IWM London tells the stories of people’s experiences of modern war and conflict. Follow us on Facebook and join our growing community of fans.
IWM London tells the stories of those whose lives have been shaped by war from the First World War to the present day. Discover in-depth information about IWM London, special content, and discuss and share with others. Our social media house rules can be found here: https://www.iwm.org.uk/corporate/policies/social-media
Operating as usual
The speed that the European crisis developed in 1914 meant that France soon found itself fighting a modern, industrial war on an unprecedented scale.
Learn more and watch in full: https://bit.ly/3Tv8jV1
Northern Ireland: Living with the Troubles opens at IWM London on 26 May: https://bit.ly/3JgfUSt
IWM’s first exhibition exploring the Northern Ireland Troubles, it will unpack this complex chapter of our shared history through multiple perspectives, objects and testimonies.
Featuring voices on all sides of the conflict, this exhibition will highlight human stories through the first-hand testimonies of people in Northern Ireland who lived through the Troubles.
The exhibition will also feature new objects, never-before-displayed in the museum, and archival photography that paints a vivid picture of this deeply divided period in Northern Ireland’s history.
Images: Rolls Press/Popperfoto via Getty Images | © IWM MH30549 | © IWM CT621
Conditions on all fronts posed serious issues for the health of soldiers during the First World War and over 6 million British and British Empire troops were treated for sickness throughout the conflict.
These are some of the ways they could keep healthy: https://bit.ly/3mPXLUe
© IWM Q 10622
Photo: The Medical Officer of the 12th Battalion ,East Yorkshire Regiment conducts a foot inspection in a support trench near Roclincourt, 9 January 1918.
The Brunei Revolt and Indonesian Confrontation of the early 1960s had their origins in opposition to the creation of the Federation of Malaysia.
The Federation looked to unite the mainly Malay-populated states of the Malayan Peninsula with the former British colonies of Singapore, Brunei, Sarawak and North Borneo. In order to destabilise the process, Indonesian President Sukarno actively supported The North Kalimantan National Army in their aim of overthrowing the Sultan of Brunei and uniting the whole of Borneo under Indonesian rule.
Here, one soldier is extracted from an operation in the jungle by a Westland Wessex of 845 Naval Air Squadron, whilst another kneels nearby.
Learn more: https://bit.ly/3mIEFza
© IWM (R 28937)
By the end of the First World War, more than 17,000 women had served close to the front-line on the Western Front. This was just one of many ways the war impacted women's lives and rights.
Find out more: http://bit.ly/30isIlc
Affectionately nicknamed the 'aluminium death tube', the English Electric Lightning was a favourite amongst pilots and many were sad to see it retired from RAF service in 1988.
Learn more about the Lightning's story: bit.ly/3oUjJTZ
Sisters Gisela Feldman BEM and Sonja Sternberg BEM were born in Berlin.
After the November Pogrom in 1938 and the deportation of their father, they travelled to Cuba with their mother and other refugees on the liner St Louis. However, on arrival, the St Louis was refused entry and sent back towards Europe. Gisela and Sonja finally disembarked in England where they were assisted by the Jewish Refugees Committee.
They both married, had families and settled in Manchester and are pictured here with a photo of their father who they never saw again.
On display in Generations: Portraits of Holocaust Survivors at Imperial War Museum North: https://bit.ly/3Ee2sfk
On Saturday 25 and Sunday 26 March, explore the human experiences of war and conflict at the first IWM History Festival at Imperial War Museum Duxford. Our popular author sessions include Katja Hoyer, Damien Lewis, Richard Overy and are booking up fast!
Book today to secure your place: https://bit.ly/3HNlNaQ
The Battle of Stalingrad saw fierce fighting for both sides. In this episode of IWM Stories, we explore some of the individual experiences of the troops themselves during the battle.
Learn more and watch in full: https://bit.ly/3EkIQqU
One year on from the Russian invasion of Ukraine, we explore the origins of the conflict with RUSI's Emily Ferris and photojournalist Anastasia Taylor-Lind, whose work in Ukraine between 2014 and 2022 features in IWM London's new exhibition, Ukraine: Photographs from the Frontline.
Watch in full: https://bit.ly/3kt8oLB
In 1942, Operation Blau, the German plan to capture the oilfields of the southern Caucasus would lead to the bloodiest battle of the Second World War - the Battle of Stalingrad. But was a Soviet victory inevitable?
Find out and watch in full: https://bit.ly/3EkIQqU
The Second World War was a time of major upheaval for children in Britain. Over a million were evacuated from towns and cities and had to adjust to separation from family and friends.
Discover more about their experience: https://bit.ly/3S1pFrT
© IWM LN 6194
On 15 February 1942, Lt. General Arthur Percival surrendered Singapore to the Japanese, marking the biggest defeat suffered by British and Commonwealth Forces during the Second World War.
Here, Percival discusses terms of surrender with Japanese General Yamash*ta.
© IWM JYY 60
It’s the last week to experience Hurricane: Unsung Hero at
Imperial War Museum Duxford. Get up close to seven airworthy examples of one of the Second World War’s most hard working aircraft.
Find out more and plan your visit: https://bit.ly/3jUsT3M
In early August 1914, the Kaiserliche Marine suffered their first loss of the war when the requisitioned SS Königin Luise was scuttled, following an engagement Royal Navy.
But how close was this to the type of naval action Britain had prepared for?
Find out and watch in full: https://bit.ly/3Ykrjao
When war broke out in August 1914, the First Lord of the Admiralty, Winston Churchill sent a message to all Royal Navy ships - ‘War, Germany, Act’.
The world's two largest navies were about to go head-to-head, but the dreadnought battleships that each side had been amassing were only to fight in one major action.
Find out why: https://bit.ly/3Ykrjao
On 8 February 1942, Japanese forces launched an assault on Singapore which would see the country's surrender only eight days later. In this episode of IWM Stories, we explore how Britain lost 'Fortress Singapore'.
Watch in full: https://bit.ly/3x7Nncg
Were British troops in the First World War really 'lions led by donkeys', or were there other factors contributing to British casualty rates? Find out in this episode of IWM Stories.
Watch in full on YouTube: http://bit.ly/3HeD374
Ukraine: Photographs from the Frontline opens at IWM London this Friday, 3 February.
Experience photographs from internationally renowned photojournalist Anastasia Taylor-Lind, taken during her time in Ukraine between 2014 and June 2022.
Find out more and plan your visit: https://bit.ly/3RmiBWq
Free entry, exhibition runs 3 February 2023 to 8 May 2023.
© Anastasia Taylor-Lind
Tickets for the IWM History Festival at Imperial War Museum Duxford are now on sale!
Bringing together rarely seen before objects from IWM’s collections, the expertise of the museum’s curators, book signings from leading historical authors and the opportunity to speak to veterans of conflict in person.
Saturday 25 and Sunday 26 March 2023. Spaces are limited.
Book now: https://bit.ly/3HNlNaQ
Were British commanders of the First World War really 'château generals' and is there any truth to myth that their soldiers were 'lions led by donkeys'? Find out in the latest episode of IWM Stories.
Watch in full: https://bit.ly/3HeD374
It's your last chance to book tickets for our in-conversation event with Dan Stone on 31 January to discuss his new book, The Holocaust: An Unfinished History. A searing history that upends much of what we think about the Holocaust - and an urgent call to reckon with past crimes.
Dan will be in conversation with James Bulgin, Head of Public History and Head of Content for the new Holocaust Galleries at Imperial War Museums, and Christine Schmidt, Head of Research for The Wiener Holocaust Library.
Book your tickets now: https://bit.ly/3QeGMpd
Today is . The theme of Holocaust Memorial Day 2023 is Ordinary People. Ordinary people were victims, bystanders, rescuers and witnesses.
Rivka Abramovitz and her 3 year old son, Zvi-Dov lived in Raseiniai, Lithuania with her husband, Moshe. Rivka’s parents and siblings and their family also lived there. Her other brother, Gershon, had emigrated to Palestine in 1935.
Rivka and her family were in Raseiniai when the Germans entered the town on 23 June 1941, a day after the start of Operation Barbarossa. With the rest of the town’s Jews, and some Jews from nearby towns, they were forced into a small, overcrowded, improvised ‘ghetto’ in a monastery building near to the town.
In late July and early August, hundreds of Jewish men and women from the area were murdered. Rivka and Zvi-Dov were most likely murdered on 29 August, alongside the town’s remaining 843 Jews in the Kurpiskes forest. By the end of the war, over 90% of Lithuania’s Jews had been murdered.
This image of Rivka and Zvi-Dov is displayed in the Holocaust Galleries at IWM London.
Learn more:https://bit.ly/406HqcR
If you've seen BBC Two's How the Holocaust Began and want to learn more, then join us at IWM London on 31 January for the launch of Dan Stone’s new book, The Holocaust: An Unfinished History.
Dan will be in conversation with James Bulgin, Head of Public History and Head of Content for the new Holocaust Galleries at Imperial War Museums, and Christine Schmidt, Head of Research for The Wiener Holocaust Library.
Find out more and book: https://bit.ly/3QeGMpd
Held in high regard during his lifetime, Field Marshal Sir Douglas Haig's reputation came under attack after his death in 1928. But how much truth is there to the myth that British soldiers were 'lions led by donkeys'?
Find out and watch in full: https://bit.ly/3HeD374
Tonight at 9pm on BBC Two, IWM’s James Bulgin presents a new documentary – ‘How the Holocaust Began’.
The programme explores what happened after Germany invaded the Soviet Union, and at least one million Jewish men, women and children and an unknown number of Roma were killed, largely in mass shootings.
Find out more: https://bbc.in/3R1ct5J
Operation Shingle, the Allied amphibious landing that marked the beginning of the Battle of Anzio took place 1944.
Here, a Sherman tank of 46th Royal Tank Regiment drives ashore on the first day of the battle. The Anzio battlefield was ill-suited to armoured warfare, and tanks functioned more often as mobile artillery.
Find out more: https://bit.ly/3QxF0zp
© IWM (NA 11034)
In the First World War, carrier pigeons were used to relay information when other methods of communication weren't possible. Training the pigeons wasn't easy and the British Expeditionary Force had to issue official guidelines for the men working with them.
Here are some of the top tips: https://bit.ly/3kxE3Lw
© IWM (Q 11954)
A heavily-armed jeep patrol from 'L' Detachment SAS in North Africa, photographed 80 years ago today on 18 January 1943.
Learn more about the Special Forces who helped win the desert battles of the Second World War: https://bit.ly/3GVN3Tu
© IWM E 21337
There's just over one month left to experience Hurricane: Unsung Hero at Imperial War Museum Duxford.
This special spotlight exhibition celebrating one of the Second World War's hardest-working fighters, the Hawker Hurricane, runs until 19 February.
Learn more: https://bit.ly/3IVTK9M
By the time of its retirement from the USAF in the late 1990s, the General Dynamics F-111 Aardvark had served in conflicts from Vietnam to Iraq.
In this episode of Duxford in Depth, we explore Imperial War Museum Duxford's own example, “The Chief”.
Watch in full: https://bit.ly/3CGsyYo
Join us at IWM London on 31 January for the launch of Dan Stone’s new book, The Holocaust: An Unfinished History. A searing history that upends much of what we think about the Holocaust - and an urgent call to reckon with past crimes.
Dan will be in conversation with James Bulgin, Head of Public History and Head of Content for the new Holocaust Galleries at Imperial War Museums, and Christine Schmidt, Head of Research for The Wiener Holocaust Library.
Book your tickets today: https://bit.ly/3QeGMpd
The British government began preparing the country for the possibility of air raids in the late 1930s. However, as the Second World War progressed, greater provisions were required to protect civilians from air attack.
Clive W Black, the house steward at the Royal Academy of Music is pictured here on the roof of the Academy, acting as a fire watcher, 1944.
Learn more: http://bit.ly/2Q9ee4K
© IWM D 22296
The development of the Merlin engine continued throughout the Second World War, from the original 1,000 horsepower design, to the 2,050 horsepower variant in the North American P-51D Mustang.
Find out more about the Merlin engine and watch in full: https://bit.ly/3Cjp91s
It's the last weekend to visit Crown and Conflict: Portraits of a Queen in Wartime at IWM London.
This exhibition of poignant photographs exploring the breadth and scope of The Queen’s role in times of war will run until Sunday 8 January.
Learn more: https://bit.ly/3kJwG0D
© IWM (TR 2835)
Concealment has always had some part in warfare, but during the First World War the practice became systematic.
The German Stahlhelm helmet pictured here, issued from 1917 to many artillery crew or elite stormtroopers, is painted in a disruptive pattern.
Learn more about camouflage in the First World War: https://bit.ly/3Zf9SbR
© IWM (UNI 8312)
The Sd Kfz 173 Jagdpanther is thought to be one of the greatest tank destroyers of the Second World War. But what made it so formidable?
In this episode of Duxford in Depth, we explore Imperial War Museum Duxford's own example.
Watch in full: http://bit.ly/36OLaFf
Developed in the early 1930s, the Rolls-Royce Merlin Engine went on to power some of the most famous aeroplanes of the Second World War, but its success meant that demand soon exceeded what the company could supply.
Find out more and watch in full: https://bit.ly/3Cjp91s
Lambeth Road
London
SE16HZ
Nearest tube stations: Lambeth North (Bakerloo Line) Elephant and Castle (Northern and Bakerloo Lines) Waterloo (Northern, Bakerloo, Jubilee Lines)
| Monday | 10am - 6pm |
| Tuesday | 10am - 6pm |
| Wednesday | 10am - 6pm |
| Thursday | 10am - 6pm |
| Friday | 10am - 6pm |
| Saturday | 10am - 6pm |
| Sunday | 10am - 6pm |
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How have war video games shaped society? Game creators and specialists will explore this and many other questions at War Games Live, a half-day festival of talks and performances at IWM London. With John Romero, Brenda Romero, Eímear Noone, Elle Osili Wood, Stephen Bush and many more. Sponsored by World of Tanks. Book now: http://bit.ly/3CUWLDX
In this film from Armistice Day 1920, King George V places a wreath on the coffin of the Unknown Warrior, recently journeyed from France by ship, train and finally by gun-carriage. The King then unveils the newly-constructed Cenotaph monument, before placing a subsequent wreath at its base. Learn more about the design and symbolism of Whitehall's Cenotaph: bit.ly/3UjGfn7 © IWM (IWM 505)
As we approach Armistice Day and Remembrance Sunday this week, millions will choose to wear the red poppy as a sign of respect and remembrance. But what are the origins of the tradition? Find out and watch in full on YouTube: https://bit.ly/3qjcLJQ
Operation Supercharge saw some of the most intense combat of the Second Battle of El Alamein. But how did the slow, attritional nature of the fighting eventually deliver victory to the Allies? Find out and watch in full: https://bit.ly/3LM4YNj
Working in the boiler and engine rooms of a warship was a dangerous job. As stoker, Eric Beasley recounts in this video, "If a pipe with superheated steam got fractured, it could just chop your head or anything off"... Learn more and watch in full: http://bit.ly/3N3dlom
Is the nature of modern warfare being redefined in Ukraine? IWM curators explore with Sky News' Mark Austin, Alex Crawford and Deborah Haynes in a special event broadcast live from IWM London on Tuesday 1 November. In collaboration with Sky News. Learn more: https://bit.ly/3pSqvcU
The Second Battle of El Alamein began eighty years ago today, on 23 October 1942. In this episode of IWM Stories, we explore the battle which would prove the tide of the war had truly turned in the Allies' favour. Watch in full: bit.ly/3LM4YNj
The engine and boiler rooms of a warship were some of the most complex places to work, with tough conditions below the waterline. Here, Conservation Manager, Andy Curran describes what the experience would have been like on HMS Belfast in the latest video from the IWM YouTube channel. Watch in full: bit.ly/3Vv2G9E
Tickets are now on sale for War Games Live, a half-day festival at IWM London exploring the phenomenon of war video gaming, with a line-up of special guests, including award-winning game designer John Romero, BAFTA-winning game designer and artist Brenda Romero, composer Eimear Noone and more. Saturday 26 November in partnership with Historical Games Network. Book now: https://bit.ly/3CUWLDX
This BMP-1 infantry fighting vehicle has been on display at Imperial War Museum Duxford for over 30 years, yet vehicles just like it are being used in the ongoing Russo-Ukrainian war. So why are museum pieces being fielded in a modern war? Find out and watch in full: bit.ly/3yi9Ioq
The Welrod silenced pistol is a regular feature in the Sniper Elite video game series, but how reliable was it in real life? Ian Kikuchi, a lead curator for IWM London's new War Games exhibition explores in this video from the IWM YouTube channel. Watch in full: https://bit.ly/3Empvq0
BMP-1 infantry fighting vehicles like this example from Imperial War Museum Duxford may seem too outdated for use in modern conflicts like the war in Ukraine. But the BMP-1 was huge leap forward when it was first unveiled in the late 1960s. Find out why and watch in full: http://bit.ly/3yi9Ioq
What can the past teach us about the present and the future of the war in Ukraine? Join Sky News and the IWM Institute on Tuesday 1 November, 7.30pm for an event broadcast live from IWM London, with Mark Austin, Deborah Haynes and Alex Crawford. Book now: http://bit.ly/3pSqvcU
Seventy years ago today on 3 October 1952, Operation Hurricane saw Britain test its first nuclear weapon, becoming the world's third nuclear power alongside the U.S. and Russia. But why did Britain want nuclear weapons when already part of NATO and close allies with the U.S? Find out in this episode of IWM Stories. Watch in full: https://bit.ly/3C1Jyaw
What can the video game Sniper Elite teach us about real snipers from the Second World War? Ian Kikuchi, a lead curator for IWM London's War Games exhibition finds out in this video from the IWM YouTube channel. Watch in full: https://bit.ly/3rloUgL
The UK’s first exhibition to explore what video games can tell us about conflict, War Games: Real Conflicts | Virtual Worlds | Extreme Entertainment opens today at IWM London. Delving into one of today’s most popular storytelling mediums and challenging perceptions of how video games interpret stories about war and conflict, the exhibition showcases immersive installations, never-before-displayed objects and perspectives from industry experts. War Games also includes a playable retro gaming zone and a programme of supporting events. Find out more and plan your visit to IWM London today: https://bit.ly/3LQrGEb
The Second Battle of El Alamein has become one of the most famous of the Second World War. But how did the Allies defeat Rommel and signal the beginning of the end for the campaign in the Western Desert? Find out in this episode of IWM Stories. Watch in full: https://bit.ly/3LM4YNj
From the collapse of the Soviet Union to the Orange Revolution, how can we use history to make sense of the war in Ukraine? Comedian Sophie Duker explores with experts Olga Tokariuk and Dr Samir Puri in the latest episode of the Conflict of Interest podcast. Out Now: bit.ly/3pzc6ST
Taken on 14 October 1962, these photographs brought the world to the brink of nuclear war. Learn about the part the Lockheed U-2 reconnaissance aircraft played in the Cuban Missile Crisis in this episode of Duxford in Depth. Watch in full: https://bit.ly/3AKOq3i
In 1944, an 18 year old Princess Elizabeth signed up for the Auxiliary Territorial Service, in an unprecedented decision that would make her the first woman in the Royal Family to become a full-time member of the armed services. Her teenage years had been against the backdrop of the Second World War and Elizabeth was determined to ‘do her bit’ for the war effort, as so many of her peers were. In this video we explore Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II's wartime service. Watch in full: https://bit.ly/3DspfVX
Following Operation Hurricane in 1952, Britain became the third nuclear power in the world alongside the U.S. and the Soviet Union. But why did Britain want its own nuclear capability when already part of NATO? Find out in this episode of IWM Stories: https://bit.ly/3x34hcs
In this episode of Duxford in Depth we take a look at the A-10 Warthog's formidable armament and combat capabilities, whilst exploring the design and operational history of the famous aircraft. Watch in full on YouTube: bit.ly/3vYKI4C
This Ukrainian Independence Day, journalist Olga Tokariuk talks of her experiences growing up in the country through the collapse of the Soviet Union, the movement for independence and more in the latest episode of Conflict of Interest, with Sophie Dukebox and Samir Puri. Listen: bit.ly/3pzc6ST
At the close of the first day of Operation Market Garden, one vital objective still held out against Allied troops. Discover how the Battle of Nijmegen impacted the advance in this episode of IWM Stories. Watch in full: bit.ly/3dIfbNG
Featuring daring assaults, strategic blunders and heroic defences, Operation Market Garden has become one of the most controversial episodes of the Second World War. But what went wrong? Find out in the latest episode of IWM Stories. Watch in full: bit.ly/3dIfbNG
In this week's episode of Duxford in Depth, we explore the operational history and design of an aircraft that remains in USAF service 45 years after its introduction - the A-10 Thunderbolt II, more popularly known as the "Warthog". Watch in full: https://bit.ly/3vYKI4C
Learn about the Black Arrows' 1958 record-breaking 22 Hawker Hunter loop and much more in our latest episode of Duxford in Depth, featuring this iconic aircraft. Watch in full on YouTube: http://bit.ly/3PZbzVB
In this latest episode of Duxford in Depth, we learn how improvements to the Hawker Hunter's Rolls-Royce Avon engine led to the F.6. variant's distinctive dogtooth wing. Watch in full on YouTube: bit.ly/3PZbzVB
In the latest episode of Duxford in Depth, we explore the design and history of the Hawker Hunter - the RAF's iconic second-generation jet fighter. Watch in full: https://bit.ly/3PZbzVB
The Duxford Dash is back! Go full throttle across the runway at Imperial War Museum Duxford in the 10K or 5k races, or run a mile with the family for fun. Already a Dasher? Join us on Sunday 18 September to smash your PB and claim your new and updated Duxford Dash medal. New to Duxford Dash? Become a runway racer at the airfield that made history, we are here for all running abilities! Entry is now open to race Sunday 18 September. Book your tickets here: https://bit.ly/3PJ9uNU
The Household Cavalry Museum and Shop
Whitehall
London Museum of Water & Steam
Green Dragon Lane
The Last Tuesday Society & The Viktor Wynd Mu
Mare Street
The Royal Air Force Museum London
Grahame Park Way