York Army Museum

This small but dedicated museum tells the story of two regiments with strong links to Yorkshire

Located in the heart of the city centre, York Army Museum curates the history of two current serving regiments of the British Army: The Royal Dragoon Guards and the Yorkshire Regiment. These cavalry and infantry regiments can trace their histories back over 300 years, with both having a historic connection to Yorkshire.

The regimental histories date back to 1685 with the current units’ antecedents including six dragoon and three Yorkshire regiments.

The museum’s fascinating collections contain artefacts connected to famous figures and battles. These include a Crimean War dragoon helmet worn at the Battle of Balaklava; the medals of Captain Lawrence Oates, who died with Captain Scott in the Antarctic; and a 1937 service dress worn by King George VI.

There are regular talks and events that uncover the regiments’ histories. Due to the changing nature of Covid-19 guidelines, many of these talks are online and there is also a York Army Museum Podcast. Funded by a Heritage Lottery Fund grant, the podcast’s aim is to record oral history interviews to provide a permanent record of the diverse experience of the regiments and their predecessors. Interviews include experiences from the World Wars, Korea, Aden, Northern Ireland, Bosnia, Iraq and Afghanistan as well as stories of family life in the British Army.

The museum is only a few minutes’ walk away from the Jorvik Viking Centre in York

Ernest Brooks took this famous photograph of men from 8th Battalion, East Yorkshire Regiment during the Battle of Broodseinde in 1917