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AMOT exists to represent, support and promote the Regimental and Corps museums of the British Army. Founded in 1954 by Colonel Robert Ogilby DSO, DL, our network is made up of over 140 Army museums and collections.
Whether you want to visit an Army museum, research family history or find advice on how to care for military objects, we are here to help.
As a member of AMOT, museums are able to access funding, training and events. We provide specialist advice on governance, collections, audience and research. We represent Army museums to the wider heritage sector as well as organisations such as the Ministry of Defence and Charity Commission.
We help with the long-term support and care of the rich history represented within the many Army museums across the UK.
Dedication: We are committed in our thoughts and our actions to ensuring our founder and benefactor, Colonel Ogilby’s, vision continues to flourish across the MoD and our network. We retain his positive spirit and sense of value: what we do, we do thoroughly and to the highest possible standard.
Experience and Expertise: AMOT has been building its experience and expertise since it was founded over 70 years ago. Observations, impressions, conversations, hard work and practical support through good times and bad gives AMOT an unrivalled wealth of experience and expertise to support, advise, represent and mentor the Army heritage and museum sector into the future.
Knowledge: We work hard to keep up-to-date on military and heritage issues and we share timely and relevant information across our network whilst being a strong yet independent voice on the role and importance of military heritage into MoD, DLUHC and DCMS the Arts Council, Creative Scotland, the Arts Council of Northern Ireland and other bodies.
Inclusivity: Respect for all underpins our values and our work. We will actively encourage ourselves and our network to embrace the differences which have been and remain an integral element of our military heritage and link into our communities.
Engagement: We will engage openly and honestly with all our stakeholders creating strong and successful relationships. We encourage debate, harnessing the power of collective thought.
AMOT, The Army Heritage Charity’s mission is to inspire, support and advocate for the Army museums’ network in order to safeguard and promote military heritage. AMOT provides support primarily through grants, advice, advocacy and conferences to collections and archives which tell the stories of this rich heritage. AMOT engages through education and youth organisations, with servicemen and women, veterans and the wider public to stimulate thinking and increase understanding of the British Army and the relevance of its heritage.
The Early Days
At the first meeting of the Army Museums Ogilby Trust held on 30 September 1954, the Chairman, Colonel Robert J L Ogilby DSO DL TD, stated “as the founder of the Trust he desires to put on record that he believed whole heartedly that the esprit de corps is the backbone of every regiment, whether Horse, Foot or any other Military Unit, and it is his wish to be a friend to all regiments alike, and to assist them in their various efforts to preserve their records in the widest possible meaning of the term.”
In early 1955, soon after the establishment of the Trust, Colonel Ogilby received a letter from the Royal Household. Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother had wanted to covey her ‘interest and satisfaction’ for the work of the Trust and the benefits which it would bring to those who “are conscious of the value of continuity in the history of the regiments of the British Army”. Even in its early days, it was clear to see the important role which the Trust would play in preserving and encouraging the military heritage of the Army and in sharing the stories and experiences of those men and women who served.
The Trust was involved in a number of important decisions and developments. As early as 1954, Trustees decided to support the establishment of a National Army Museum in London, a vision which was achieved in 1960 and to which some of the personal collection of Colonel Ogilby was donated.
A sub-committee was formed under General Sir Gerald Templer GCM GCMG KBE DSO to oversee the purchasing and contribution of funds for new acquisitions. The earliest acquisition is recorded as the Dalhousie papers which went on to be donated to the Queen’s Regiment. The first grant awarded for the purchase of items is recorded as being for an oil painting for the Royal Artillery collection in December 1954.
In its early days, the Trust supported original research on military history, awarding an annual prize of £25 for the best submission, often from Cadets who were training at Sandhurst Military Academy.
More Recently
From 1985, the Trust began to host an annual conference. The early conferences saw attendance of over 200 people, mostly former and serving soldiers who were responsible for the care and management of the Regimental collections. As times changed, museum professionals and non-military individuals began to attend, bringing in different knowledge and skills. The annual conference continues to this day.
From the early 1990s, the Trust moved to a grant giving organisation. AMOT introduced an annual grants programme to which its members could apply for a range of projects, from the development of exhibitions, the publication of books, or the creation of educational resources for the public. The grants programme continues to be a core role of the Trust, awarding thousands of pounds of the years to a range of museums within the network to help support and strengthen them.
In 2017 the Trust began its largest project to date, the creation of an online platform which holds the First World War archives of the Regimental and Corps museums within the network. With support from the Chancellor of the Exchequer and the award of £5 million from the LIBOR fund, AMOT created The Ogilby Muster (TOM). With over 100 participating collections, TOM contains over 2 million items ranging from letters, diaries, photographs, reports and official documents dating between 1900 – 1929. Including never before seen material, TOM is fully accessible to the public and is a significant resource for those interested in the military and social history of the period.
AMOT continues to adapt and develop while still remaining true to the wishes of our founder, Colonel Ogilby. We continue to represent, support and promote the Regimental and Corps museums within our network, protecting the rich history which is held within their collections. A history not only of the British Army, but of the individual men and women who served.
Business Manager
Clarinda Snowball
Museums and Heritage Coordinator
Dr Andrew Bamford
Communications and Governance Officer
Hannah Larkin
AMOT works with a number of consultants on a range of projects with expertise in areas such as governance, collections care and management, military history, audience development, fundraising and income diversification.
We often send our team out to museums within our network to help provide support in a range of areas.
Our team is always changing and growing to make sure that we have the specialist knowledge needed to respond to the requirements of the network.
Lieutenant General Sir Philip Trousdell KBE CB
The Rt Hon The Lord Soames of Fletching
Registered Charity: 1195441
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