What's On This Year, 2010
Battle of Britain Photo Competition
15 May - 30 September
A national photography competition for both children and adults which will run until 30th of September as part of the Museum's calendar of activities to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the Battle of Britain.
For further details on how to enter please click on the link below:
Royal Air Force Museum's Battle of Britain 70th Anniversary Photo Competition.
Battle of Britain Art Exhibition
16 May - 31 December
The Battle of Britain was a seminal event for the history of the United Kingdom and, indeed, of the world. Had it not been won, the second half of the twentieth century would have been very different to the period through which we have just passed.
The Royal Air Force Museum commemorates the Battle every ten years with new displays in the Battle of Britain Hall which is devoted particularly to that brief period in 1940.
Though the number of new exhibits that enter the Museum's collection which bear direct relevance to the Battle becomes smaller and smaller as the years pass, the complexities of the conflict and the differences in historical interpretation that have emerged over the decades always allow a fresh and interesting view to be taken of it.
Though there is naturally an emphasis on the aircraft - Hurricanes, Spitfires, Heinkels and Stukas - that took part in the fighting, it is always essential to remember that none of these machines could do anything without the heroic efforts of their groundcrews and pilots.
This year the Museum will mount a special Battle of Britain art exhibition featuring contemporary representations of the fighting in the air alongside a number of portraits of the participants.
We should always remember that Churchill's famous tribute to The Few was directed at the people of the Service not the aircraft.
Battle of Britain Weekend
11 September - 12 September
FREE EVENT
A family weekend consisting of re-enactors, talks, tours and much more.
At time of writing we are able to confirm that a Battle of Britain Memorial Flypast of the Flight's Spitfire and Hurricane aircraft will take place at the Museum on Sunday 12th September, subject to prevailing weather conditions on the day. The Museum will receive the actual timings of the flight a few days before-hand. As soon as we have this information we will post it on this page and will announce the Flypast on the day, giving people sufficient time to make their way onto the Museum's Helipad to view it.
In addition to this the Museum will be operating a vintage bus route between Colindale Train Station and Mill Hill Broadway throughout the weekend courtesy of red-RF.com; and providing members of the public with the opportunity to make and take home to keep, courtesy of the Airfix events team, their own 1:72 model Spitfire free of charge.
Both the Barnet Band and the Royal Air Force President's Band will be giving Battle of Britain inspired concerts underneath the Museum's Lancaster in our Bomber Hall; and members of the Museum's Department of Research and Information Services will be revealing the secret history of the Battle of Britain, with a series of talks in the Museum's Battle of Britain Hall.
On Saturday 11th September the museum will be hosting a unique debate' The Battle of Britain - From Both Sides' at 12.30pm
Bestselling Historians Patrick Bishop (Fighter Boys and Bomber Boys) and Roger Moorhouse (Berlin At War)will talk about the Battle of Britain, viewed from both the British and German perspectives. The authors will also take questions and sign copies of their books.
On Sunday 12th Sunday Times Bestselling Historian Patrick Bishop (Fighter Boys, 3 Para)will give a talk at 12.30pm about the myths and realities of the Battle of Britain - The Few, the Spitfire and Winston Churchill. Attendees will be able to join in and ask questions, as Patrick talks about and signs copies of his bestselling History Books.
Our helipad will be transported back to September 1940 with a life sized Spitfire taking pride of place in our Scramble re-enactments, which will run throughout the day. Whilst we will be demonstrating courtesy of Belmont Children's Farm the type of animals that our Land Girls would have worked with to keep the nation fed.
For film aficionados the Museum will be showing rare archive film footage from the Battle of Britain from 10.30 am to 12 noon as well as two epic movies about the Battle – 2001 English/ Czech production ‘Dark Blue World’, the most expensive Czech movie ever produced, on Saturday 11th and the seminal 1969 film ‘The Battle of Britain’, starring Lawrence Olivier, on Sunday 12th. Both screening will be free of charge and will commence at 3pm on both days.
On the Sunday, to persuade people to get into spirit of the summer of 1940 we will be running a Fancy Dress Competition, next to our replica Spitfire on the Helipad for the ‘Best 1940s Family’ and ‘Best 1940s Children’s Costume’. The prize for both set of winners will be £100 worth of goodies of their choice from the Museum shop. So now is your opportunity to follow Mrs Sew-and-Sew and make do and mend with your every-day clothes!
The Museum will also be hosting a range of tours with our experts around the Battle of Britain Hall and explaining how an Operations Room operated during the Battle. For full details of various activities taking place during the weekend please download for free our programme of events.
Download your free programme of events from here
Alternatively, please dial 020 8205 2266.
Please note: given the popularity of this event we would recommend that people travel to the Museum via public transport and take advantage of our free vintage bus service.
Battle of Britain Young Composers
14 September
Location: St Clement Danes Church, The Strand.
On Tuesday 14th September at 6pm St Clement Danes, the Central Church of the RAF, will be hosting a Battle of Britain Concert consisting of 20 works written by young British Composers together with works by Cyril Lloyd and Nick Simpson.
The concert is intended to demonstrate the artistic freedom made possible by the sacrifice of ‘The Few’.
All proceeds from the concert will go to the RAF Benevolent Fund and the Royal Air Forces Association. Members of the public wishing to purchase tickets for the concert can do so through
www.youngcomposersconcert.org.uk
St Clement Danes in located on the Strand, just by the Court of Appeal. If you have never visited St Clement Danes before, we would heartedly recommend that you use this event to visit it for the 1st time.
Battle of Britain Concert - 2.30pm
18 September
The Hendon Chapter of the Salvation Army will be giving a free concert at 2.30pm underneath our Lancaster in Bomber Hall.
The concert will consist of a series of Battle of Britain and World War II inspired musical pieces such as the themes from 633 Squadron and the Great Escape as well as more traditional and rousing hymns and pieces, so beloved of the public and members of the Services in 1940 and all important for the maintenance of morale.
The World at War : Exclusive Screening of Remastered Classic
18 September - 19 September
As part of our continued commemorations of the 70th anniversary of the Battle of Britain the Royal Air Force Museum will be showing in its cinema an exclusive screening of three episodes from the landmark series 'The World at War' which focus upon the build up to and the execution of the Battle of Britain.
Originally broadcast in 1973 and narrated by Sir Laurence Olivier this BAFTA winning documentary series interviewed major members of the Allied and Axis campaigns, civilian witnesses, enlisted men, officers and politicians to create a definitive history of World War II.
The episodes to be screened across both days are as follows:
12 noon 'Distant War: September 1939 to May 1940'
In Eastern Europe, the full force of the Nazi machine rolls on - but in Britain, an uneasy calm settles on the nation. It's a 'phoney' war, with the sound of distant guns thundering ominously on the horizon....
2pm 'Alone: May 1940 to May 1941'
After Dunkirk, Britain faces the German onslaught. Although the RAF wins the Battle of Britain, the cities are blitzed and on the continent the last Allies are conquered.
4pm 'Home Fires: Britain 1940 to 1944'
Finding strength in unity at home in Britain during the war. It was a time of gas masks, Winston Churchill, Dig for Victory, evacuation, the Land Army, ITMA, and the Beveridge Report.
After each screening a prize draw will be held for a member of the audience to win a DVD copy of the series, which has been digitally remastered for release to the public on 20th September.
Entry to each screening is free of charge and is on a strictly first come first served basis. Cinema doors will open 15 minutes before each show.
To learn more about this series please visit The World At War
We make every effort to adhere to our published schedule. However, dates may vary without notice.
Please confirm dates and times prior to the event to avoid disappointment.
