April 4, 2021 - April 4, 2021
For the first time ever, travel through all five of IWM’s iconic branches in one virtual tour as their experts take you on an exploration of their most fascinating collections items.
– Housing the underground nerve centre where the British government directed the Second World War, Churchill War Rooms is a place of huge historic importance. Get a glimpse of rooms preserved in time, including some long-forgotten sugar cubes left behind by one of the residents of the Map Room, where the latest military intelligence was received, plotted and summarised for the Prime Minister.
– Highlights from IWM Duxford include the unique survivor, Spitfire Mk.I N3200. Flying with 19 Squadron from Duxford, N3200 was shot down and crash landed on a beach, sinking into the sand and eventually recovered over 45 years later. Hear the story of this combat veteran’s subsequent restoration to flying condition and the crucial role played by Spitfires in the summer of 1940.
– From IWM London, uncover stories behind objects such as the ‘Baghdad car’, the remains of a vehicle destroyed in a car bomb attack in central Baghdad in 2007. The street the explosion happened on was one that sold books – no coincidence, as the attack was incredibly effective in weakening the academic spirit of the area.
– Curious objects from IWM North include the Webley revolver belonging to 2nd Lieutenant JRR Tolkien, who was sent to France in June 1916 shortly before the Battle of the Somme.
– HMS Belfast, nicknamed ‘Tiddly B’ by her crew (meaning tidy or looking neat), is the most significant surviving Second World War Royal Navy warship. Learn about objects like the ‘Battles Board’ – the equivalent of medals worn by veterans – marked with all the major engagements HMS Belfast was involved in.
Your IWM guide will tell the story live on Crowdcast, with tours lasting approximately 60 minutes plus 30 minutes of Q&A.
Please note: Bookings for the 4 April event will close at 4pm on Friday 2 April. This is to allow time to process tickets and send out a streaming link to all bookers.
