Thousands flock to IWM Duxford to commemorate Remembrance Sunday

THOUSANDS flocked to Imperial War Museum Duxford on Sunday, Remembrance Sunday, to remember those who gave their lives in conflicts past and present.

Admission to the museum was free on the day, and staff at IWM Duxford were delighted that so many people took the opportunity to explore the museum.

In addition to attending the traditional two-minute silence at 11am and Remembrance Service at 12.30pm, families learnt more about the story of the poppy and why it has become synonymous with remembrance since the end of the first world war. Children made their own poppies, wearing them with pride or adding them to the Flanders Field frieze in AirSpace.

Familiies were able to compare and contrast conflicts past and present, handling objects used by a Second World War soldier and comparing them to items used in modern day combat.

Veterans of the Royal Anglian Regiment chatted to visitors about their experiences of warfare.

The UK National Inventory of War Memorials held a talk in the Marshall Auditorium in the morning, while in the afternoon, extracts from ‘Duxford - the Second World War Years’ was shown in the auditorium.

A museum spokesman said: “The Remembrance Service was made all the more poignant in the year that IWM Duxford commemorated the 70th anniversary of the Battle of Britain, by the attendance of John Milne, one of RAF Duxford’s few remaining veterans who served during the Battle of Britain.

“IWM Duxford was honoured to have him in attendance, together with fellow veterans and current serving personnel from the Royal Anglian Regiment, the Parachute Regiment and the United States Air Force in Europe.”