Exclusive:Sneak peek at new 'cutting-edge' Royal Marines Museum as excitement builds ahead of Portsmouth opening
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Millions of pounds has been poured into the project to showcase the rich 360 year history of the Royal Marines
Sophisticated technology displaying the history of the Royal Marines has been shown for the first time ahead of a new museum opening.
Excitement is building as the new Royal Marines Museum at Portsmouth Historic Dockyard will start welcoming visitors on October 24. It has been a long anticipated wait to replace the previous site in Eastney which was shut down in 2017.
The News was invited for a tour of the site on October 21, based at the former Action Stations inside the historic 1840’s Grade II* listed Boathouse 6. James Daly, principal curator (modern and contemporary) at the National Museum of the Royal Navy (NMRN), told The News: “We’re all very excited and looking forward to the opening.
“We’re just putting together the finishing touches ready for the public on Saturday. We’ve got a great team and it has been a pleasure working on such an amazing collection, telling the story of the Royal Marines.”
Stepping into their shoes
Mr Daly said the museum is designed to give visitors the feeling of what it’s like to go through Royal Marines training, and understand the experiences that personnel go through. This is done by using a mixture of hands-on interactive activities, multimedia displays, immersive technology and traditional artefact stands.
Defined as a Royal Marines Experience, the new site aims to reveal the people behind more than 360 years of service. The £15m project has been fully funded, backed by a £4.4m from The National Lottery Heritage Fund. Monetary donations were also made by the Garfield Weston Foundation, Royal Navy Museums reserves and private donors.
Mr Daly said he’s excited for the public to throw themselves into the interactive galleries and Commando challenges, with the latter revealing the mental and physical demands needed to succeed. Visitors will be tasked with press up and pull challenges, and lifting heavy kit bags to name a few.
“The Royal Marines are get up and go,” he said. “They’re always training. That’s what we’re showing. Working with them on the exhibits has been absolutely invaluable. We couldn’t have done it without them, and we’ve worked with them as much as we could.
“The interactives were put together with instructors at the Lympstone base, around what drills they do and targets they have to meet. They have helped shape this to the nth degree. The Royal Marines experience doesn’t just show the history of the force, but how they train and operate now.”
’Cutting-edge’
Other exciting exhibits include a VR suite where people can jump into a close-quarters battle scenario. Visitors will get to ride a rigid inflatable boat (rib), taken from a retired landing platform dock, traverse a climbing wall and try their hand at playing the drums like a member of the Royal Marines Band Service (RMBS).
Alongside the interactive activities are traditional museum galleries, showcasing an extensive collections of hundreds of objects spanning the entire period of the Corps. All 10 of the Victoria Crosses awarded to personnel, from the Crimean War to the Second World War, are all on display alongside their medal groups.
Other fascinating artefacts include Warrant Officer ‘Mac’ McNaghten’s AI Faw briefing model, built in secret while onboard HMS Ocean enroute to the Persian Gulf in 2003 and used by 40 Commandos to plan their attack on the Al Faw peninsula.
The green beret worn by Marine W.G.C. ‘Molly’ MacPherson is also on display. He served in 3 Troop, K Company, 42 Commando during the Falklands War. Mr Daly said technology has been used to display a greater range of artefacts, including those which would have otherwise been hidden to the public.
“This is a cutting-edge museum,” he added. “We’re using the latest technology, and we’ve used it to get everything across to the visitors. The VR experience teaches people about close-quarter battles and the training around it, and we’ve worked with instructors so people can appreciate what it’s like to make split second decisions under pressure.
“There’s nothing quite like this in the world. This is the only place where you can do VR close quarter battle, co-produced by Royal Marine instructors.”
‘Hopefully be as packed as possible’
Laser Quest at the former Action Stations will also be returning with a Royal Marines Commando theme, plunging players into a hi-tech battle. It’s planned for kids and adults attending parties and team-bonding exercises.
All floors of Boathouse 6 will be fully refurbished, with a purpose-built special exhibition space being built overlooking the Mast Pond. At 400m2, it’ll be one of the biggest temporary exhibition spaces in the south of England. The first exhibition is Through Their Eyes - The Royal Navy Photographic Competition, showcasing the stunning photographs taken by personnel over the years.
A new mezzanine floor will host expanded and upgraded facilities, including a 275-seated auditorium. Mr Daly said the number of artefacts on show is similar to the old museum, but the latest technology has been used to display them effectively - whether it’s touch screens or high quality glass cabinets.
He believes the team have got the balance right between a traditional and modern museum, showcasing what he Royal Marines are and what they do. “We’ve put so much of our physical collection available to people, they can explore right through 360 years,” Mr Daly added.
“The space will hopefully be as packed as possible. That’s what you put together a museum for. We’d love to see people enjoying what we put together.”