TRUSTEES and volunteers from York Army Museum have uncovered historic objects in the museum archives.

They were hidden away in storage at the museum.

The project to unearth the items, some of which have been archived for over a decade, was the brainchild of museum curator, Alan Bartlett.

Mr Bartlett said: “Many of these tell the history of our proud Yorkshire regiments and are being recorded on our database for the first time.

“We have uncovered quite a few surprises and some stunning military pieces over the last few days.”

The items discovered include an unopened ration tin from 1942, 19th-century silver-topped swagger sticks and a vast array of headgear from different periods of British Imperial history.

A Koran, found by members of the British Army in 1880, was uncovered,.

Alan said: “It was found in a niche of one of the towers of Mazina Fort in Afghanistan.

“We believe it belonged to Mullah Fakir Ghulam Ahmed.”

A cigarette case, with eight out of ten of the cigarettes still inside, was also discovered.

Many more storage boxes are still to be opened by the small museum team.

The establishment is also set to welcome in the public for a new exhibit centred around the modern-day War in Afghanistan, starting this month.

The York Army Museum tells the stories of British Army soldiers spanning over 300 years, from 1685 to the present day.

The team offer workshops, assemblies and self-guided visits to teach about the history and culture of the British Army. For more information, visit: https://www.yorkarmymuseum.co.uk