About
The Royal Anglian Regiment Museum, located within the Imperial War Museum Duxford site in Cambridgeshire, tells the story of the Royal Anglian Regiment and its predecessor regiments — the infantry units that have recruited from the counties of Norfolk, Suffolk, Essex, Cambridgeshire, Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire, Northamptonshire, Leicestershire, Rutland, and Lincolnshire for over three centuries. The museum documents the service of soldiers from East Anglia and the East Midlands in every major conflict from the late seventeenth century to the present day, preserving a regimental heritage that connects the communities of eastern England with some of the most significant moments in British military history.
The Royal Anglian Regiment was formed in 1964 from the amalgamation of four county regiments — the 1st East Anglian Regiment, the 2nd East Anglian Regiment, the 3rd East Anglian Regiment, and the Royal Leicestershire Regiment — each of which was itself the product of earlier amalgamations that brought together infantry units with histories stretching back to the late 1600s. The museum traces this complex genealogy through objects, uniforms, medals, weapons, photographs, and personal accounts that document the individual stories of soldiers and the collective experience of regiments that served in campaigns from Blenheim and Waterloo through the Somme and Normandy to Northern Ireland, Iraq, and Afghanistan.
The museum's location at IWM Duxford places it within one of the most important military heritage sites in Britain, allowing visitors to explore the Royal Anglian Regiment's story alongside the wider context of British military history that the Imperial War Museum's own collections provide. Duxford's historic airfield — a former RAF fighter station that played a crucial role in the Battle of Britain — adds an additional dimension of military heritage to any visit, and the combination of the regimental museum with the IWM's extensive aviation, land warfare, and naval collections creates a comprehensive military heritage experience.
The collection includes an important assembly of medals — both gallantry awards including Victoria Crosses and campaign medals that document service in conflicts around the world — uniforms that trace the evolution of infantry dress from the red coats of the eighteenth century through the khaki of the twentieth to the modern combat equipment of today, weapons and personal equipment that illuminate the material experience of the infantry soldier, and personal accounts, letters, diaries, and photographs that bring individual stories of courage, endurance, and comradeship to life.
The museum serves as a focal point for the regimental family — serving soldiers, veterans, and their families — as well as a resource for historians, researchers, and the general public seeking to understand the military heritage of eastern England. The regiment continues to serve in the British Army today, and the museum's displays bring the story up to the present with material from recent operations that demonstrate the continuing relevance and resilience of an infantry tradition rooted in the communities of East Anglia and the East Midlands.
Categories:
Highlights
Three Centuries of Regimental Heritage
The museum traces the complex genealogy of the Royal Anglian Regiment through its predecessor county regiments — infantry units that have recruited from the communities of Norfolk, Suffolk, Essex, Cambridgeshire, Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire, Northamptonshire, Leicestershire, Rutland, and Lincolnshire since the late seventeenth century.
The story encompasses the great set-piece battles of European history — Blenheim, Minden, Waterloo — through the colonial campaigns of the Victorian era, the devastating industrialised warfare of the Western Front, the global campaigns of the Second World War, and the complex counter-insurgency and peace-keeping operations of the post-war period.
The museum's displays connect these grand historical narratives with the individual experiences of soldiers drawn from the towns and villages of eastern England.
The Medal Collection
The museum holds an important collection of medals and decorations that document individual acts of gallantry, distinguished service, and campaign participation by soldiers of the Royal Anglian Regiment and its predecessors.
The collection includes Victoria Crosses — Britain's highest award for valour in the face of the enemy — alongside Military Crosses, Distinguished Conduct Medals, and campaign medals from conflicts spanning three centuries. Each medal represents an individual story of courage, endurance, or exceptional service, and the museum's displays present these stories with sensitivity and detail that honours the individuals who earned them while illuminating the broader military context in which they served.
Uniforms and Military Dress
The evolution of infantry uniform and military dress is documented through a collection of uniforms spanning the regiment's history — from the scarlet coats and crossbelts of the eighteenth-century line infantry through the khaki service dress of the two World Wars to the modern combat equipment worn by soldiers on operations today.
The uniforms are displayed with detailed interpretation that explains how changes in dress reflected evolving tactical requirements, technological developments, and the social conventions of different eras. The transformation from the conspicuous red coat of the colonial battlefield to the camouflage patterns of modern warfare tells a broader story about the changing nature of infantry combat.
The World Wars — Eastern England at War
Substantial displays document the experiences of East Anglian soldiers in both World Wars. The First World War material includes objects from the Gallipoli campaign, the Western Front, and the wider theatres of war in which the regiment's predecessors served, with particular attention to the devastating losses suffered on the Somme in 1916 and at Passchendaele in 1917.
The Second World War displays cover campaigns in North Africa, Italy, Burma, and North-West Europe, documenting the regiment's role in some of the most significant operations of the war.
Personal accounts, photographs, and objects recovered from the battlefield provide an intimate perspective on the experience of combat.
Collections
The Royal Anglian Regiment Story
The principal permanent display tracing the history of the regiment and its predecessors from the late seventeenth century to the present day, through medals, uniforms, weapons, personal objects, and individual stories.
The County Regiments
Displays dedicated to the individual predecessor regiments — Norfolk, Suffolk, Essex, Bedfordshire, Northamptonshire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, and others — preserving their distinct identities and battle honours.
Modern Operations
A gallery presenting the Royal Anglian Regiment's service from Northern Ireland through the Balkans, Iraq, and Afghanistan, documenting the regiment's continuing operational role in the modern British Army.
Current Exhibitions
An exhibition of soldiers' letters home from across the regiment's history, exploring the emotional experience of military service through intimate correspondence between soldiers and their families.