Imperial War Museum Question (1 Viewer)

[jazzeum]

A colleague of mine is over in vacation in London and I suggested to her that she take her two sons (around 10 or 11 years old) to the IWM. Apparently, the boys are very excited about going tomorrow.

Besides the obvious -- such as the WWI trenches and the underground during the blitz exhibits -- any special exhibits they should see?

 

[Wraith]

Uncle Rob's personal guided tours!

I'm sure Rob will step in here as soon as he logs on to the forum, but I found the Holocaust exhibition very interesting and sobering. When I was there last, the exhibition did carry a 'health warning', but I found it informative and effective without being the sort of exhibition that will give kids nightmares for months to come.
I would think that for a 10 and 11 year old, this would be suitable.

Plus, there are the usual 'lighter' bits with cutaways of some tanks (which I still want to clamber around in - pleeease Rob?), chopped aircraft cockpits, various aircraft hanging by thread etc.

Simon

 

[jazzeum]

Thanks Simon. Hope Rob logs in soon although it is getting late over there so I can send her an email.

 

[Louis Badolato]

When I was last in the IWM, I loved the LRDG 30 CWT Chevy recovered from the Libyan desert in the 1980's. It looked perfect, except for the fact that all the paint had been sand-blasted off of it by sand storms over the years, and it was as shiny as chrome. I also loved all of the other vehicles on display, including a Jagpanther with 3 shell holes in its rear flank, the Cromwell tank that had put the three shell holes in said Jagpanther, and Monty's personal M3 Tank. There was also a WWI Thorneycraft Truck with an antiaircraft gun mounted on it, exactly like the one Britains Premier made back in the 1990's. Churchill's underground headquarters (part of the IWM, but in a different part of London) was also a must see.

 

[Rob]

Sorry i'm late folks but was at the museum myself all day yesterday!.Brad (hope this is not too late)but there are loads of things worth seeing at the IWM.Highlights would be WW1 Gallery with very popular stretch of trench,WW2 gallery with'Blitz experince' a must for the kids.Holocaust is a superb exhibition but we don't recommend it for under 13's as some of the images as you can imagine are very upsetting.The Day exhibition is well worth seeing and as a whole the museum has a superb collection of some of the most famous and evocative items of Warfare.Spitfire,Sherman,P51,WW1 Tank etc.

Such a shame, if i'd known your relatives were there i would have given them their own tour.I'm there again Saturday if anyone needs a tour!

Rob

 

[Rob]

I said relatives i meant friends children.

Rob

 

[RAMC]

Don't forget IWM's sister site at Duxford for anyone wanting a good day out. The aircraft collection is huge. The land warfare exhibit has numberous tanks and soft skinned vehicles, and for our American friends they even get their own hanger. It always makes the hairs stand up on the back of my neck walking down the landing craft ramp in to the D-Day section.

 

[Rob]

Yes its a superb museum,well worth a visit.They have some wonderful air shows there as well.

I remember my wife and i went to one five or six years ago.It was a great day and we saw many different aircraft.The climax of the show was to be the biggest flight of Spitfires flying together since the war.We left about ten mins before the final fly by.We drove up the road past security and police and found a deserted little field surrounded by hedges.It was the best thing we could have done.For this field was at the end of the Spitfires route into the airfield.We stood open mouthed as all these Spits flew really low over us time and again,it was as if they were putting on a show for me and my wife in our own little field.Magical and will never forget it.

Rob

 

[aujj65]

I found these, thought they might be of some interest.

Rob, perhaps you can give some info on details etc.

Thanks

Jeff

 

[aujj65]

Tanks and things!

 

[Rob]

Aaaaah my babies!!!.Yep this is where i do my 'thing' on weekends and sometimes weekdays.I won't name them all as i'm sure most of you know more than i do.Some of my faves however are Montys tank,with its dummy gun is very popular with the public and is one of the most photographed vehicles in the museum.Love the Jagdpanther with its Zimmerit coating,if you look closely at the pic you can see the four holes the Britsh tank put into her knocking her out but leaving her intact.When you study the wheels of this mighty beast you can see how much work was involved in removing just one from the back.

Then we have another of my faves the T34,wonderful example of Tank design she is.Although as stated in the series 'Tanks' the welding would make a tank designer weap!.But of course it wasn't the welding that made her so good.High speed,sloping armour, 85mm gun and Diesel engine made her a force to be reckoned with.Also like the way she looks like Mickey mouse when both hatches are open,didn't go down well with Stalin!

Of course we have the Spitfire.As i say to the public every week,what can you say about the Spitfire.The very symbol of this countrys defiance of Hitler and his hideous regime.She's a wonderful example in original B.O.B colours and she destroyed two enemy aircraft and damaged several others.She is still one of the most popular exhibits we have.

I also am fond of the Sopwith Camel.Very difficult to learn to fly because of the rotary engine producing a gyroscopic effect.Notorious for kiling novice pilots in accidents, 385 lost their lives.She still went on to be arguably the most famous fighter of WW1.

Not seen in Jeffs excellant pics are a Matilda in the K&C camo design and remains of the plane Hess flew here in his mission for 'peace'.

Sorry,i'm wittering on now.Better stop before i bore you all witless.Thanks for posting these Jeff.Hope many of you can make it to the museum in December.

Rob

 

[Wraith]

Love the Jagdpanther with its Zimmerit coating,if you look closely at the pic you can see the four holes the Britsh tank put into her knocking her out but leaving her intact.

Well, I can see 2 of them...

 

[Rob]

Simon, if you study Jeffs picture of the Jagdpanther next to the T34 you can see four holes.Three close together and one further back.

Rob

 

[Wraith]

Sorry Rob, I was messing around.

Great pics by the way Jeff. When I took photos there, they all came out pretty dark. I've got a couple of the Matilda, but they're that dark, it's not worth trying to upload them.

Simon

 

[Rob]

The pics do come out dark don't they.I've taken many photos and been disapointed in the results.

Rob

 

[jazzeum]

Jeff,

Those pictures came out fabulously and I'm going to save them, esp. the Monty one. The photo I have of the tank has a person in front of this and this is an unobstructed view so thanks very much.

 

[aujj65]

Rob

Thanks for the info. I didn't realise that the M3 had a dummy gun.
People are a real pain when it comes to taking photo's and these weren't taken with my camera, hence the better quality, my camera isn't as good I'm afraid.
One thing I like about these exhibits.........they are nice and shiny!

Jeff

 

[Louis Badolato]

Great Shots! I loved visiting the Imperial War Museum, and these photos really bring back memories. I wish somebody had a shot of the shiny Long Range Desert Group Chevy 30 CWT Truck recovered from the Libyan desert in the 1970's - after 30 years in the desert had sandblasted all the paint off! It was really amazing, and looked like it could be driven today, if somebody replaced the dried up old tires.

 

[Rob]

Am back at the museum on the 24th of this month, will get some pics of it then.

Rob

 

[aujj65]

These are the last two photo's showing the inside of the Jagdpanther.

Jeff