Desert Rats Museum in Ickburgh, near Thetford, launches fund-raiser following burglary
Moderator Msn
Desert Rats Museum in Ickburgh, near Thetford, launches fund-raiser following burglary
A military museum has launched a fund-raising campaign to bolster its security measures following a recent burglary.
Multiple historic items were stolen from The Desert Rats Museum in High Ash, Ickburgh, near Thetford Forest, following a break-in at some point overnight between Friday, August 9 and Saturday, August 10.
The intruders stole World War II memorabilia including patches, badges and helmets, a German knife, a field marshal’s baton, brass shells and a baby gas mask.
Manager Paul Smith found the locked had been broken on Saturday morning. Picture: The Desert Rats Museum
Paul Smith at The Desert Rats Museum in High Ash, Ickburgh. Picture: SubmittedNow, manager Paul Smith has launched a GoFundMe page to raise £10,500 to cover the costs of installing electricity at the museum, allowing for the addition of a security system to better protect the site in the future.
He said: “We’re still very hopefully of getting the stolen items back, but we are now thinking about the security of the place.
“This is the first time we have ever been burgled which we never thought would happen - so now we’re trying to get some electricity down here to prevent this sort of thing happening again.
Multiple historic items were taken and display cases were damaged. Picture: The Desert Rats Museum“It’s all about protecting what we have here for future generations, and I’m just afraid it might happen again.”
Mr Smith, who has has worked at the museum for more than 15 years, said he has been quoted for £10,500 for UK Power Networks to install electricity to the museum by running a cable down to the site.
If you would like to donate to the fund-raiser, click here.
Since the incident, museum supporters have been in touch to help replace some of the stolen items with donations.
Badges and patches were left scattered in display cases. Picture: The Desert Rats Museum
Mr Smith appeared on ITV News Anglia yesterday to speak about what happened and he wants to say thank you to members of the public who have supported the museum during this difficult period.
“I’m so grateful for all the support,” he said. “The well-wishes we have had is so heart-warming.
“It makes me feel like all the effort I’ve put into this place over the years has been worthwhile.”
Norfolk Police has launched an investigation into the incident and is urging anyone with information to get in touch quoting crime reference 36/56818/24 or email Craig...@norfolk.police.uk.