The Royal Sussex Regimental Collection

Home to the Royal Sussex Regiment until amalgamation in 1966, the Regimental Collection was maintained for public viewing by appointment at Roussillon Barracks, which by then was home to the Royal Military Police.

Relocated to the first floor of the Chichester Museum in Little London, the collection was again forced to move in 1982. Whilst the Regimental Archive and Library remained in Chichester and were transferred to the West Sussex Record Office, the rest of the collection took up residence at the Redoubt Fortress in Eastbourne (pictured above) where it remained on display for 30 years within a period military setting. In 2014 the landlord, Eastbourne Borough Council claimed that the fortress was too damp and therefore no longer a suitable environment for the collection, and served the Association with a ‘Notice to Quit’.

Unlike many other military collections, The Royal Sussex Regimental Collection remains intact and although in storage it continues to be monitored and conserved. There is an active series of loans to museums and organisations across the County and beyond, as well as an extensive outreach programme.

The Regimental Association’s aim is to find a permanent home for this priceless collection, securing its long-term future and ensuring it is properly maintained and curated. A number of options are under active consideration,  funding, however, will be required for whichever option is pursued.