March 2008
The museum has recently acquired a Crimea War medal belonging to Surgeon Robert Bowen of the Rifle Brigade. The medal has three clasps for 'Sebastopol', 'Inkerman' and 'Alma'. Surgeon Bowen was one of the survivors of the wreck of HMS 'Birkenhead' which foundered off the Cape of Good Hope in 1852.
This medal will be reunited with Surgeon Bowen's South African medal (1852-1853)already held in the museums collection. Both will be on display in the new acquisitions case.