RAF Museum announces star attractions.
The Royal Air Force Museum Cosford will be commemorating the Battle of Britain, considered the most important event in Royal Air Force history, with a nostalgic weekend of events and activities for the whole family to enjoy. A main highlight for visitors over the weekend will be a flypast from the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight Lancaster on Saturday 14th and a Spitfire flypast on Sunday 15th September
Activities taking place over the weekend include real life working Merlin and Griffon engine demonstrations and a chance to see how a WW2 RAF Ops Room operated during the Battle of Britain era, brought to life by re-enactors. A land army re-enactment group will be digging for victory in the wartime garden on the Sunday and a range of 1940’s military vehicles will be on display over the weekend.
One of the more unusual exhibits this year will be a collection of 1940’s caravans. Caravans were used extensively throughout the war as accommodation for people whose homes had been destroyed and by military personnel, industrial and farm workers and the Women’s Land Army. The caravans will be opened up for visitors to take a peek inside and see how the average family would have holidayed during the war years.
The Museum will also being showing deleted scenes from the 1969 epic film Battle of Britain throughout the weekend next to the Museum’s Hurricane and the World’s oldest Spitfire, on display in our Warplanes Hangar. The World’s last surviving Dornier Do 17, a bomber employed by the Luftwaffe during the Battle of Britain, recently salvaged from the bottom of the English Channel is also on display to members of the public.
New this year will be two performances from Marjorie Cartwright-Jones; an unintentionally comic ‘Make do and Mend’ class, watch as she attempts to dispense advice and thrifty tips to all you hard-pressed wartime housewives! The second class, ‘Marjorie Cartwright-Jones is All Front’ is a funny, heart-warming look at domestic life on the Home Front during the Second World War, interspersed with Marjorie’s delightful renditions of everyone’s favourite 1940’s songs.
To keep the children entertained, the Museum will be running its popular ‘Step Back In Time’ workshop where children and adults alike, will learn about pounds, shilling and pence arithmetic and fill in a replica evacuee label and identity card whilst answering to a strict old fashioned teacher. But be ready for the air raid siren as it may go off at any time! Each participant will also get a gas mask box to take away and make at home. Other children’s activities including colouring in Spitfires and Union Jack flags, will take place on both days and visitors wanting some hearty food will be able to dine in true street party style in the Museum’s restaurant.
For more information about the Battle of Britain Weekend event please contact the Museum on 01902 376200 or visit www.rafmuseum.org.