Museum on 27th July 2011.

The Visitors' Book is full of praise and the Museum has won a Chad (local paper) Business Award and been Highly Commended in the Nottingham Heritage Awards. So that would appear to be that, with a job well done. But nothing could be further from the truth. What we have achieved is just the beginning. A museum is a living thing that needs to be constantly improved and updated as new ideas, techniques and artefacts come to light. For example an Afghanistan graphic panel will be shortly introduced showing the origins of the conflict to the present day.

The aim of the Museum is to provide entertainment and education for the visiting public. We need to encourage them to come back time and again and discover more about our Regiments' heritage and their contribution that helped shape Britain's past right up to the present day. So in spite of just opening we are looking with a critical eye what can be displayed better and how we can improve the visitors' experience. Also we are looking ahead to the big forthcoming anniversaries and how we might portray World War I for the years 2014-2018. Many of you may have artefacts, diaries or stories within your families and I ask that you share these with us so that your Museum can be even better than it is now.

The Story so Far….Captain Mick Holtby

News Letter Forward Brigadier W Hurrell

Opening Times: 1st March – 30th November are 10:30 – 16:30 Wed-Sun Incl. Registered Charity Number: 1138821 Issue 4

We also had some 14,900 virtual visitors and 750 followers on

Facebook. Not a bad season by any means, but be assured

the Museum is looking at ways to increase our footfall in the

coming year and to firmly establish ourselves on the regional

tourist map. September saw a visit from the Eagle Primary

School, in Lincolnshire; they had been given an imaginary

commission from the Museum to produce low cost inter-actives

for use by children visiting the Museum. They had a wonderful

time creating and producing these activities, with some really

good topics and ideas, which we will certainly use.

Although the Museum has been closed since the end of

November, on occasion we do still open for groups by

special request. One such group who came to see us was

the local Mansfield U3A (University of the third Age), who

arranged a series of visits over two days in January and

brought along some 154 of their members for guided tours of

the Museum. Their chairman, Mr Terrence Whitehead very

graciously presented the Museum with a cheque for £462

with the thanks of U3A.

This year marks the 70th anniversary of the Battle of Fondouk 8/9 April 1943. This

was a major action fought by 26th Armoured Brigade of 1

st Army in the battle for

Tunisia of which both the 16th/5

th and the 17

th/21

st Lancers played a leading role.

Victory in the Tunisian campaign in May 1943 brought to an end the war North

Africa. Looking ahead to 2014 sees the 70th anniversary of the 2

nd Battle Monte

Cassino, 11 -14 of May 1944 and of course D Day on the 6th June 1944. The major

event of 2014 will be the 100th anniversary of the start of WWI. The Museum plans

to stage a special exhibition which may run for five years highlighting important

events of each year of the war. More about the proposed exhibition in future

editions.

An important event occurred in October when the Museum achieved full

Accreditation status. Accreditation is the UK standard for museums and galleries. It

defines good practice and identifies agreed standards, thereby encouraging

development. It is a baseline quality standard that helps guide museums. It is also

an important component for any Museum project funding in the future. Finally, I

would like to take the opportunity to thank all of our “Museum Friends” for their

continuing support throughout the year. It really is important for the long term

sustainability of the Museum. If you have not yet visited the Museum, then we look

forward to seeing you soon. In the meantime you can visit our website at

www.qrlnymuseum.co.uk and take a virtual tour of the Museum. For those Friends who have not yet visited your Museum, please find the time to do so; I am sure that you will not be disappointed.

MUSEUM NEWS March 2013 Tel: 01623 824222 www.qrlnymuseum.co.uk

During the next few weeks they were

giving and taking with very little real rest.

During this period the Battery occupied

two OPs one called 'Nuts'. This OP was

right out in the open, due South of the

gun position and 600yds in front of a

minefield behind which were the

Australian infantry. The OP was classed

as mobile as they had to stand on the

roof of their armoured car to see what the

Germans were up to in the dip

immediately in front of their position.

Their only protection apart from the

armoured vehicle was a few slit trenches

scraped in the ground. Flies by the

million, grown fat from the numerous

bodies unburied out in 'No Mans Land'

filled the armoured car and made

observation and eating equally

impossible.

The tactical position at this time was

static. Infantry on both sides were having

a quiet time except for patrolling at night,

but there was little rest for the gunners.

They shot at enemy Batteries every day.

In September during one artillery

concentration the Battery used over a

1,000 rounds in a days heavy firing.

There was very heavy return of fire on

the Battery both by enemy artillery and

aircraft, which lasted three days causing

all members to be badly shaken.

Preparations were now being made for

the great battle ahead; early in October

500 rounds per gun were dumped at a

very forward position and were buried by

detachments at night. On 20th October

the guns moved into position and for

three days remained silent. All was now

ready for the Battle of El Alamein.

The Battle of Knightsbridge was over,

Rommel's Panzers were roaming at

will, and the all important Nile Delta and

the Suez Canal gateway to India and

the Far East, were in imminent danger.

The battered remnants of the South

Notts. Hussars, temporally useless as a

fighting force - they had only one gun

and that had a round jammed in the

breech - were at Sidi Baranni, here it

was intended that they form themselves

into another Battery and return to the

line as part of 104 RHA (Essex

Yeomanry) who had themselves lost a

Battery in the recent fighting. Men who

had been taken prisoners at

Knightsbridge began to find their way

back, to receive an immediate reward

for escaping, of three bottles of beer.

Training at Sidi Barani was somewhat

farcical for few of the survivors were

experienced gunners and they were

taught the crude elements of gunnery

on bits of wood fashioned to resemble

dial sights and directors. Fortunately

the situation at the front eased and the

South Notts were sent back to base

camp near Cairo to get really fighting

fit.

Training started here on the

assumption that the Regiment would

again be equipped with 25 Pdrs, but

within days 18 magnificent monsters

arrived – 5.5 inch guns the first to be

seen in the Middle East. Orders were

received that the South Notts should

concentrate into a Battery and join 7th

Medium Regiment RA, a regular army

unit.

From Knightsbridge to El Alamein South Notts Hussars Journal

WO2 Taylor’s medal was put up for auction with Mellor and Kirk of London in

November 2012. John Robinson of the South Notts Hussars Association attempted

to buy the medal but unfortunately was out bid by Mr Alan Marvin, a private

collector. The good news is the Mr Marvin agreed to loan the medal to the

Thoresby Museum for three years. The DCM now sits alongside a full set of replica

medals, kindly donated to the Museum by Col Tim Richmond. It is your ongoing

support of the Museum that provides funding to allow us to secure such items for

future generations. Please continue to support the us and encourage other friends

to sign up.

WO2 (BSM) G F Taylor DCMAs a result of the incredible losses experienced by the

South Notts Hussars at the Battle of Knightsbridge, 27

May to 6 June 1942, only one man, WO2 (BSM) G F

Taylor, received any kind of decoration. BSM Taylor

was awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal for his

part in the action when 520 Battery was overrun by a

vastly superior force of tanks. One can’t help but wonder

how many more such medals might have been awarded

if the officers had survived to write the citations.

The Middle East School of Gunnery

gave instruction both in handling the

new guns and in driving the AEC gun

towers. For a fortnight standing gun drill

was carried out from dawn to almost

nightfall. At the end of the fortnight

tremendous strides had been made

and the Battery was brought up to full

strength with the arrival of

reinforcements from England.

A month to the day of arriving in base

camp the South Notts went back into

the Line to join 1" Medium Regiment

RA at the Alamein Line where Rommel

had been halted. This new born South

Notts Hussars Battery was peculiarly

called 107 Medium Battery RHA (This

was later changed to 426 Medium

Battery RHA).

Those first few weeks were some of the

most difficult in the Hussars whole

history. Much of it could be attributed to

the low state of health which existed in

the Battery, much of it due to fatigue

and reaction from the Knightsbridge

disaster, Desert sores, 'Gippy Tummy'

Sand fly fever and Jaundice all claiming

victims. In July 107 Battery was way

behind the other Battery in the

Regiment, however by hard training by

October they were on a par with the

others.

The Allies were terribly thin on the

ground being outnumbered in men,

armour and guns by the Germans and

Italian forces facing them. The South

Notts were first to fire the new 5.5inch

guns at the enemy in fact the first to fire

at an enemy anywhere. There were

casualties from enemy shelling from the

very first day they were in action.

The Museum strives to keep our Friends’

contact details up to date but we have

very few of your email addresses.

Please mail curator@qrlnymuseum.co.uk

with your contact details to allow us to

update our records.

Don’t forget to look us up on Facebook

pages. Search on the Queen’s Royal

Lancers and Nottinghamshire Yeomanry

Museum

You’ve Got

Mail!

MUSEUM NEWS March 2013 Tel: 01623 824222 www.qrlnymuseum.co.uk

The artillery barrage opened up at 1am on the 2nd November and the 2nd New Zealand Division crossed their start line on time. By 04.00 the Division had secured all its objectives and at 06.15 9th Armoured Brigade attacked west and became involved in a ferocious battle against the enemy gun line during which it lost 110 of its 132 tanks, as a fighting formation it had ceased to exist. Unfortunately the gun line, although depleted was very much still a going concern. “C’est magnifique mais ……”. At 0700 the 1st Armoured Division advanced into the salient, 2nd Armoured Brigade leading. Once in the salient 2nd Armoured Brigade deployed to cover the south, west and north perimeters and 8th Armoured Brigade provided the mobile reserve. As anticipated the enemy armour counter-attacked the salient. First the Regiment was in action facing north-west and then south, on one occasion a column of enemy tanks came down the Rahman Track in profile and were heavily engaged. The whole Division including, the Regiment fought well and skilfully as was evidenced by the numerous columns of smoke on the enemy's side. By the end of the morning the enemy's armour was defeated. It is estimated that over 500 tanks were involved in the battle in one form or another. Rommel's tank losses were estimated at between 120 and 130. Whilst the 9th Armoured Brigade tank losses against the anti-tank screen were heavy, 1st Armoured Divisions losses against the armour were placed at 14 knockout and 40 damaged. However the bottom line was that whereas by the end Montgomery still had 400 tanks, Rommel was left with 30 German and 155 light tanks of the Italians.

At dawn on the 3rd November 1st Armoured Division now attacked the depleted enemy anti-tank screen astride the Rahman Track that had inflicted such damage on 9

th Armoured Brigade the

day before, the Sherwood Rangers on the left, ‘A’ Squadron scouting well forward and engaged in both taking out enemy positions themselves and spotting them for the heavy Squadrons and 1 RHA who had supported the Regiment closely and brilliantly throughout the whole battle and whose accurate indirect fire had accounted for many of the kills made by the Regimental group. It was a day of constant fighting during which the Regiment produced one of its best performances so far, however it still took losses: Lt Col Flash Kellett to A Squadron Leader, at that moment Keith Douglas, only a troop Leader "control your Squadron and

CITATION ON THE AWARD OF THE MILITARY CROSS 28 JANUARY 1943

Major Christopherson has, throughout the actions of this present battle, been in command of the Crusader Squadron. Which he

has led consistently with the highest degree of courage, initiative and skill. On the morning of 24th October 1942, as the

Crusaders debouched from the enemy minefield they were met by a hail of fire from Anti-Tank Guns. Of the 10 tanks taken into

action 7 were knocked out. Major Christopherson reorganised the remnants of his Squadron, rescued wounded and dismounted

crews and withdrew in good order when ordered to do so. During the afternoon this officer was wounded in the face and had to

be evacuated. He was back within 36 hours and again displayed the same cool courage and fine leadership during the action of

4th November when his initiative and the fine work of the Squadron under his command led to the Regiment reaching the line of

Tel el Aqqaquit Track. During every engagement Major Christopherson’s courage, initiative, leadership and devotion to duty

have been an inspiration to all ranks of the Regiment.

CITATION ON THE AWARD OF THE DISTINGUISHED SERVICE ORDER 1 MARCH 1943

Between 10 and 12 September 1944 Lt Col Christopherson commanded his Regiment in support of 50 (N) Div in the particularly

bitter fighting in the bridgehead over the Albert Canal south of Gheel.

The enemy counterattacked with great ferocity on numerous occasions and were successful in cutting off a part of the force in

Gheel and the area immediately south of the village. During the night enemy infantry infiltrated among the tanks and the situation

became very confused. Lt Col Christopherson remained completely undismayed in spite of extremely critical circumstances and

by his courageous example he was successful in restoring the situation. The bold and determined action of this officer was

largely instrumental in the maintenance of this all important bridgehead.

Acts of Courage – Lt Col S Christopherson DSO MC

Lt Col Stanley Christopherson commanded SRY from D+4 to the end of the

war and had an outstanding war record. His diaries are being published by

Random House through Bantam Books in early in 2014, edited by the well

known Military Historian, James Holland who will be giving a talk to the

Friends on 13 March 2014. Lt Col Christopherson’s citations read:

stop it wandering" answer "the Squadron now consists of my own tank and one other." Next morning the Regiment found that the enemy had pulled out during the night. After eleven days of intense and bitter fighting a hole had at last “been blown in the enemy’s front”. The Battle of El Alemein was won, albeit at the cost of 13,500 Allied lives. The echelon came up to join the Regiment to find an euphoric atmosphere and the Regiment drinking some captured champagne.

The Regiment pressed on past Aquaqir coming up against another strong anti-tank line. The assumption was made that this would withdraw in the night and so a halt was called. Flash Kellett was called for to receive the congratulations of General Lumsden and General Gatehouse for the Regiment's performance on the previous day. An attempt was made to continue the advance after dark but this difficult manoeuvre had to be abandoned because the moon had set and the night was overcast and it was impossible to see. On the 5th November, the pursuit began. After advancing rapidly the Regiment swung north and got astride the enemy line of withdrawal at Galal Station. Here 26 enemy tanks were destroyed by the Regiment together with some guns, and many lorries and 300 prisoners were captured, all in one day a stunning days work by any standards. General Montgomery, wrote to the Regiment: "the Army Commander congratulates all ranks on their magnificent victory at Galal Station which has done much to help in the final destruction of the enemy forces" The Regiment however felt guilty about the action because in truth it had been a bit of a turkey shoot.The next day the Regiment pushed on again and at Mersa Matruh an attack was found necessary. This was led by the Commanding Officer himself whose tank was hit twice and two of his crew killed. The town fell on 8th November, and the Brigade was withdrawn for a well earned rest leaving the pursuit of the Afrika Corps across Cyrenaica to 7

th Armoured Division. The

pursuit continued unabated being gradually reduced in strength and penetration however, due to ever extending lines of re-supply until finally being brought to a halt at El Agheila where the enemy turned and made its next stand.

Of the 22 officers with which the Regiment had begun the battle, 16 had been casualties. The CO was awarded the DSO and four officers received Military Crosses. One Sergeant won a DCM and two men received MM’s.

SRY - The Break out of El Alamein Col Jonathan Hunt

4

MUSEUM NEWS March 2013 Tel: 01623 824222 www.qrlnymuseum.co.uk

Antiques Roadshow is one of this

country’s much loved and longest running

television series. In the summer of 2012

Fiona Bruce and her team of experts

arrived at Newstead Abbey to film an

episode for the new series .

Amongst Fiona’s team this day was a

former SNH Officer, a certain Bill

Harriman – expert in firearms and

ballistics, a forensic scientist, writer and

broadcaster.

The event began at 10 am, by which time

a queue of cars snaked back and

covered much of the mile-long road

between the main entrance and the

abbey. Somewhere in this queue was

Col Tim Richmond, accompanied by Ray

Diary Dates

Volunteers wanted to help with

running the Museum. Please

contact Capt Mick Holtby

Friday 1 March 2013

The Museum Reopens for 2013

Antiques Roadshow comes to Newstead AbbeyEllis and Barry Stone. On this occasion it

wasn’t Ray, Col Tim was looking to get

valued, rather the original Knightsbridge

Oil, painted by Terrence Cuneo, who

sadly passed away in 1996.

What a great day for meeting old friends,

for Ray to share the history of

Knightsbridge with the nation and bring

the painting to life. No stranger to the

painting, Bill was able to value it at

£40,000; not as much as we’d hoped for

but somewhat more than the Officers’

Mess paid

when the oil

painting was

commissioned.

Sadly Bill was

unable to put a

value on Ray

Ellis, although

we’d agree that

our veterans

are all priceless

treasures.Bill Harriman

Comments and CorrespondenceIn August the Museum received a VIP visit from Generale

Gianalfonso di Avossa, a retired General in the Italian Army and

former commander of the 41 Armoured Brigade “Ariete”. During his

visit, the General very kindly presented the Museum with a rare,

signed, wood engraved print of General John Burgoyne, who raised

the 16th Light Dragoons in 1759. The print has now been included in

our permanent display.

This is the fourth Issue of the Newsletter to Friends of

the Museum and the direction and purpose of this

Newsletter is becoming more focussed as the

Museum itself settles into safeguarding and

communicating the heritage of the Regiments. As

the Curator's Notes confirm, the Museum is now

firmly established as a flourishing attraction to

visitors. It provides a resource for those interested in

military history at all levels and promotes the

reputation and heritage of the three Regiments to a

wider public.

You, the Friends of the Museum provide

indispensable support, and the survival of the

Museum is secure while it can rely on support such

as yours but more friends would ensure the

comfortable survival of the Museum. The recruitment

of new Friends is of great importance.With this in

mind we stress the inclusive nature of the

Museum.The Museum is the heritage of serving

soldiers of all ranks, it is the heritage of all Old

Comrades of the three Regiments, their relations and

friends and all who value their traditions and history.

Enquiry, interest, support and even criticism is

welcome from you all. Future issues of the

Newsletter will therefore contain a Correspondence

Column where letters from soldiers, old comrades

and any other interested followers may be printed. If

you have comments about the Newsletter, the

Museum or any relevant aspects of the Regiments'

histories please put pen to paper and let the Curator

have your thoughts and gems of information.

New Acquisitions

Generale Gianalfonso di Avossa

General John Burgoyne (24 February

1722 – 4 August 1792) was a British

army officer, politician and dramatist. He

first saw action during the Seven Years'

War when he participated in several

battles, most notably during the Portugal

Campaign of 1762. Burgoyne is best

known for his role in the American War

of Independence.

During the Saratoga campaign he surrendered his army of 5,000

men to the American troops on October 17, 1777. Appointed to

command a force designated to capture Albany and end the

rebellion, Burgoyne advanced from Canada but soon found himself

surrounded and outnumbered. He fought two battles at Saratoga,

but was forced to open negotiations with Horatio Gates. Although he

agreed to a convention, on 17 October 1777, which would allow his

troops to return home, this was subsequently revoked and his men

were made prisoners. Burgoyne faced criticism when he returned to

Britain, and never held another active command.

Burgoyne was also an accomplished playwright known for his works

such as The Maid of the Oaks and The Heiress, but his plays never

reached the fame of his military career. He served as a member of

the House of Commons for a number of years, sitting for the seats

of Midhurst and Preston.

Sunday 19 May 2013Vintage Military Vehicles

Come and see vintage military

vehicles in action. The Courtyard,

Thoresby

Sunday 9 June 2013

Picnic in the Park

Thorseby Park. An event for the

whole family. Regiments past and

present, military bands and other

attractions