Major Branson’s Water Bottle
Beck Isle Museum
This water bottle is believed to have been damaged in Basra, Iraq, during the owner’s active service in World War One.
It is not known what rank Major Branson held during the war – he may have risen to the rank of Major later in his career. It is believed that he retired to the Pickering area. His son donated the item to Beck Isle Museum and relayed the story that the water bottle had saved his father’s life when it was struck by a bullet. There are lots of examples of objects like this one that have been damaged during war. Many museum collections contain such items, a stark reminder of the number of casualties and near misses.
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Talking Points
What are water bottles made of nowadays? How is it different from yours?
Does the bottle have any other design features that would be useful?
How can you tell that it was used by someone in the military? Why do you think the material covering is a khaki colour? What do you think it’s made of?
What texture do you think it would be? Does it look rough, smooth, scratchy, or soft? Do you think it would feel hard or soft if you squeezed the bottle?
Are there items that you have kept, even though they no longer work? If so, why?
Major Branson kept this bottle his entire life – why do you think he didn’t want to part with it?
Hands on History
You can borrow World War One loan boxes from Scarborough Museums and Galleries and Beck Isle Museum in Pickering.
Scarborough Museums and Galleries also offers a creative workshop on the theme of World War One.
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