It is with great sadness that we announce that Bernie Bristoll, a volunteer on HMS Belfast, passed away last week. Bernie began volunteering with IWM in March 2018 and also served onboard as a Leading Telegraphist during the ship’s final commission in 1962-63.
Bernie greeted every visitor with a smile and a friendly comment as he sat in the Bridge Wireless Office with his Morse Key, album of photographs, and a never-ending anthology of stories. On most days, Bernie refused to take a lunch break, and would often insist on staying beyond the end of his 'watch' so as not to disappoint anyone in the queue waiting patiently to meet him.
Everyone who had the privilege to meet Bernie will have a different story to tell. All will have experienced the delight as he tapped back their name in fluid Morse Code far more rapidly than they had 'transmitted' it to him on their Morse key, and seen the expressions of wonderment on the faces of our youngest visitors when he correctly announced their names. Smiles and laughter characterised every encounter with him.
The warmth and generosity with which Bernie shared his memories was treasured by members of the HMS Belfast Association, the ship's staff and volunteers, and the thousands of visitors who regularly named him as the favourite part of their visit.
Are you planning a visit to HMS Belfast soon? Hear what visitors had to say below about their experiences on board below.
If you've already visited HMS Belfast this year, tell us what you enjoyed most in the comments below.
Plan your visit: bit.ly/3j2Z2lE
On Boxing Day 1943, Vice Admiral Robert Burnett was in Soviet Russia on board HMS Belfast, having escorted an Arctic convoy there. Burnett’s warships were preparing to escort the next convoy back to Britain, when intelligence reached them from the Admiralty in London.
The battleship Scharnhorst and five destroyers had left their Norwegian base. These convoys had baited out one of the Allies’ most wanted warships.
HMS Belfast and the rest of the convoy were no longer embarking on a return journey home, they were heading for battle.
Find out what happened at the Battle of North Cape in this episode of IWM Stories: bit.ly/34KfenI
Have you visited HMS Belfast since we opened brand new displays and interactive experiences on board?
Hear what visitors had to say about their experiences below, and let us know what you enjoyed most!
Plan your visit: https://bit.ly/3BdiqVo
“I was a primary school teacher so I never come unprepared, because you get so many different people from all over the world. You just hope that it'll interest people. What I'm able to do is use what I was trained to do all my life, so that children can be brought in to hear the stories."
Edith was born during the Second World War, describing her memories as "snapshots from an album". She now volunteers with IWM’s We Were There programme on board HMS Belfast, sharing her experiences with visitors.
On Friday 18 February, meet veterans and eyewitnesses on board HMS Belfast, and gain first-hand insight into the impact of war on people’s lives.
Find out more: bit.ly/3sBViMh
"I teach the children the basic morse code. The morse is there but to actually do it with the public is like being back in the navy again. Just seeing them go away happy, that's what it's all about."
Bernie served as a leading Radio Operator in the Cold War. He is now a volunteer on board HMS Belfast for IWM’s We Were There programme, where he introduces visitors to Morse Code.
We Were There is running on board HMS Belfast on Friday 18 February, where you'll have the chance to meet veterans and eyewitnesses to conflict.
Find out more: bit.ly/3Lx1gqb
Mike Matthews served on board HMS Belfast as she neared the end of her active life at sea. He would go on to have a long career in the Royal Navy but back then, he was an engineer under training.
He remembers the adventure he had getting on board for the first time, life on the ship and how he learned how to stay warm on long night shifts.
Hear more: bit.ly/3Ij93pn
There’s no ship quite like HMS Belfast.
No other vessel surviving in Britain today has witnessed historic events of the same magnitude. HMS Belfast took part in one of the greatest naval engagements of the Second World War; survived Arctic conditions to bring relief to Britain’s ally, the Soviet Union; led the way on D-Day in 1944; and played a major role in Britain’s support for the United Nations forces fighting in Korea from 1950 to 1952.
There’s also no museum quite like HMS Belfast.
You can walk the same decks, duck through the same hatches and climb up and down the same ladders that the men who served on board the ship would have done. Explore all nine decks and discover what life was like for the 900-strong crew for whom this ship was home.
Plan your visit today: bit.ly/3aWqOfF
Looking for the perfect Christmas gift for the history lover in your life?
With an IWM membership they'll get year of free entry to all of our sites. From the perfectly preserved Churchill War Rooms underneath the heart of Westminster to the most significant surviving Second World War Royal Navy Warship - HMS Belfast, there’s no end to the stories you can discover as an IWM member.
Find out more about gift membership: https://bit.ly/3qjuvVl
HMS Belfast arrives at the Pool of London 1971
Today, 21 October marks 50 years since HMS Belfast took up residence on the River Thames and opened to the public as a museum on Trafalgar Day 1971.
This footage, captured a week earlier shows HMS Belfast travelling under Tower Bridge through the Pool of London.
Learn more about HMS Belfast and plan your visit today: https://bit.ly/3aWqOfF
© IWM ADM 4524
The allied evacuations from Dunkirk in 1940, codenamed Operation Dynamo, are often described as a miracle.
After Germany's blitzkrieg swept through France and the Low Countries, expectations were dismally low, and yet over 338,000 allied soldiers were saved.
So how did they do it? Find out in this episode of IWM Stories: https://bit.ly/3zbmNgI
Have you ever been watching TV and recognised a certain historic warship?
HMS Belfast isn’t just a huge name in London’s long list of world leading museums. She has also played a starring role in some iconic cultural moments from the past few decades.
Maybe you’ve seen her in music videos, on TV or even in films? Let us know below.
Find out more on our website: https://bit.ly/3BKTzqP
Are you planning a visit to HMS Belfast soon? Hear what visitors had to say about their experiences on board below.
If you've already visited HMS Belfast this summer, tell us what you enjoyed most!
HMS Belfast is one of only three remaining vessels from the bombardment fleet which supported the Normandy landings on 6 June 1944.
But two years before D-Day and Operation Overlord, the Allies mounted a daring rehearsal raid on the French port of Dieppe.
The attack ended in disaster, but out of its ashes came one of the greatest unsung inventions of the Second World War, one that would keep the Allies in the fight when they returned to invade Normandy.
Find out about the Mulberry Harbours in this episode of IWM Stories: https://bit.ly/2Y1kdNx
This summer, we opened brand-new displays, refreshed exhibition spaces and new multi-sensory, interactive experiences on board.
You can enter one of the 6-inch gun turrets for an immersive sound experience, steer HMS Belfast to her destination in time for D-Day and explore the 'World of Warships' fully equipped free interactive gaming room.
But don’t just take our word for it. Hear what visitors had to say below.
It’s 1944 and the most important day of the war so far is looming. You and your family are needed as the latest naval recruits.
Learn about the biggest invasion in history as you explore HMS Belfast. This interactive storytelling experience is based on personal stories from those who served on D-Day.
Drop-in activity recommended for families with children aged 7+. Free with general admission.
Find out more: https://bit.ly/3i7pk6y
Are you planning a visit to HMS Belfast this summer? Hear below from visitors about the COVID-19 precautions on board.
We want you to book a great day out at HMS Belfast, without worry. If you, or any member of your party test positive for COVID-19, are asked to self-isolate by NHS test and trace (or the Test and Trace app), or have any symptoms of COVID-19, please let us know and we will be happy to rebook your tickets for another time.
On 25 June 1950, the Korean War broke out when Communist North Korea invaded South Korea. HMS Belfast played a major role in Britain’s support for the United Nations forces fighting in Korea from 1950 to 1952.
But the Korean War was primarily fought on land, so why did HMS Belfast see such intense action during this period? Why was the Navy so important during the war? And what made the so-called Forgotten War so brutal?
Find out more from IWM curator Rob Rumble in the latest episode of IWM Stories: https://bit.ly/3wCNSIu.
Visit HMS Belfast today to discover more about the Korean War.
Conditions in the Arctic were so cold that a ship's metal and the crew's skin would freeze tight against each other in an instant; so dark in the winter that dawn and dusk were only an hour or two apart; the seas so mountainous that a gun turret roof could be ripped off by the force of a single wave.
Such was the life awaiting HMS Belfast. On 21 February 1943, she began work as an escort ship for the convoys crossing the Arctic Ocean to and from the Soviet Union.
You can find out about the Arctic Convoys on board HMS Belfast when we reopen on 8 July. Until then, discover more on our interactive timeline: https://bit.ly/3gcojcs
In June 1950, North Korean forces invaded South Korea, beginning the Korean War. HMS Belfast was soon in action. She spent more than 400 days on patrol, steaming over 80,000 miles, and firing more shells than she did in the whole of the Second World War.
She even had her 6-inch guns replaced part-way through the conflict after wearing them out providing constant support for the troops on land. The Americans christened her ‘that straight-shooting ship’ and could hardly believe that her guns were partially hand-worked.
You can find out more about the Korean War on board HMS Belfast when we reopen on 8 July. Until then, learn more on our interactive timeline: https://bit.ly/3z3OiKF
“My favourite object in the whole museum’s collection is HMS Belfast… It’s like a second home”...
Edith was born during the Second World War, describing her memories as "snapshots from an album". She now volunteers with IWM’s We Were There programme on board HMS Belfast, sharing her experiences with visitors.
Although it’s not possible to meet our We Were There volunteers right now, you can still discover their stories online.
Find out more about Edith: https://bit.ly/3g9PFyE
“When we came along the English Channel we passed thousands of landing craft, of all shapes and sizes… And as we approached the coast of France we could hear thousands of bombers overhead and then all along the coast there were loud explosions and great fires.”
HMS Belfast crewman A Jones wrote a letter to his family in Stoke-on-Trent, the day after D-Day, describing the extraordinary events he had witnessed.
D-Day was the largest naval, air and land operation in history. On 6 June 1944, HMS Belfast helped lead the opening bombardment of Operation Overlord.
At 07:30 the first wave of landing craft surged past HMS Belfast to cheers of support from her crew. By nightfall Allied troops had established a firm foothold along a 50-mile stretch of the shoreline.
You can find out more about D-Day on board HMS Belfast, when we reopen on 8 July. Until then, visit our interactive timeline: https://bit.ly/3u1q53C
"I sent press reports by Morse Code to newspapers in London. In 1959, I was transferred to minesweepers which were patrolling Cyprus. Our mission was to stop fishing trawlers smuggling weapons to Cyprus from Greece and Turkey.”
Bernie served as a leading Radio Operator in the Cold War. He is now a volunteer on board HMS Belfast for IWM’s We Were There programme, where he introduces visitors to Morse Code.
Although it’s not possible to meet our We Were There volunteers right now, you can learn more about their experiences through their online profiles.
Find out more about Bernie here: https://bit.ly/2S5nzfG
With the end of the Korean War, HMS Belfast’s future was uncertain. In 1955, the decision was taken to modernise her.
Between 1956 and 1959 HMS Belfast was rebuilt. She gained new anti-aircraft weapons, new masts and a new fully-enclosed bridge. New equipment was also fitted to protect the ship against nuclear, biological or chemical attack.
Once modernised she embarked on a whistle stop tour of the world’s greatest ports for her final tour of duty.
Find out more on our interactive timeline: https://bit.ly/3gw6d5J
Although HMS Belfast is closed until the summer, you can now visit Duxford Outdoors!
At Duxford Outdoors, you can explore the mile-long grounds of Imperial War Museum Duxford – Europe’s largest air museum, and another of our five museums. Discover the stories behind the historic site with our self-guided trail, get up close to the huge hangars, and uncover hidden gems you might miss during a regular museum visit.
IWM Duxford is in Cambridgeshire and accessible by car, train or bus with free parking onsite. Find out more: https://bit.ly/3goEJit
In line with government guidelines, the museum remains closed and only outdoor spaces are accessible.
“I went for’rd to the fo’c’sle mess deck. I was standing at the bottom of a ladder when an explosion lifted me some feet in the air, jarring my teeth and chipping them. The lights went out and there was a deathly silence. I rushed up on deck to find many bewildered men milling around.”
George Woodley was a boy seaman on board HMS Belfast in 1939 when a magnetic mine exploded beneath the ship’s hull.
HMS Belfast headed for a practice shoot in the Firth of Forth on the morning of 21 November 1939, at 10:52, when there was a violent explosion. She had struck a magnetic mine – the damage to her hull was so severe that she was out of action for three years.
Find out more on our interactive timeline: https://bit.ly/3vhbouB
Closer to history: The inspiration behind They Shall Not Grow Old
Family Mission: Morse Code