AN HISTORIC military museum in Salisbury is set to reopen after a major transformation with dramatic new displays, interactive exhibits and remarkable stories of courage spanning two centuries.

The Rifles Berkshire and Wiltshire Museum will welcome visitors again from Monday, March 30 following an 18-month refurbishment that has completely reimagined how its collections are presented.

Located in The Wardrobe building near Salisbury Cathedral, the museum tells the story of soldiers from Berkshire and Wiltshire regiments dating back to the 18th century.

The Wardrobe building .

The refreshed galleries now focus on the theme “ordinary people, extraordinary courage”, highlighting the personal stories of individual soldiers who lived through some of history’s most dramatic conflicts.

Visitors will be able to explore campaigns ranging from the Peninsular War to the Crimean War, the two World Wars, the Cold War and modern peacekeeping missions involving The Rifles.

The entrance corridor inside the revamped museum.

Among the powerful stories told are those of the soldiers who guarded Napoleon Bonaparte after his capture, troops caught up in one of the Victorian era’s worst military disasters, and those who fought to defeat Adolf Hitler.

New interactive features aim to bring the history to life. Visitors will be able to pick up a Victorian telephone to hear dramatised accounts from the past, while children can try games and puzzles on touchscreen displays.

A Tools of the Trade exhibit will also allow visitors to handle deactivated weapons ranging from 19th-century muskets to the modern SA80 rifle.

Despite the modern updates, some of the museum’s most famous artefacts will return to display, including all eight Victoria Crosses awarded to soldiers from the Royal Berkshire and Wiltshire regiments.

Wiltshire Regiment men in the First World War trenches.

One of the most unusual exhibits is Bobbie, a dog that became a national hero in Victorian Britain after surviving the Battle of Maiwand in Afghanistan.

Bobbie belonged to Serjeant Kelly of the 66th Regiment and escaped the battle despite being wounded while nearly 300 soldiers were killed.

The dog was later presented to Queen Victoria and even awarded a campaign medal by the regiment.

Today, nearly 150 years later, the stuffed canine remains one of the museum’s most popular exhibits.

Admission to the newly reopened museum will be by donation.