Details of anniversary celebrations announced.
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 highlight for visitors will be a flypast from the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight Spitfire, plus Leonides, Bristol and Griffon engine demonstrations.
There will be live music on both days including performances from Marjorie Cartwright-Jones in a 1940s Home Front Cabaret. During this unintentionally comic ‘make do and mend’ class, Marjorie attempts to dispense advice and thrifty tips to hard-pressed wartime housewives and intersperses her handy hints with delightful vocal renditions of her favourite 1940s songs. Miss Fortunes, a singing trio will be resurrecting the wonderful hits of the Second World War. Their toe tapping, memory jogging 1940s vocal harmonies will have visitors singing along to every song.
Over this nostalgic weekend there will be plenty of fun for families, including stepping back in time into a 1940’s classroom and taking part in a short lesson before playing some wartime games. There will be a chance to see how a WW2 RAF Ops Room operated during the Battle of Britain era, brought to life by re-enactors. Families can enjoy Storytelling sessions and hear about the brave men and women who took part in the Battle of Britain – find out who they were and the sorties in which they served.
As a memento of your visit, families can visit our wartime photo booth and delve in to our dressing up box of RAF uniforms and aviation accessories and then pose for pictures. Each participant will receive a printout of four photos to take home for the family photo album. See website for more details.
Battle of Britain: Myth and Reality
Date: 13th September 2015
Time: 11.00am
Location: RAF Museum Cosford
In this talk, James Holland takes a fresh look at one of the most iconic episodes in British history, examining the story that has been passed down into folklore and assessing the performance of both sides. In doing so, he will be asking whether Britain’s victory in the summer of 1940 was even more comprehensive and significant than perhaps is widely thought.
James Holland is a historian of the Second World War, as well as a writer and broadcaster. He regularly reviews books for the Sunday Telegraph and his book The Battle of Britain’, went straight into the Sunday Times top ten bestseller list. Tickets cost £5 per person and are now on sale via the museum website.
Battle of Britain Afternoon Concert
Date: 13th September 2015
Time: 2.00pm
Location: RAF Museum Cosford
A musical treat for visitors on Sunday 13th September will be a performance from the Glebe Symphonic Winds Orchestra, one of the UK’s leading wind orchestras. This intimate musical performance will include many well-known favourites such as the Dambusters March, Barnes Wallis March and RAF March Past.
This performance will begin at 2.00pm and last approximately one hour. Spaces are limited so musical fans are advised to purchase tickets early to avoid disappointment. Tickets cost £5 per person and are now on sale via the museum website.
For further information about the Battle of Britain events and activities at the Museum and to purchase tickets, please visit the Museum website www.rafmuseum.org/cosford or call 01902 376200. The Museum is open daily from 10am and entry to the museum is free.