Home | Events | Location | Education | Shop | Vehicles | Weapons
The collection of historical small arms and machine guns was started prior to World War 2, at the Armourers' Training Branch, Royal Army Ordnance Corps, Hilsea. The weapons were used as part of the technical training programme. In 1960 the collection was obtained by 4 (Armament) Training Battalion REME as an addition to exhibits already held at Bordon. In 1964, the School of Electrical and Mechanical Engineering offered the collection to the Army Apprentices School Carlisle, retaining some weapons with which to show to students the general development of small arms through the ages. A Small Arms Museum was then set up at Carlisle. The range of exhibits was enhanced with weapons obtained from the Carlisle and Cumberland Police who were accepting weapons handed in during the 1962 to 1963 Arms Amnesty. Additional items were received from The Castle, Carlisle and from individual presentations.
With the closure of the Army Apprentices College Carlisle, in 1969, the Museum weapons were transferred to the General Engineering Wing, School of Electrical and Mechanical Engineering. Additional weapons were given to the Museum by the Pattern Room, Royal Small Arms Factory Enfield. Building 65 in the School of Electrical and Mechanical Engineering (SEME) became the home of the weapons collection. The layout and arrangement of the exhibits was completed in 1972. In the same year the Corps Committee gave its approval for SEME to form a branch of the Corps Museum, called the Armourers Hall. From an original idea to show the development of small arms, a 'REME concept', illustrating the change in the pattern of repair techniques and tool development, has evolved.
Unfortunately, in 1995 the Museum lost the use of the building housing and displaying the weapons collection. The weapons are now held in an Armoury in Arborfield.
This series of pages gives details of the weapons which form the collection: it is hoped that in the not too distant future, this unique weapons collection will again be on display. A number of colour photographs in these pages show the display as it was when at SEME and as the weapons are stored at present.
The weapon identification numbers listed in the pages are the numbers used for the accession record.
REME Museum of Technology Home Page
Email Enquiries or telephone 0118 976 3375 for further information
Page produced by Peter Eldred - Last updated 3 August 2004