A RARE First World War memento has been donated to Somerset's museum service - for its own safety.
The collection box in the form of a nurse from the time of the conflict was originally used at the former Taunton and Somerset Hospital in East Reach, Taunton.
In more recent years it has been cared for by the League of Friends of Musgrove Park Hospital.
League chairman Peter Renshaw said: "We’ve always been proud of our very special collection box.
"But we realise it’s a fragile object and also very rare, so we want to make sure it survives into the future. The museum collections are the safest place for it."
Tom Mayberry, chief executive of the South West Heritage Trust, which cares for the collections, said: "We’re very pleased that this vivid reminder of the conflict has been saved for the county.
"The story of nursing in the First World War was a heroic one and has remained relatively untold.
"We hope that the collection box can be included in an exhibition next year about Somerset’s home front experience during the war."
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