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Ahead of the Museum Open Day on Saturday 12th September, Col Andy Taylor and Rev Paul Roberts meet in the museum to look at items recently donated or acquired for the museum.

They begin with a First World War brass bugle issued to the Herefordshire Regiment's Supplementary Company - made up of old Territorial soldiers who were too old to fight overseas.  Our pair examine the role of the Supplementary Company including guarding German civil internees on the Isle of Man.

Two new weapons have been acquired from the Royal Air Force Museum's reserve collection and will be on show in our museum cases for our open day.  The advantages and disadvantages of the Mark II Sten gun are discussed.  This weapon was used widely during the Second World War by British and Commonwealth units as well as by resistance fighters on the continent.  Men of the Herefordshire Regiment used this weapon in the liberation of North-West Europe in 1944 and 1945; unfortunately with the result of several casualties within the regiment itself.

The Stirling sub-machine gun, the Sten's successor is also examined and finds its place in our post-war display case.  Often issued to tank crews, radio operators and others working in confined spaces, it was popular on exercise as it was much lighter than the  L1A1 Self Loading Rifle to carry, even if it was far less accurate!

Finally, inside a pig skin case is a platoon "bible" compiled by Second Lieutenant Geoffrey Poppleton Lloyd, a Leominster solicitor, listing all the men in his platoon that he took to Gallipoli in July 1915.  There are fascinating details, including everything from hat size to home addresses, pay and allowances.  Our pair discuss the important role pastoral role played by platoon officers and Lloyd's wartime career - being evacuated from both Gallipoli and later Egypt and his attachment to the 1st Battalion, Kings Shropshire Light Infantry (KSLI).  He was captured by German forces on the first day of the Spring Offensive in March 1918, along with Andy and Paul's ancestor Charles Percy Taylor.

If you are around on 12th September and would like to visit the museum, call along to Suvla Barracks, Harold Street, Hereford, HR1 2QX.  We are open as part of the National Heritage Open Day Scheme on Saturday 12 September from 1030hrs until 1500hrs .

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Theme Tune - The Lincolnshire Poacher, performed by the outstanding Haverhill Silver Band.

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Col Andy Taylor and Rev Paul Roberts take a wander around Kington, a small market town in the west of Herefordshire, two miles from the Welsh border.  They explore St Mary's Church and muse on the importance of memorials in churches and the nature of Kington as a settlement.  

Wandering down the hill they pause at the War Memorial, comemmorating men from the town and surrounding area killed in the two world wars and Op Herrick (Afghanistan).  

Seated outside the Market Hall, they watch the world go by and build up a thirst for a visit to the Burton Arms over the road.  They discuss the forthcoming Armed Forces Day at in the town on 27th August.  Some notable Herefordshire Regimental men with Kington connections are remembered, including Lieutenant Colonels Drage and Chipp, and Reg Griffiths - soldier turned priest with sparkling blue eyes and many tails to tell.  These medals are being loaned to the excellent Kington Museum from the Herefordshire Regimental Museum for Armed Forces week 22 - 27th June.

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Theme Tune - The Lincolnshire Poacher, performed by the outstanding Haverhill Silver Band.

This podcast generously supported by the Army Museums Ogilby Trust.

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Put off by the excessive heat, Col Andy and Rev Paul decide to stay indoors for this episode and explore the interesting and little known history and evolution of the Allied Victory Medal for the First World War.  There are many in the collection of the Herefordshire Regimental Museum and due to the sad incidence of melting down the silver British War Medal in the past and present day, this is now the most common surviving medal awarded to UK and Commonwealth personnel for the Great War.

Paul and Andy share a rare account of the original meeting at the Versailles Peace Conference where representatives of the 15 Allied and Associated Powers met to discuss a joint medal.  And the work of Dr Dick Flory who proved that there were two different issues of the medal to UK and recipients - the well known "type 2" and the lesser known and illusive "type 1."  

With their usual mixture of wit, insight and rabbit holes our intrepid pair explore this often overlooked medal - how people qualified for it, differences across awarding nations as diverse as Cuba, Siam (modern-day Thailand) and Japan, its enduring appeal to medal collectors and importance to families and historians alike.

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Theme Tune - The Lincolnshire Poacher, performed by the outstanding Haverhill Silver Band.

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This special podcast episode is a recording of a talk given by Dr Bruce Tocher at Hereford Welsh Club on 5th March 2026.  The subject was Operation Freshman, the first glider borne raid of the Second World War, which  the Vemork Norsk Hydro hydrogen electrolysis plant in Telemark, Norway.   Bruce, who has studied the operation in great detail, explained the reasoning behind the raid, the selection and training of the men involved and the events of 19th November 1942 and the aftermath.

Introducing the talk, museum curator Col Andy Taylor drew attention to Sapper Thomas William Faulkner, son of Charles Henry and Florence Faulkner, of Hereford, who served with 9th Field Company (Airborne) Royal Engineers and took part in the operation.  His father, uncle and grandfather had all served with the Herefordshire Regiment; his grandfather being the oldest casualty of the Regiment at Gallipoli.

Bruce outlined how the Halifax bombers and gliders managed to reach the Norwegian coast, but neither was able to reach their objective. The first pair suffered from navigational difficulties and severe weather, which resulted in the tow rope snapping and the first glider crash-landing, with its Halifax tug aircraft returning to base. Three airborne troops were killed and the survivors were captured shortly after the crash. The second pair fared even worse, with both the aircraft and glider crashing into a mountain after the aircraft flew low in search of the first glider. Both members of the glider crew were killed instantly, while one soldier passenger died soon afterwards from his injuries. 

Those who survived the crashes were captured by German forces and killed as a result of Wehrmacht's Commando Order, which stated that any Allied personnel captured while involved in commando operations were to be killed immediately. At the end of the war, the Wehrmacht personnel involved were tried, sentenced to death and executed for their part in the murders. 

A number of descendants and family members of Operation Freshman were present to hear this poignant and superbly researched talk, which was mounted in aid of Museum funds.

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Theme Tune - The Lincolnshire Poacher, performed by the outstanding Haverhill Silver Band.

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In this episode, Col Andy Taylor and Rev Paul Roberts take a springtime visit to Peterchurch in the Golden Valley on Herefordshire's western border with Wales.  Standing in the corner of the churchyard, they spot the grave of a Victoria Cross winner and explore the story of Robert Jones VC of the 24th Regiment of Foot (which later became the South Wales Borderers).  They uncover the story of how Pte Jones won this highest of all gallantry awards at the Battle of Rorkes Drift in 1879, his depiction in the 1964 film Zulu, and his later life in Peterchurch after leaving the army, including his tragic death. 

A warning that this episode does feature the topic of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and suicide.

A little later, in the nearby Boughton Arms, Andy and Paul discuss the importance of war memorials in town and village life - from the time of Robert Jones when the ordinary soldier was unlikely to be memorialised, through the Second Boer War and the First World War when such memorials became an essential focus for individual and communal grief.  

The poem "Drummer Hodge" by Thomas Hardy gets a mention, along with the temporary cenotaph set up in High Town, its eventual permanent replacement in St Peter's Square, Hereford, along with a number of other local war memorials which were installed in the county between 1919 and 1926.  Kings Pyon, Walford, Staunton-on-Wye and Tupsley all get a mention, and the commissioning of the hymn "O Valiant Hearts", first sung at the unveiling of Bodenham War Memorial is explored... with perhaps a promise of a later episde.

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Theme Tune - The Lincolnshire Poacher, performed by the outstanding Haverhill Silver Band.

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Join us for this New Year special episode where Colonel Andy Taylor and Rev Paul Roberts are joined by the family to try out a wartime Christmas pudding recipe prepared - complete with grated potato and carrot - by Andy's wife Penny.  

Listen in as Paul and Andy discuss the provision of comforts to the troops, including the amazing amount raised by the county of Herefordshire in 1915/16 for servicemen overseas.  And then they are joined by Penny, Rosie, Brian, Anne, Alison, Jack and Ben to sample the plum pudding, complete with custard made from powdered egg?  Will it be eggsellent or awful - listen to find out.

And a happy new year from all at the Herefordshire Light Infantry.  If you have any requests for what you would like to hear us explore in 2026, just get in touch.

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Theme Tune - The Lincolnshire Poacher, performed by the outstanding Haverhill Silver Band.

This podcast generously supported by the Army Museums Ogilby Trust.

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If you're missing those nostalgic days of nothing more than a small picture behind each door on your Advent calendar, Col Andy Taylor and Rev Paul Roberts take a stroll around the museum's collection of photographs and images: each with a fascinating story to tell.

Delving into the archives of our monthly feature The Camera Returns, our picturesque duo, explore some of their favourite images then and now - from group photographs in Hereford, Holland and beyond, to spigot mortars on King George V playing fields, long gone railway lines and poignant reunions.  

Despite failing to adequately locate the town of Rushden, once home to the Herefordshire Regiment pre-Gallipoli employment (its in Northamptonshire by the way), Andy and Paul delve into the value of the image in the work of the family, military and social historian - even through this very non-visual media of a podcast!  But then, we always knew they both had looks ideally suited for radio!

Check out our Camera Returns feature to see what Paul and Andy were seeing and look out for further fascinating updates.  

Look out too for a Christmas special taking our presenters back over a 100 years to test out a famous culinary delight!

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Theme Tune - The Lincolnshire Poacher, performed by the outstanding Haverhill Silver Band.

This podcast generously supported by the Army Museums Ogilby Trust.

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Welcome back to Series 3.  Reverend Paul Roberts and Colonel Andy Taylor take a misty November wander and discuss events of the summer and the significance of November for the Herefordshire Regiment.  As well as Remembrance, the 1st November 1917 marks the anniversary of the battalion's bloodiest battle of the First World War - Khuweilfe.  

After evacuation from Suvla Bay, the regiment regrouped in Egypt, joining the Suez Canal defences and participating in the Battle of Romani in 1916.

The defeat of Turkish forces opened the way for British advances across the Sinai, with significant logistical challenges due to harsh desert conditions and limited infrastructure.  Strong defensive lines were established between Gaza and Beersheba.  The latter fell on 31 October 1917, prompting Ottoman retreats to defensive high ground, including Tel-el-Khuweilfe.  The terrain was described as a stony, waterless desert with difficult fighting conditions compounded by rain and cold.

The Herefordshire Regiment and supporting units attacked these defences.  The Regiment sustained its worst losses of the war: 79 fatalities recorded in a single day, with estimated total casualties (including wounded) about 400—over half the battalion.

Modern and historical photographs of Tel-el-Khuweilfe, show preserved trench lines.

The capture of Gaza opened the road to Jerusalem, which was reached at Christmas 1917 under Allenby’s leadership.

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Theme Tune - The Lincolnshire Poacher, performed by the outstanding Haverhill Silver Band.

This podcast generously supported by the Army Museums Ogilby Trust.

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In this month's episode, in the run up to the Three Choirs Festival, Col Andy Taylor and Revd Paul Roberts explore the fascinating and poignant story of brothers Claude and Percy Hull of Hereford.  Claude a member of the Herefordshire Rifle Volunteers served in the Boer War, emigrated to Canada and served during the First World War with Canadian Forces.

His brother Percy, sang in Hereford Cathedral Choir where he later became Assistant Organist.  He found himself in Germany at the outbreak of the First World War and was interned along with thousands of other men - musicians, sportsmen, businessmen and merchant seaman among them - at Ruhleben Internment Camp, west of Berlin.  Hear about the fascinating self-governing community at Ruhleben, including the story of professional footballer and coach Stephen Bloomer.

After the war Percy became Organist at Hereford Cathedral and was instrumental in restarting the Three Choirs Festival.  He was later knighted for similar efforts restarting this oldest musical festival in the world after the Second World War.

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Theme Tune - The Lincolnshire Poacher, performed by the outstanding Haverhill Silver Band.

This podcast generously supported by the Army Museums Ogilby Trust.

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In this episode we listen in to the Museum's presentation of Op Blackout, 80 years after the last operation of WW2 and the first of the rebuilding of post-war Germany in which the Herefordshire Regiment took a pivotal role.  

On 18th May 1945 The Herefordshire Regiment helped to liquidate the puppet Government headed by Hitler's nominated successor, Grand Admiral Doenitz.  This administration was suspected of harbouring a number of hard-line Nazis and Doenitz was summoned to a meeting, while troops moved in to round up his government at Flensburg Castle.  

Men of the Herefords arrested Doenitz and relieved him of his car pennants and later his baton was taken into safe custody also.  Today the baton is proudly displayed at the Soldiers of Shropshire Museum in Shrewsbury Castle and on our Op Blackout evening these items were reunited for only the third time in 50 years.

Listen in to Colonel Marius Coulon of the Soldiers of Shropshire Museum who had the unenviable task of bringing Doenitz's baton down the A49; Hugh Patterson, chair of the Herefordshire Light Infantry Museum Trust and Colonel Andy Taylor who tells the story of Op Blackout (apologies for the poor quality of this section).  Finally thanks are given by HM Lord Lieutenant for Herefordshire, Mr Edward Harley.

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If you like what you hear, don't forget to like and subscribe to help us reach a wider audience.

Visit our website - Herefordshire Light Infantry Museum; follow us on Facebook Herefordshire Regimental Museum | Facebook or visit our Youtube channel Herefordshire Regimental Museum - YouTube.

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Theme Tune - The Lincolnshire Poacher, performed by the outstanding Haverhill Silver Band.

This podcast generously supported by the Army Museums Ogilby Trust.