The former Battle Gallery brought to life the regiment's very varied experiences of war over the last 200 years, including material on campaigns in:
Film, sound recordings, photographs and models were all used to convey a sense of these very different experiences, along with actual weapons and uniforms used in battle.
From the late 17th to the mid 19th centuries war was waged through "close order battle". Thousands of soldiers faced each other in closed ranks. Cannon battered the ranks before they advanced to musket range and fired in mass volleys. Once the musket fire had taken its toll, the soldiers were ordered to advance with bayonets fixed.
The soldiers' experiences of close order battle were told in the former Battle Gallery through:
The British Army wore red coats into battle from 1645 to 1884. Commanders needed to see where their men were to direct the battle. Camouflage was not necessary because fighting was at close range amidst dense gunpowder smoke. Displays in the former City Soldiers gallery included an original red coat uniform from the early 19th century, a Brown Bess musket and bayonet swords.
The former Battle Gallery showed the role of the King's Regiment in the expansion of the British Empire through the 18th and 19th centuries. Displays in the former gallery included:
The King's Regimant collections include poignant artefacts used by soldiers in World War I, such as:
During World War II the King's served in many parts of the world. Collection highlights include the soldiers' own accounts and archive footage of the regiment in action: