October Half Term days out at Imperial War Museum Duxford

Entry to the museum is free for children aged 15 and under. There is no extra cost for half-term activities as they are included in the standard admission to the museum.

ACTIVITIES INCLUDE:

Daring Tales of D-Day

Meet a costumed interpreter acting the role of a US paratrooper and hear the heroic tales of the men who went into action on D-Day.

Hands on History – United States Army Air Force

Handle items used by United States Army Air Force aircrew during the Second World War and find out more about what life was like for pilots and aircrew flying dangerous missions from airfields in England.

Craft activities

Hands-on craft activities, giving families the opportunity to make a range of items based upon the Museum’s collections, from badges to notice holders, medals to wartime toys.

Hands on History – Vietnam War

A brand new session for October half-term. Handle items used by an American soldier during the Vietnam War and compare his extensive range of equipment to the scarcity of kit used by the Vietcong.

Legendary Lancaster

Meet a costumed interpreter acting the role of a Lancaster rear turret gunner and learn what it was like to fly in the legendary Lancaster bomber during the Second World War. Handle objects associated with the Lancaster bomber and try on authentic equipment worn by Second World War pilots.

Hands on History – Wartime Toys and Games

Discover how children kept themselves entertained during the Second World War. Enjoy hands-on fun playing with a range of nostalgic toys and games from the 1940s.

Meet the Veterans

On Tuesday 26 October between 1.15pm to 3.15pm approximately, Meet the Veterans gives visitors of all ages the opportunity to meet veterans from a range of global military conflicts. Hear the personal stories of their experiences in conflict and how warfare affected their lives. Visitors will have the opportunity to chat to veterans from the Malaya conflict, the Royal Engineers, Royal Marines, Royal Artillery and Army from the Second World War, plus the Royal Anglian Regiment from the Northern Ireland conflict, in addition to meeting a member of the Home Guard and an evacuee from the Second World War.

•?Imperial War Museum Duxford is open daily from 10.00am to 6.00pm until Saturday 23

October. It is open from 10.00am to 4.00pm from Sunday 24 October through to Saturday 12 March 2011.

•?October half-term activities are included in the standard admission to the museum and, as usual, entry for children aged 15 and under is FREE of charge.

•?Half-term activities are correct at the time of writing. Please note that activities vary daily. Visitors should check the museum website – iwm.org.uk/duxford - for up to date information regarding which activities are available on each day, together with the timing and location of activities. IWM Duxford reserves the right to change or cancel activities where necessary.

•?Meet the Veterans takes place on Tuesday 26 October between approximately 1.15pm and 3.15pm. Visitors should check the museum website for up to date information regarding the exact timing and location of Meet the Veterans. Please be aware that veterans may not be able to attend due to age or ill health.

Lots to see and do at Imperial War Museum Duxford

Duxford in the Battle of Britain

Photographic exhibition in AirSpace (until 31 December 2010)

IWM Duxford’s photographic exhibition, Duxford in the Battle of Britain, gives a unique insight into life at a fighter station during the Second World War and serves as a poignant reminder of the sacrifices made during the summer of 1940.

These evocative photographs have captured the men and women who served at RAF Duxford at work and play. The exhibition runs until 31 December 2010.

Polish Airmen in the Battle of Britain

Historic display in Hangar 4: Battle of Britain (until 31 March 2011)

IWM Duxford is delighted to be hosting a new display which tells the story of the Polish Air Force’s role in the Battle of Britain and the heroic part played by Polish pilots on all fronts during the Second World War. The display will be on show in the Battle of Britain exhibition (Hangar 4) until 31 March 2011.

Imperial War Museum Duxford

Set in the beautiful Cambridgeshire countryside, atmospheric Duxford is a living, breathing aviation museum. It is the best preserved Second World War Royal Air Force airfield in the world. Its award-winning exhibitions take you on an unforgettable journey through aviation from the earliest flights to present-day jets, all part of a rich and unique collection. Whatever your interest, there is something at Duxford to inspire you, be it the Blackbird – the highest-flying aircraft ever – or the legendary Spitfire.

Step back in time by peering into General Montgomery’s famous campaign caravan or peeping through the windows of our fully furnished 1940s prefab house. These fascinating exhibits are brought vividly to life through the stories of the many men and women who contributed towards Duxford’s history and the transformation of aviation. Hangar 3: Air and Sea houses a superb maritime collection, while Land Warfare shows a comprehensive collection of tanks, military vehicles and artillery. Step back to the days of the Blitz in Hangar 4: Battle of Britain, where the sights and sounds of the Battle of Britain enable you to fully experience Britain’s ‘finest hour’. In the restored1940 Operations Room, still tucked behind its original blast-walls, listen to a recreation of an air raid on Duxford in 1940. The American Air Museum is built around one of the biggest aeroplanes that you will ever see, the B-52 Stratofortress, an awe-inspiring presence at Duxford. Equally stunning is our newest exhibition, AirSpace, which tells the story of British and Commonwealth aviation whilst surrounding you with 30 of the most iconic aircraft produced, including the fastest-ever Concorde.

Duxford is huge and with over 10 acres undercover, it delivers a wonderful day out for all the family, whatever the weather.

Imperial War Museum Duxford is just south of Cambridge at junction 10 of the M11. Ample free parking is available. For a full list of Duxford’s air shows and other exciting events in 2010, including half term activities for families, visit iwm.org.uk/duxford or telephone 01223 835 000.

Full schedule of October half-term activities (correct at the time of going to press)

Saturday 23 October

11.30am to 4.00pm

Hands on History – United States Army Air Force in the American Air Museum

11.30am to 4.00pm

Craft activities in Hangar 4: Battle of Britain

11.30am to 4.30pm

Daring Tales of D-Day American Air Museum

Sunday 24 October

11.30am to 3.30pm

Daring Tales of D-Day in the American Air Museum

11.30am to 4.00pm

Hands on History – United States Army Air Force

11.30am to 4.00pm

Craft activites in Hangar 4: Battle of Britain

Monday 25 October

11.30am to 4.00pm

Craft activities in Hangar 4: Battle of Britain

11.30am to 4.00pm

Hands on History in the American Air Museum of the Vietnam War

Tuesday 26 October

11.30am to 4.00pm

Craft activities in Hangar 4: Battle of Britain

11.30am to 4.00pm

Hands on History- Wartime Toys and Games

Hangar 4: Battle of Britain

11.30am to 4.00pm

Hands on History: Vietnam War

Wednesday 27 October

11.30am to 4.00pm

Craft activities in Hangar 4: Battle of Britain

11.30am to 4.00pm

Hands on History – Wartime Toys and Games

Hangar 4: Battle of Britain

11.30am to 4.00pm

Hands on History in the American Air Museum of the Vietnam War

Thursday 28 October

11.30am to 4.00pm

Craft activities in Hangar 4: Battle of Britain

Friday 29 October

11.30am to 4.00pm

Craft activities in Hangar 4: Battle of Britain

Saturday 30 October

10.30am to 4.00pm

Legendary Lancaster

AirSpace

11.30am to 4.00pm

Craft activities in Hangar 4: Battle of Britain

Sunday 31 October

10.30am to 4.00pm

Legendary Lancaster

AirSpace

11.30am to 4.00pm

Craft activities in Hangar 4: Battle of Britain

IMPERIAL WAR MUSEUM DUXFORD

Established at the end of the First World War to train the newly formed RAF’s pilots, Imperial War Museum Duxford is Europe’s premier aviation museum, with many original period buildings such as the Control Tower and hangars still in use, alongside state-of-the-art, award-winning exhibition buildings including AirSpace and the American Air Museum. Two hundred aircraft are on display, whilst over 50 historic flying aircraft, based at the airfield, regularly take to the sky. Duxford also has one of the finest collections of tanks, military vehicles and artillery in the UK.

Open Daily:

10.00am – 6.00pm Saturday 13 March – Saturday 23 October 2010

10.00am – 4.00pm Sunday 24 October 2010 – Spring 2011 (except 24, 25 and 26 December)

Imperial War Museum Duxford, Cambridge, CB22 4QR (Junction 10, M11 motorway)

Public Enquiries: +44 (0)1223 835 000 or visit iwm.org.uk/duxford

PRESS & MEDIA CONTACT

Esther Blaine – 01223 499 320 or email: eblaine@iwm.org.uk

Visit Duxford’s Press Desk for details of other events and activities at the museum –

duxford.iwm.org.uk/server/show/nav.127

IMPERIAL WAR MUSEUM

The national museum of the experiences of people who have lived, fought and died in conflicts involving Britain and the Commonwealth since 1914.

The Imperial War Museum is the museum of everyone’s story: the history of modern conflict through the stories of those who were there. It is an educational and historical institution responsible for archives, collections and sites of outstanding national importance.

The Museum’s five branches are Imperial War Museum London, with six floors of exhibitions and displays; Churchill Museum and Cabinet War Rooms, housed in Churchill’s secret headquarters below Whitehall; the Second World War cruiser HMS Belfast; Imperial War Museum Duxford, a world- renowned aviation museum and former Second World War airfield; and Imperial War Museum North, housed in a spectacular award winning building designed by Daniel Libeskind.