London’s Imperial War Museum

Battleship cannons at entrance to IWM facing apartment complex across the road. Quite a morning wake-up for residents

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Story and photos by Bob Nesoff

WAR:

According to the dictionary: a state of usually open and declared armed hostile conflict between states or nations: a state of hostility, conflict, or antagonism.

Some have called “war” a failure to communicate or act in a reasonable manner. Others have said that sometimes there is no other option.

London’s Imperial War Museum shows both sides of that argument. And it does not mitigate what happens when nations take up arms against each other.

From the moment you step foot on the grounds you are faced with one of the major weapons of war. Two giant battle ship cannons, side-by-side, greet visitors about to enter the museum. But in an ironic twist of fate, or some devilish sense of humor in planning, the canons are pointed directly at a housing complex across the street from the museum grounds. Imagine waking up every morning, looking out the window and facing the great maw of these deadly artifacts. One might assume that it takes some getting used to.

But they convey very clearly what is inside the walls of this very modern building and its five floors of artifacts covering just about every conflict that Great Britain has seen conflict and even includes an actual vehicle used by the press to cover the conflict in the Mid-East.. And it does not minimize the cost of such conflict. It graphically depicts what ordinary people go through in extraordinary times and how they face the adversity.

The conflict between Britain and what became the United States is put aside, graphically showing how the two nations, allies for nearly a century, combined to defeat efforts by totalitarian governments seeking to literally rule the world. The displays are graphic, but not so much that it will bring nightmares to visitors of any age. The displays are designed to inform, not shock.

Vehicle used by foreign press in mid-East conflict

On it’s five floors are uniforms, guns, machines that were actually used in combat. They range from armored (or in England, armoured) vehicles to a one-man submarine to the motorcycle ridden by Lawrence of Arabia. In the lobby are aircraft hanging from the top and a German Buzz Bomb from World War II. It’s called a “Buzz Bomb” because of the noise it made overhead. They were basically unguided missiles that caused serious damage and havoc in London during the war. The Underground (or subway as we Yanks call it) became convenient bomb shelters as the German onslaught continued. The British motto of a “Stiff Upper lip” was the true definition of the bravery and fortitude shown by the Brits throughout the war.

Beyond the horrors of war and the people who fought it, the museum also acts as a living monument to heroism. Volunteers are throughout the museum acting as docents to help explain the huge variety of artifacts. They also man (or woman) tables with items such as gas masks and things civilians used for their protection during air raids.

Homage display to American airmen who fought alongside the Brits to defeat the Nazis

Displays are not only directed at British forces, but, especially in World War II there are displays of American service members and their part in defeating the Nazis. There is a flight jacket worn by an American pilot. There are citations presented to American heroes. And much more.

One visit to the museum will cover everything if you spend the day. Some do. Others opt for a second visit. There are those from The States who have been there before but could not see the entire five floors and decided to come back for another visit on a return to London. There is simply that much to see and absorb. Understand that this article barely scratched the surface of displays in the museum. There are even exhibits depicting the Nazis, which were deliberately omitted from this article. Publicizing a swastika, even though there are some in the displays of the German army, is not something desirable nor wanted in this article.

A unique bomb shelter deigned to protect one person. There was no indication if they were ever used or actually worked

While entrance to the Imperial War Museum is free, maintaining the exhibits and keeping them up to date is no small expense. There are containers where many visitors will drop in donations to help defray the costs. But it is not a requirement. You can enjoy he museum at absolutely no cost if you so desire.

London has many museums and historical sites available for visitors to tour. Many are free of charge while others call for a small entrance fee. That is the case with IWM’s sister exhibit, “The Churchill War Room,” an underground maze of tunnels that protected Britain’s critical planning personnel, including Winston Churchill and his wife, from German bombs and rockets Tune in next week for a visit to that museum.

Panted decoration on the side fuselage of a British fighter. These decorations were common amongst both British and American fighter planes and bombers.

More about the museum :IWM London gives voice to the extraordinary experiences of ordinary people forced to live in a world torn apart by conflict.