The Imperial War Museum Commemorates 1940 Britain’s Finest Hour
The momentous events that occurred during 1940 determined the eventual outcome of the Second World War.
It was the year that saw the creation of the Ministry of Food and the instigation of rationing. Britain’s great wartime leader, Winston Churchill, came to power. Britain’s armed forces endured the fall of France, the evacuation of Dunkirk, and the Battle of Britain, while on the home front, the unrelenting bombing of the Blitz began to hit many cities and towns across the country.
All five branches of the Imperial War Museum will commemorate the 70th anniversary of this crucial year with a range of special exhibitions, events and newly arranged exhibits from the Museum’s core collections. Must-see highlights include:
Duxford and the Battle of Britain
Imperial War Museum Duxford
Until December 2010
IWM Duxford presents a new photographic exhibition which portrays life at RAF Duxford during the Battle of Britain. These evocative photographs capture the men and women who served at RAF Duxford at work and play, giving a unique insight into life at a fighter station during the Second World War. It also serves as a poignant reminder of the sacrifices made during the summer of 1940. The exhibition brings visitors face-to-face with some of the heroic characters who flew from Duxford to win the battle in the skies.
Admission to this exhibition is included in the standard admission price to the Museum. http://duxford.iwm.org.uk/
Churchill’s Accession To the Premiership
Imperial War Museum North
Sunday 16 May 2010, 4.00-5.30pm
The Imperial War Museum hosts a special lecture, in association with the Centre for International Security and War Studies, University of Salford, about Churchill’s rise to power at the beginning of the Second World War. John Charmley, author of ‘Churchill, The End of Glory’ and Professor of History at University of East Anglia, will give his perspective on Winston Churchill’s entry to number ten, the manoeuvres that led to it and the results. Admission free but booking required: 0161 836 4007 / http://north.iwm.org.uk/
Explore History 1940
Imperial War Museum London
From 21 May 2010
On 21 May 2010 Imperial War Museum London will open its Explore History centre, a new space open to all members of the public to drop in and discover the Museum’s vast collections of digitised photos, film, sound recordings, documents, art, ephemera and books. As well as providing access to the Museum’s collections through improved catalogues, the Explore History centre will feature interactive multimedia touchscreens with engaging interpretation of the new physical display, Explore History 1940, a gathering of iconic objects relating to the events of that momentous year, including one of Dunkirk’s famous ‘little ships’. Admission free: http://london.iwm.org.uk/
The Few speech
Churchill War Rooms
Friday 20 August 2010
As a part of the RAF’s Battle of Britain commemorative programme there will be a fly-over of the Churchill War Rooms by an RAF Spitfire and Hurricane at 15:42pm, the very moment that Churchill’s iconic ‘Never was so much owed by so many to so few’ speech was delivered to people on the BBC on 20 August 1940. Preceding the flyover, there will be a reading of the speech outside the Museum entrance. Inside the museum a team of re-enactors will stage an interactive display of an RAF operations room plotting table. http://cwr.iwm.org.uk/
The Battle of Britain Air Show
Imperial War Museum Duxford
Saturday 4 and Sunday 5 September 2010
IWM Duxford presents an evocative commemoration of the aerial battle that proved the strategic turning point in the Second World War. The Battle of Britain Air Show remembers the pilots and aircraft synonymous with this renowned aerial conflict, with a particular focus on the pilots stationed at RAF Duxford who came from across the globe to fight for world freedom. Expect to see squadrons of Battle of Britain aircraft at Europe’s best-preserved Second World War airfield. Tickets for this event can be purchased online: http://duxford.iwm.org.uk/
For full details on all 1940 anniversary activity at all branches of the Imperial War Museum, plus dynamic online content telling the full story of Britain’s finest hour, visit the dedicated website: www.iwm.org.uk/1940
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