Royal Green Jackets (Rifles) Museum

The Royal Green Jackets (Rifles) Museum stands in the Peninsula Barracks in Winchester, a former military site now home to several regimental museums. It brings together collections from the Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry, the King’s Royal Rifle Corps and the Rifle Brigade. These regiments formed the Green Jackets Brigade in 1958 and later the Royal Green Jackets Regiment in 1966. The Queen opened the museum in December 1989 during her time as Colonel in Chief. The museum’s main exhibition, “With the Rifles to Waterloo,” marks the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Waterloo. Interactive displays explain the creation of the Experimental Corps of Riflemen in 1800 and the Light Division led by Sir John Moore in the Peninsular War. A large diorama shows the battlefield with 30,000 model soldiers and horses, accompanied by sound and light. The Early Years Section covers the raising of The Royal American Regiment in 1755 and events such as the Siege of Quebec and the Indian Mutiny. The Victoria Cross display honours 59 soldiers from the regiments who received the award. Visitors also find displays on the two world wars, including the Siege of Calais in May 1940 and the action at Pegasus Bridge in June 1944. Recent history exhibits cover Cold War operations, missions in Northern Ireland and Bosnia, and the 2003 invasion of Iraq. The museum holds 31 Victoria Crosses awarded to members of its antecedent regiments.