Page 31 - World Airnews Magazine October Edition 2020

HISTORICAL

COMMEMORATING 80 YEARS

This year marks the um’s collection including a Rhino suit worn
by Defiant pilots, Dowding’s jacket, arte-
80th anniversary of hile the RAF Museum is free to facts from the plotting rooms and medal
bars, will share the stories of the people
the Battle of Britain, Wenter with sites at both London who helped win the Battle, in the air and on
and the West Midlands, a visit is a great and
widely recognised as safe day out for all the family. The 80 year the ground.
A highlight of the new display is James Nic-

Britain’s finest hour. history of the Battle of Britain 80 is due to be olson’s flying jacket and medal bar containing

marked with a series of special events and

The Royal Air exhibitions. his VC medal, the only VC awarded during
the Battle. Nicolson also flew the Spitfire on

Force Museum is IN LONDON display at Cosford.
ONLINE:
inviting everyone The London Museum is home to the most To ensure that everyone across the country

complete set of Battle of Britain aircraft in

to remember - a the world including the ‘fighter four’: Spitfire, is able to commemorate this historic
Hurricane, Messerschmitt 109 and Fiat CR42,

story of bravery, all participants in the Battle. occasion, the Museum has a number of

online events such as a live stream talk with
This year they will be supported by new
international alliances displays telling the wider Battle of Britain Jim Nicolson’s nephew and a talk from the

Air Historical Board.
and ingenuity at the story, including an enigma machine, Dowding There will be an untold Battle of Britain pod-

and Goering’s busts and medals and Newall’s

Museum and online. uniform. cast, created in conjunction with the National
Archive and the RAF, which will feature a

A new interactive display will explain in range of untold and unheard stories from the
an engaging way how the Dowding System Battle of Britain.

worked, challenging the visitors to help detect
the raids that happened on the 15 August THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN BAKE
1940. The Museum invited master bakers and
The display opened on 12 September. baking novices alike to commemorate the

Complimenting this will be a stunning year- 80th anniversary of the Battle of Britain with

long art exhibition entitled: In Air and Fire: entries inspired cookies, cupcakes or cakes

War Artists, the Battle of Britain and the Blitz. and get creative with the decoration. Entrants

The exhibition presents over 50 works of art were asked to share a photo on social media

created in response to the war in the air by and tag @rafmuseum to be considered.

acclaimed artists such as Nash, Kennington, Winners were to be announced on
Laura Knight, Graham Sutherland, Nessler, 20 September.
Nevinson and Olga Lehmann. Many of these The Museum also commemorated the Battle

works have never been shown to the public. of Britain virtually this year with a Spitfire

IN COSFORD: 10K and Spitfire Family Run and asked people
to complete 10K any time between the 29

Home to the world’s oldest Spitfire, the August and 15 September. Lastly the Museum
Cosford Museum houses a collection of both is asking for support by adopting a Battle of

British and German aircraft from the Battle of Britain artefact. For more details on how to

Britain era. adopt an artefact and to browse the items
The Spitfire forms the centre piece of the available, visit rafmuseum.org.uk/support-us/

new display, which also opened on 12 Septem- adopt-an-artefact.
ber, where the RAF’s frontline fighters, the The Museum is open daily with a range of

Spitfire, Hurricane, Gladiator and Defiant are measures in place to ensure a safe and great

face to face with their German rivals the Me day out for the whole family. Visitors are
109 and Ju88, to tell a coherent story. kindly asked to pre-book their arrival time

Previously unseen objects from the Muse- online at rafmuseum.org. Q
World Airnews | October 2020
— 29 —