Martin Brown Draws Horrible Histories
Family activities, Talks & screenings, IWM London
After defeating France in June 1940, Hitler assumed Britain would sue for peace but ordered his armed forces to prepare for invasion. Hermann Goering assured him that a sustained air assault would destroy the RAF, winning the air superiority needed.
July 1940 saw German planes target shipping in the Channel, drawing the RAF into combat, before radar stations, communications centres and airfields faced round-the-clock bombing in August. The battle reached a climax with attacks on London in September.
Joan 'Elizabeth' Mortimer, Elspeth Henderson and Helen Turner of the WAAF. All three received the Military Medal for courageous conduct during attacks on Biggin Hill airfield. Biggin Hill suffered a total of ten major attacks between 30 Aug and 5 Sept.
A group of pilots of No. 303 (Polish) Squadron RAF return from a sortie. The first Polish squadrons were formed in the summer of 1940. Pilots came from several other countries, including Australia, Canada, Czechoslovakia, New Zealand and the USA.
RAF Duxford was a Sector Station in 12 Group, responsible for defending the Midlands and East Anglia. As the fighting intensified, Duxford's squadrons were called on to support 11 Group's defence of London and the south-east.
Despite incessant attacks, the RAF's defences held. The Luftwaffe could not continue, and in the autumn switched to 'nuisance' raids and night operations. The failure to defeat the RAF convinced Hitler to postpone his invasion plans indefinitely.
Based on Terry Deary’s book Spies from the best-selling Horrible Histories® series, the exhibition reveals stories of real spies and their secret schemes during the Second World War.
See if you can separate the facts from the fiction as you discover the terrible tricks and great gadgets used by Second World War spies to make secret war on the enemy.
Find out about the real wartime spies who risked their lives to send secret messages, passed on whopping lies to the enemy and fooled the enemy with their devious disguises. And then put your own undercover skills to the test...
Meet the spy rats including Camo and Devious Disguises rats as you embark on your own spy mission through the exhibition. And be quick – you never know who might be on your tail!
In the deadly world of spies, nothing is what it seems. Find out how sneaky spies camouflaged their kit to hide it from the enemy, and what everyday objects might have exploded without warning.
Exploding rats were used by British spies to sabotage machinery in German factories – have a go at catching the rats for yourself but watch out for the ones that explode without warning!
Find out more about this session from the list below and then complete our visit request form.
Find out more about this session from the list below and then complete our visit request form.
Find out more about this session from the list below and then complete our visit request form.
Find out more about this session from the list below and then complete our visit request form.
Find out more about this session from the list below and then complete our visit request form.
Find out more about this session from the list below and then complete our visit request form.
Sessions support programmes of study in History, Art, English, Literacy and Citizenship and include handling original artefacts as well as using documents, photographs, posters, paintings and film.
Sessions take place in our School Rooms or in the galleries and encourage students to create their own enquiry questions and interpret source materials.
Years 5 and 6 - 60 minutes
Students will use our Object Dialogue Box to take a creative approach to navigating a museum gallery. Specially commissioned for our Extraordinary Heroes exhibition, the unique objects are designed to stimulate exploration and debate.
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Year 6 - 90 minutes
Students use material from IWM's Collections to lead their own investigation into one person's experience of the First World War. They then share their findings and reflect on the range of experiences represented.
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Years 5 and 6 - 60 minutes
Working in the Family in Wartime exhibition students will explore the experiences of the Allpress family and discover what it was like for an ordinary family living in Britain during the Second World War.
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Years 5 and 6 - 60 minutes
Students have the opportunity to meet a Second World War eyewitness who can answer students' questions and share their memories of evacuation and life on the home front.
This session is only available on Wednesdays.
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Years 3 and 4 – 60 minutes
Students explore four different themes linked to life on the Home Front during the Second World War, using objects and images from IWM’s collections.
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Years 5 and 6 - 60 minutes
This session examines the impact of the Second World War on the everyday lives of British children in both the city and countryside. Students handle artefacts, look at photographs and examine documents.
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Sessions take place in dedicated learning spaces within the museum.
Check our current charges, supervision ratios and cancellation policy in our Terms and Conditions.
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Family activities, Talks & screenings, IWM London
Conferences, IWM London
Talks & screenings, IWM London
Talks & screenings, IWM London
Talks & screenings, IWM London
Talks & screenings, IWM London
Family activities, Other events, IWM London
Talks & screenings, IWM London
Family activities, IWM London

From the World Wars to the Cold War, IWM gives teachers and students in UK schools everything they need to explore the course, causes and consequences of conflict from the First World War to today.
IWM is a charity, and we depend on supporters like you to help us care for and display our exceptional Collections. Please consider making a donation to IWM London today.