Mike, a veteran participating in IWM's We Were There programme
IWM

9 Questions...

  • Where do you call home?

    Braintree, Essex.

  • What conflict(s) do you discuss when volunteering for We Were There?

    The Cold War.

  • How were you involved in that conflict?

    I was a pilot in the Royal Navy (Fleet Air Arm) on HMS Ark Royal on the tour East of Suez 1965-66 and covered Malaysian and Indonesian conflicts, and the Beira Patrol.

  • How long have you been volunteering for WWT?

    Two years.

  • What do you enjoy most about participating in WWT?

    Explaining aspects of life at sea and the operation of fast jets. I discuss what daily life was like on an aircraft carrier which was built during the Second World War, covering living accommodation, the food I ate, work routines, operations and the places visited.

  • Tell us your favourite moment so far during the sessions?

    The engagement of 10-11 year olds when I told them the story of my UFO sighting.

  • What’s your favourite object in IWM’s collections and why?

    The De Havilland Sea Vixen, because I flew that model of aircraft.

  • What do you like to do in your spare time?

    Voluntary work, gardening and landscaping, as well as studying history.

  • What is your favourite biscuit?

    Millionaire’s shortbread.

Volunteers help bring to life the stories of our collections. Find out more.

Discover more

Westland Whirlwind helicopters of the Royal Navy taking the first men of 45 Royal Marine Commando into action at Port Said from HMS THESEUS.
Britain And The Commonwealth Since 1945

What Was The Suez Crisis?

Find out why the Suez Canal in Egypt became the focus for controversial British military action in the 1950s. 

A member of the Malayan Home Guard mans a check point on the edge of a town. Such check points allowed the authorities to search vehicles and intercept food and supplies being smuggled out to the communist terrorists.
IWM (K 14435)
Britain And The Commonwealth Since 1945

A Short Guide To The Malayan Emergency

In June 1948 a state of emergency was declared in Malaya, South East Asia, after the murder of three rubber planters by the Malayan Races’ Liberation Army (MRLA), a guerrilla army pursuing an independent Malaya. 

Berlin Wall
© IWM (CT 2229)
Cold War

What was the Berlin Wall and how did it fall?

At the end of the Second World War, Germany was divided into four zones of occupation under the control of the United States, Britain, France and the Soviet Union.

SUPPORT THIS PROGRAMME

As a charity, now more than ever IWM needs your support to ensure we can continue to tell personal stories and experiences of conflict for current and future generations to come.

A Balloon Site, Coventry
© IWM (ART LD 2750)

Donate Now

Make a donation to IWM and help us to tell the stories of those affected by conflict, launch our ground-breaking exhibitions and deliver our world-class learning programmes. 

IWM Membership

Become an IWM Member

Help tell the stories that deserve to be heard by supporting us as a member. Uncover a host of benefits including free standard admission to Churchill War Rooms, HMS Belfast and IWM Duxford.

An interwar Earl Haig Fund 'Remembrance Day' poppy
© IWM (EPH 2313)

Support us

Discover the many ways you can support our historically important sites and world-leading collection.