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The Royal Fusiliers Museum, which
opened in 1962, is inside the Tower of London, the regiment's
traditional home.
The Fusiliers were formed in
1685 when George Legge, Lord Dartmouth, created the regiment
from the Tower Guard. The regiment's name came from
a new kind of musket which had covered flash pan to minimise
the risk of igniting the gunpowder.
The Fusiliers are easily spotted
by the feathered 'hackle' they wear on their caps, a tradition
started in 1778 after the defeat of the French at the Battle
of St Lucia. As a battle honour the Royal Northumberland
Fusiliers took white plumes from the French head-dresses and
put them in their own caps. Later, a red tip was added
to distinguish the Fusiliers from the Guards.
This small museum tells the history
of the Royal Fusiliers. The regiment's campaigns, from
its earliest battle for William of Orange against the French
up to the present day, are illustrated. Recently, the
regiment have been peacekeeping in Northern Ireland and the
Balkans.
Paintings, uniforms and medals
are on display, and the museum proudly tells how 20 members
of the Royal Fusiliers have been awarded the Victoria Cross.
One of the museum's most treasured
exhibits is the Myers miniature, which commemorates officers
killed in the Peninsular War of 1809 - 14.
Admission charge Visitors
pay the full entry fee for Tower of London and an additional
charge for this museum.
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