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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

13/10/2026

'World's largest photograph'

An enormous composite photograph from the Western Front is prepared for display at London's Grafton Galleries, 1918. Organised by the Ministry of Information, the exhibition was held in March-April 1918 for the benefit of war charities.

Film: IWM NTB 340-1

Members of the ATS (Auxiliary Territorial Service) unpack and inspect Wi******er ri**es sent from the United States unde...
13/10/2026

Members of the ATS (Auxiliary Territorial Service) unpack and inspect Wi******er ri**es sent from the United States under the terms of Lease-Lend, 23 March 1942. The photograph was taken at the Central Ordnance Depot at Weedon in Northamptonshire.

Image: IWM (H 18074)

12/10/2026

'It seems funny at first turning night into day, but you soon get used to it.'

During the Second World War, the demand for weapons forced factories to operate around the clock with continuous shift work. Women played a critical role in sustaining this production cycle, stepping into manufacturing jobs that were previously closed to them.

This clip comes from ‘Night Shift’, a 1942 film sponsored by the Ministries of Supply and Information capturing a single working night at an armaments factory in Newport, Wales. The film’s narrator, one of the two thousand women employed in the factory, emphasises the necessity of camaraderie and teamwork under these strenuous conditions.

Find the film in full here: https://bit.ly/47ahh1D

Film: IWM (UKY 392)

This is a teddy gas mask case produced in 1939, just before the start of the Second World War.In the months leading up t...
11/10/2026

This is a teddy gas mask case produced in 1939, just before the start of the Second World War.

In the months leading up to the war, fears of future gas attacks on Britain prompted the government to produce and issue gas masks to all citizens, including children. This one was issued to Joan Pinkney, who was 19 months old and living in Middlesbrough when the Second World War broke out.

The case appears in our current, free exhibition at IWM London 'Childhood in War', exploring how children have experienced conflict from the First World War up to the present. You can read more and plan your visit here: https://bit.ly/4wntCe4

© The rights holder (EQU 4801)

A Roman Catholic padre, Father Condron, gives a cup of tea to a wounded soldier at No 35 Casualty Clearing Station, Belg...
10/10/2026

A Roman Catholic padre, Father Condron, gives a cup of tea to a wounded soldier at No 35 Casualty Clearing Station, Belgium, 6 October 1944.

Image: IWM (B 10585)

08/10/2026

A report about tree felling during the Second World War by the Women's Timber Corps in a forest somewhere in Scotland.

The clip featured in an episode of Worker and War-Front, a wartime film series commissioned by the Ministry of Information documenting the war effort at home. You can find this episode in full on our website here: https://bit.ly/4z93btg

Film: IWM UKY 458

07/10/2026

Scenes from the British 2nd Army's entry into Antwerp, Belgium, during its liberation on 4 September 1944.

The footage was taken by a Belgian cameraman. Find it in full here: https://bit.ly/4ybJoZf

Film: IWM A70 170-2

On 7 October 2001, an international coalition led by the USA invaded Afghanistan to destroy terrorist organisation Al-Qa...
07/10/2026

On 7 October 2001, an international coalition led by the USA invaded Afghanistan to destroy terrorist organisation Al-Qaeda when the Taliban refused to hand over Osama bin Laden.

British forces went in alongside US troops. At the height of the conflict there were more than 130,000 NATO troops on the ground. The war would go on to span two decades. More than 450 British service personnel lost their lives during the war.

By July 2021, nearly all NATO countries had fully withdrawn. You can read more about the course of the war, the British role and the reality of day-to-day life on our website: https://bit.ly/4AUmCYs

This photograph was taken by IWM photographer Richard Ash at Camp Bastion in 2013.

Image: IWM (DC 2556)

05/10/2026

The license plate that allowed Britain to spy legally in East Germany during the Cold War.

This license plate belonged to a BRIXMIS vehicle operating deep inside East Germany. Throughout the Cold War, the British military overtly gathered intelligence on the Soviet Union through military liaison missions in East Germany, known as BRIXMIS - British Commanders'-in-Chief Mission to the Soviet Forces in Germany.

Their unique position behind the Iron Curtain put BRIXMIS in a remarkable position to collect intelligence on the exercises, equipment, weaponry and daily operations of Soviet and East German forces, in order to assess Soviet capabilities and intentions.

You can watch our full video on BRIXMIS here: https://bit.ly/4do8Rap

An Australian official photographer - believed to be Capt G H Wilkins (later Sir Hubert Wilkins, the polar explorer) - a...
05/10/2026

An Australian official photographer - believed to be Capt G H Wilkins (later Sir Hubert Wilkins, the polar explorer) - and his assistant sets up his camera and tripod on a tank near Ronssoy on the Western Front, October 1918.

Image: IWM (E(AUS) 3915)

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