What's New

Since the Kennet Valley at War Trust's museum opened its doors in January 2007 it has been visited by thousands of people from all over the world. As a result of its popularity, numerous interesting items have been donated to the trust and in order to improve our display we have had to move to a different room, which is on the first floor next to the haunted bedroom. A number of the more interesting items from the museum are described here.

Above: The Tunic, flying helmet, side cap and badges on display here once belonged to Warrant Officer Joseph Raymond Smith and have been kindly donated by Mr Tim Thomas from Newbury. During WWII W/O Smith was trained in Canada as a wireless operator/observer under the Empire Air Training Scheme, before being posted on active service to North Africa and then Italy. The RAF operated from a number of airfields in the Kennet Valley during WWII, such as Overton Heath, Ramsbury, Membury, Greenham Common and Hampstead Norris. The sight of servicemen wearing uniforms like the example displayed here would have been a frequent occurrence on the streets and in the pubs and cafes of the area during the war. Other local aviation related items are also on show in this cabinet.

Below left: Hanging on the wall above the cabinet is a relic dating from the Battle of Britain. It is part of the starboard wing flap from a Heinkel 111 bomber and was found in outbuildings at "Ravensfield", Ramsbury in 1997. Following extensive research the trust is in little doubt that this flap once belonged to Heinkel G1+CS, which crashed in Fullers Lane East Woodhay during the early hours of Monday 29th July 1940. A full and detailed history of the circumstances surrounding the crash is displayed on the wall beside the wing. Housed in the cabinet below is the trust's Home Front collection and on display are typical items of clothing and equipment used by the Air Raid Precaution service and the Home Guard plus a selection of civilian gas masks.
Below right: In this corner of the room are items linked to the US 101st Airborne Division including the Birky casting. For more information about the casting and its history please see below.

Lester L Birky

Born in Delavan, Illinois in 1923 Lester volunteered for the US Parachute troops and was shipped to England with the 501st Parachute Infantry Regiment for the invasion of Europe. The regiment was billeted at Lambourn before parachuting into Normandy on the night of June 5th/6th 1944, as part of the D-Day invasion. On his return to England Lester was moved to Hamstead Park where he carved his name on a tree. Fifty years later, whilst working on the estate, Ben Machen discovered Lester's carving and resolved to find out all he could about the young man who left his mark all those years ago. He tracked Lester and his wife Georganna down in the US although Lester was in failing health. Ben was joined in his quest by friends Andy Clifford and Alun Jones who hatched a plan to have a cast made of the carving. The work was carried out by New Pro Foundries in 2010 and copies of the plaque are now with Lester's family in the USA. The Kennet Valley at War Trust helped financially with the project and are delighted to have on display in the museum one of the bronze castings.
Above left: Four of Lester's grandchildren unveiled the casting at a ceremony held at Littlecote on 18th April 2011. Above right: The casting is now on permanent display in the museum.