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!
Book a place at this conference
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 at IWM London support learning in a number of subject areas including History, English, Art and Citizenship.
Our learning sessions are based upon the collections of the museum and draw heavily on the personal records of the people who were involved in the major conflicts of the twentieth century.
21 November 2013
One-day conference for Sixth Formers and their teachers focusing on Nazi Germany and the Holocaust. The conference includes discussions with historian Roger Moorhouse, specialist in modern German and central European history and author of ‘Berlin at War’ and Dr Isabel Wollaston, senior lecturer in Jewish and Holocaust Studies at the University of Birmingham. There will also be an opportunity to visit The Holocaust Exhibition.
90 minutes
Using Wilfred Owen’s poem Disabled and our Collections, students create their own interpretation of aspects of the First World War and examine the context in which the poem was written.
Complete our visit request form
90 minutes
How do historians and exhibition curators construct a narrative of the past? Using objects related to The Holocaust Exhibition, this session explores how we study history and how objects can enrich our understanding of the past. After the session your group will visit The Holocaust Exhibition.
Complete our visit request form
Sessions take place in dedicated learning spaces within the museum.
Check our current charges, supervision ratios and cancellation policy in our Terms and Conditions.
Complete our visit request form
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.