QUICK VISIT GUIDE

Welcome to the Adjutant General’s Corps Museum, which displays the history of the modern AGC and the six antecedents: the Royal Army Pay Corps, the Royal Army Educational Corps, the Corps of the Royal Military Police, the Military Provost Staff Corps, the Army Legal Corps and the Women’s Royal Army Corps. This guide will show you our top twenty things not to miss in twenty minutes.

  1. Cat o’ Nine Tail: Used during flogging, the most common form of punishment until after the Peninsula War. Its use dwindled with the creation of military prisons in 1850, and was abolished in 1881. The Military Provost Staff Corps was established in 1901 and until 1992 ran the army’s military corrective training centres.
Case 1
  1. APD Tunic and Cocked Hat: The Army Pay Department, formed completely of officers, was created in 1878 with other ranks being formed into the Army Pay Corps in 1893. The APD and APC were combined into the Royal Army Pay Corps in 1920. This tunic and cocked hat were worn by a Captain and Paymaster.
  2. CAS Frock Coat: The Corps of Army Schoolmasters (CAS) was formed in 1846, the first professional teachers of the army. They taught soldiers and their children basic reading, writing and maths. This frock coat was worn by Schoolmaster R.J. Cameron.
Case 2
  1. Hockey Ball, Stick and Caps: In 1764 the Royal Hibernian Military School was founded for the orphaned children of Irish soldiers in Dublin. Hockey was a popular sport at the school, and the hockey equipment displayed was used and worn by the boys who attended the school in the Edwardian period.
  2. Money Orders: The Paymaster of the Uppington Border Scouts cut up old canvas shirts to make money orders when he ran out of currency during the Boer War. He rubbed a cap badge with ink to use as a stamp.
Case 3
  1. QMAAC Officials Uniform: By1916 more men were needed for front line service. The Women’s Auxiliary Army Corps (later Queen Mary’s Auxiliary Army Corps) formed in 1917, with women taking over support roles in the UK and France. This uniform belonged to a woman with an officer’s rank. The QMAAC was disbanded in 1921.
Case 4
  1. Medal Set : Colonel the Lord Gorell created the British Army’s first resettlement scheme, brought into effect six weeks before the Armistice in 1918. This resettlement scheme led to the formation of the Army Educational Corps in 1920. His set of medals include a Military Cross and First World War trio.
  2. Set of Military Police Badges: Showing the evolution of military policing from 1858, when the Mounted Military Police (MMP) were formed, and joined thirty years later by the Military Foot Police (MFP). They were combined after the First World War into the Corps of Military Police (CMP) in 1920.
Hallway
  1. Cell Display: Originally, the museum you are standing in was the guardroom of Peninsula Barracks. Our cell display recreates what a cell would have looked like during the Second World War in a detention barracks.

Case 5
  1. ATS Uniform: The Auxiliary Territorial Service was created in 1938 when war with Germany looked like a possibility. Similar to the QMAAC of the First World War, the ATS undertook support roles, including working in Anti-Aircraft Command and as drivers and clerks.
  2. Buck’s Diary: Written while a Japanese Prisoner of War at Shamshuipo Camp from 1941 until 1945. Major R.D. Buck RAPC kept records of the financial transactions of the camp fund as well as the transfer of RAPC personnel used as slave labour and sent to work on the Burma Railway.
  3. Queen’s Driving Permit: Then Princess Elizabeth (now Queen Elizabeth II) joined the ATS in 1945, attending the No 1 Motorised Transport Training Centre at Camberley. The album contains photographs of her time being instructed on the care and driving of various army vehicles, as well as her driving permit.

Case 6
  1. WRAC Band Mace: After the Second World War, it was decided to create a permanent women’s corps in the Army, the Women’s Royal Army Corps. The WRAC Band was the only all-female military band, becoming the band of the Adjutant General’s Corps in 1992.
  2. Medal Set: Awarded to Sergeant R.J. Perrie RAPC. The set is made up of the General Service Medal with Northern Ireland clasp, the South Atlantic medal for service during the Falklands War and the United Nations Force in Cyprus medal.
  3. Cap Badges: The antecedent cap badges, from left to right: the three cap badges of the Royal Army Education Corps (prefix granted in 1946), the Royal Army Pay Corps, the Women’s Royal Army Corps, the Corps of Royal Military Police (prefix granted post-war), the Military Provost Staff Corps and the Army Legal Services.

In April 1992, the Adjutant General’s Corps was formed. The AGC is formed of Staff and Personnel Support (SPS), Educational and Training Services (ETS), Army Legal Services (ALS), Royal Military Police (RMP), Military Provost Staff (MPS) and the Military Provost Guard Service (MPGS).

Case 7
  1. Desert Boots: Worn by Major Hazel (RAEC, later AGC(ETS)) during the First Gulf War. Due to supply problems during the early 1990s, these desert boots were purchased before his deployment to Kuwait. The black markings are from charcoal, made when putting a chemical warfare suit on during an Iraqi SCUD missile attack.
  2. Commemorative Coin:Awarded to Lt Colonel Brian Atkins, who acted as an interpreter with UN/Kurdish forces between 1992 and 1993. RAEC and later AGC(ETS) officers have been used as translators since the Second World War.
  3. Iraq Medal: With 19th March to 28th April 2003 clasp, awarded to an AGC(SPS) corporal for his service during OP Telic.
Case 8 is our “Curator’s Case”, which regularly changes. Have a look to see what we have on temporary display!

Case 9
  1. Camp Bastion Flag: This AGC flag was flown at Bastion Joint Operating J1 Cell from 2006 until 14th October 2011. J1 Cell was manned by AGC (SPS) personnel for each OP Herrick mission.
  2. Uniform: Current uniform worn by the British Army. This multi-terrain pattern (MTP) is designed for use in all environments.

Thank you for visiting the Adjutant General’s Corps Museum! If you have any questions, please ask a member of staff. We hope to see you again soon!

History