KING'S WAR RELICS

Evening Post, Volume CXXIV, Issue 133, 2 December 1937, Page 31

KING'S WAR RELICS

IN IMPERIAL MUSEUM

A large number of war relics deposited with the' Imperial War Museum by King Edward VIII are among the new accessions described in the report of the museum for the twoyear period 1935-37, says "The Times. 11 The private war collection of King George V was transferred on loan from Windsor Castle to the museum in July, 1936, and its preparation and placing on exhibition has been one of the main activities of the year. This collection contains the rifle used by Lawrence of Arabia in 1916-18, relics of the action at Zeebrugge; a fragment. of the first bomb dropped on English soil, pieces of shrapnel picked up at Buckingham Palace after air raids, and many souvenirs collected by members of the Royal Family at the front and at home during the war.

King Edward also presented to the museum many maps, photographs, and papers which he used or collected during his war service. Among these is a small group of maps drawn by himself, showing various places which he visited at the front. Queen Mary has given to the museum a tunic worn by King George V, a number of autographed books, two water-colours, and some small souvenirs, while the Duke of Gloucester has presented a set of New Zealand military badges.

One unusually interesting addition to the collection is the set of German war medallions belonging to King George V, which King Edward deposited with the museum. These were intercepted by the.postal censor during the war and presented to King George. Many of them are satirical attacks on the Allies.