King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry Museum

The Regimental Gallery of the King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry is located in the same building as Doncaster Museum and Art Gallery.

The King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry Museum (KOYLI) received £204,000 from the Heritage Lottery Fund for the refurbishment of this re-telling of the story of this famous regiment which was founded in 1757. Generous contributions towards the cost of the project were also received from the Regimental Trustees and the Friends of Doncaster Museums.

Opening times

Please note that Doncaster Museum & Art Gallery is closed to the public on Good Friday (30th March). The KOYLI regimental museum will also be closed. We will be open as usual on the 31st March.

  • Wednesday - Friday: 10am - 4.15pm
  • Saturday and Sunday: 10.30am - 4pm

Research

  • The King’s Own Yorkshire Light Infantry Museum offers a paid research service looking into soldiers who served in the regiment. These searches will incur charges dependent on the complexity of the enquiry. If you are enquiring about the Museum’s research service, please provide as much information as possible about the individual you are researching including name, service number, battalion number and dates served, if known. Please note it may take up to 4 weeks to investigate and respond to your request. For more information about the service and the research charges, please contact;

    • address: Doncaster Museum and Art Gallery, Chequer Road, Doncaster, DN1 2AE
    • tel: 01302 734293
    • email: KOYLI@doncaster.gov.uk

    Please note if you are researching a soldier who served after 1920, their service records are still held by the Ministry of Defence (MOD). You can find out more about making a request here; https://www.gov.uk/get-copy-military-service-records

KOYLI Museum Displays

The displays include uniforms, weapons, badges, photos, a model of the Pontefract Barracks, and the roll of honour of the 5th Battalion. Also included is one of the most extensive medal collections in this country. Please see the Medal List document below for further information:

KOYLI medal list
Download (588KB)

This list of medals is a list of the items that are in the Regimental Collection and are on display in the Regimental Museum or available for viewing by appointment. It is by no means a complete list of every medal that was ever issued to a member of the Regiment. Any enquiries regarding the medals in our collection or medals that were awarded to one of your family members should be directed to Lynsey Slater at the contact details below.

A research service is available to customers unable to visit the museum. For details of costs and services, please contact us:

Volunteering 

Doncaster Heritage Services offers volunteering opportunities at the KOYLI Museum.

Volunteering with Doncaster Heritage Services is a way to use your skills, discover new ones, share your passion for the past and have fun. Volunteers are vital to support the service and opportunities are varied.  Over 50 volunteers have already given their time for a number of reasons, including students who are looking to build their own skills, job seekers who want to gain relevant experience and those who are looking for a different way to spend their retirement.

Find out more about our current opportunities here.

More information:

Last updated: 29 March 2018 18:53:55