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No 130 : August 21, 1971

17

Jim Tyrrell's Militaria House

About 20 years ago a young national serviceman took an interest in collecting military badges. Recently that serviceman, Jim Tyrrell, opened Militaria House Military Museum at Richmond. From the outside the museum is an ordinary looking shed. But step inside the door and an interesting world of military souvenirs opens. The museum has been praised

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Stephen Tyrrell is holding the Brown Bess musket which started the Wairau massacre. The weapon was discharged by Constable Thomas Tyrrell, killing a Maori chief's daughter. Tyrrell was killed by the Maoris. The uniform is the N.Z. Volunteers Red Coat uniform worn in 1870-1880s by experts as the best general military collection in Australasia, possibly the Southern Hemisphere. Jim Tyrrell has developed a keen knowledge of the items in his collection and one could listen for hours to their history being detailed by him. Jim, by the way, is a driver and is not connected with the army now. And he's still looking for more material for his museum.

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Jim Tyrrell is specially proud of his collection of uniforms of high ranking officers

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This is the German corner. At the left is a 1914-18 officer's pickleaub helmet; a steel helmet, 1939-1918 pork pie hat; soldier's pickleaub helmet

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This is a comprehensive array of service medals dating from the Maori Wars until the present controversial conflict involving N.Z. soldiers - Indochina

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