It was a pleasure to have you here! Everyone really enjoyed your talk 🤗

Certainly keeping us in check! 🤣

…The archive is a superb record of two of the Ipswich Home Guard battalions, and the lists of members are particularly useful.
Thank you to Major Webster’s daughter, Helen, and Ryan Davies for the opportunity to acquire this important addition to our Home Guard collection.

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It is extraordinary how a battered old cap like this can suddenly open up a whole story about a soldier’s life.

Remembering all those who fought for liberty and freedom in the Far East, 1941-1945, and have rarely received the recognition that they deserved.

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With the action occurring in North Africa the cap being sold by a maker in Cairo makes perfect sense.

His Squadron (B) of the 3rd King’s Own Hussars were posted to Java, where he was captured after the Squadron were involved in a brief fight.

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The cap had been worn by Capt. John Bentley-Taylor, MC, for 3 years as a FEPoW.

We found his MC citation, for rescuing the crew of a Light Tank in Jan. 1941, with 13 Italian M13 tanks closing in on him - a “particularly gallant” action, as the 4 Armd Brig commander said.

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However, the lady who gave it to us had said, “This cap belonged to Bentley-Taylor. He did something terribly brave and was then a Prisoner of War in the Far East”.

The neatly darned hole in the top and those excessive sweat stains in the lining suddenly made more sense…

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🤣🤣🤣