Imperial War Museum London

Imperial War Museum London 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.
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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

31/08/2026

A 'Crossing the Line' ceremony filmed aboard HMS Hood during the goodwill tour of the Royal Navy's special service squadron around the world, November 1923 to September 1924.

A light-hearted initiation process, the custom sees sailors “tried” before the Court of Neptune and assessed as worthy seafarers which takes place when a ship and new recruits cross the equator. This ceremony featured a wide variety of fancy-dress, including King Neptune, Queen Amphitrite, jesters, magistrates and Neptune’s bears.

This footage comes from a film sponsored by the Admiralty, titled 'Britain's Birthright'. Find it in IWM's film collections here: https://bit.ly/3Ul3DFH

Film: IWM IWM 842

30/08/2026

This artificial leg was made in the unlikely setting of a Japanese prisoner of war camp.

In this video, Senior IWM Curator Stephen Walton talks us through this leg, which was worn by Frank Wilson of the Royal Corps of Signals. Frank was held at the Nakom Paton POW camp in Thailand, where the Japanese provided practically no medical care. When Frank's leg was amputated, he relied on a fellow prisoner to make this leg for him from scavenged materials.

Stephen's new book 'The War Against Japan - 1941-1945' is available to buy now on the IWM shop: https://shop.iwm.org.uk/products/the-war-against-japan-1941-1946

28/08/2026

British infantrymen demonstrate how to clear a house in this instructional video from the Second World War.

Produced in 1943, the film covers various elements of urban warfare, from crossing streets to jumping fences. You can find the film in full on our film collections website: https://bit.ly/4aHf4f8

Film: IWM DRA 433

New Zealand gunners pose with a captured German Tankgewehr M1918 anti-tank rifle in a captured German emplacement near G...
28/08/2026

New Zealand gunners pose with a captured German Tankgewehr M1918 anti-tank rifle in a captured German emplacement near Grévillers in France, 25 August 1918.

The village had recently been captured by troops of the New Zealand Division and British 37th Division during the Hundred Days Offensive, the final Allied assault that brought the First World War to an end. Read more about the offensive on our website: https://bit.ly/4y3umVO

Image: IWM (Q 11264)

27/08/2026

"Just another little thing to help to win the war"

This short film from IWM's collection, 'Little Annie's Rag Book', features an animated puppet encouraging households to salvage rags for the British war effort.

A newsreel trailer produced by the Ministry of Information (MOI) in 1942, the film highlights one of the many ways the MOI promoted campaigns to gather material for reuse during the Second World War.

Explore a curated collection of Public Information films: https://bit.ly/4cWlI36

And you can watch the film in full here: https://bit.ly/3UgeoJk

Film: IWM (NPB 12583)

Join us on 2 September for a special IWM in Conversation event, focusing on 'Pressure', the highly anticipated StudioCan...
26/08/2026

Join us on 2 September for a special IWM in Conversation event, focusing on 'Pressure', the highly anticipated StudioCanal cinema release starring Andrew Scott, Brendan Fraser, Kerry Condon and Damian Lewis, in cinemas 9 September.

Director Anthony Maras and screenwriter David Haig will join IWM's James Bulgin to discuss the history behind the film.

© STUDIOCANAL

25/08/2026

'The four-year long occupation of Paris comes to an end'

Footage filmed by the British Army Film and Photographic Unit (AFPU) in Paris on 25 August 1944. Filmed around the Hôtel de Ville, the footage shows citizens celebrating and German soldiers being marched through the streets.

You can find more footage from the liberation on our film collections website: https://bit.ly/4xY0RVl

Film: IWM A70 140-9

25/08/2026

The Kindertransport was a scheme set up to help children under 17 move from Nazi-occupied territory to Britain. This tiny case belonged to a girl from Austria called Stephanie Kester.

Stephanie arrived in Britain in 1939 as part of the Kindertransport scheme. Arriving a month before her twelfth birthday, she carried in this case documents and family photographs. It is currently on display at IWM London in our new 'Childhood in War' exhibition, exploring children's experiences of conflict from 1914 to the present day.

Childhood in War is free and open until February: https://bit.ly/4wntCe4

24/08/2026

Cameramen at war.

This clip comes from a 1943 British newsreel celebrating the cameramen of the Second World War. This particular sequence shows footage filmed during the Vaagso raid in Norway - Operation Archery - which saw British Commandos successfully raid German positions on the island of Vågsøy and the town of Måløy in occupied Norway, 27 December 1941.

You can watch the full film on our film collections website: https://bit.ly/4qsWvmL

Film: IWM UKY 522

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