IWM Duxford

Our Land Warfare exhibition houses one of the finest collections of tanks, military vehicles and artillery in the country.

The First World War was, above all, a conflict of artillery. In the Land Warfare exhibition you can see a range of artillery pieces, including a British 4.5 inch Field Howitzer gun which served in France from 1914 to August 1917; a British 6 inch Heavy Howitzer gun which fired over 1,500 rounds between June 1915
and February 1916 and a French 155mm Schneider Heavy Howitzer gun, which was designed for use on the Western Front and proved so effective that it was used into the inter-war period.

We also have a variety of First World War vehicles in our Land Warfare exhibition. The British Mark 10 General Service Wagon is a horse-drawn wagon built in 1915 and is typical of the period. The Italian Fiat 15 1½ton Light Truck was the most widely used Italian truck of the First World War. The United States FWD General Service Truck was an American commercial vehicle supplied to the Allies from 1916 and
most frequently employed as an artillery tractor. You can also see two British Simplex Rail Tractors, which were used to transport supplies from rear depots to the front line trenches in France from 1916 to 1918.

Suitable for

• Any age
• Family friendly

Admission

Adult £17.50, Child (under 16) Free, Concessions (Senior, Student, Disabled, Unemployed) £14, Carer for Disabled Visitor Free (one free carer per disabled person), Friends of Duxford Free.

Website

http://www.iwm.org.uk/exhibitions/iwm-duxford/land-warfare

The Bristol F2B fighter on display in the Battle of Britain exhibition was one of the British fighter aircraft developed during the First World War to attack enemy aircraft and to protect our air force. The F2B had a pilot who sat in the front cockpit and an observer who sat behind; both were armed with a machine gun.

The F2B was fast and manoeuvrable. It was a success from 1917 on the Western Front in France and Belgiumand was also used to defend Britain from attacks by German bombers.

Our Bristol Fighter was issued to No.39 Home Defence Squadron at NorthWeald in September 1918. Bristol Fighters continued to be used at RAF Duxford into the early 1920s for pilot training. Also on display in the Battle of Britain exhibition is a Royal Flying Corps (RFC) mobile workshop. During the First World War, the RFC often operated out of simple temporary airfields, which didn’t have permanent buildings and facilities. The squadrons relied on vehicle-mounted equipment that could be
moved from one location to another. This workshop was equipped with power tools, a lathe, drills and a grinder, as well as a wide selection of hand tools.

Also in our Battle of Britain exhibition is a Thornycroft J Type Lorry, with a 13-pounder anti-aircraft gun, which provided mobile anti-aircraft cover for British forces during the First World War. The Maybach aero engine, which can be seen in the Battle of Britain exhibition, powered airships, and later, aircraft.

Also currently in our Battle of Britain exhibition, and presently undergoing conservation work, is a Royal Aircraft Factory BE2C, the first reconnaissance aircraft to be ordered in quantity for the Royal Flying Corps. This aircraft will go on permanent display at IWM Duxford in due course.

Suitable for

• Any age
• Family friendly

Admission

Adult £17.50, Child (under 16) Free, Concessions (Senior, Student, Disabled, Unemployed) £14, Carer for Disabled Visitor Free (one free carer per disabled person), Friends of Duxford Free.

Website

http://www.iwm.org.uk/exhibitions/iwm-duxford/battle-of-britain

In the Duxford and the First World War Tour, our guide will discuss Duxford’s early history, the First World War buildings that you can see and how they were built, how an airfield operated during the First World War and how aeroplanes were used in warfare.

We’ll also look at some of the aircraft that were flown from Duxford during the First World War.

Suitable for

• Any age

Admission

Adult (15-59 years) £20.75. Child (under 16 years) £3.25. Concessions £16.60. Includes admission to all IWM Duxford exhibitions.

Website

http://www.iwm.org.uk/events/iwm-duxford/duxford-in-the-first-world-war-tour

Spitfires, Merlins and Motors celebrates the legendary Supermarine Spitfire, the unmistakable Merlin engine and the golden age of motoring.

See a variety of Spitfires up close on the ground and then watch them soar as they take to the air to perform short flying displays. You’ll also be able to see the intricate details of the museum’s Merlin engines and wander around our display of classic and contemporary cars.

Costumed living history interpreters will be bringing the wartime Royal Air Force to life with authentic 1940s displays.

Suitable for

• Any age

Admission

Child (aged 15 and under) Free, Adult £18.50. Concessions available.

Website

http://www.iwm.org.uk/events/iwm-duxford/spitfires-merlins-and-motors-0

Find out how and why the First World War started and meet a costumed interpreter who will explain which countries were involved and who was on whose side.

Explore our small replica trench, handle objects that would have been used by the Tommies in the trenches, try on mini replica First World War uniforms and look through the periscope to spy on what’s happening in No Man’s Land.

You can also get creative by making and painting Airfix models of First World War aircraft.

Visitors aged 15 and under enjoy free admission to the museum.

Suitable for

• Any age
• Family friendly

Admission

Children under 16 Free, Adult £17.50, Concessions £14.

Website

http://www.iwm.org.uk/events/iwm-duxford/summer-family-activities-1

The Duxford Air Show is a celebration of aviation in its many diverse and varied forms.

Combinations of historic aircraft, contemporary jets, mind-boggling aerobatics and those quirky, did-I-really-just-see-that displays make The Duxford Air Show an entertaining aerial spectacle with a fabulous family atmosphere.

Suitable for

• Any age

Admission

Adult £27.50, Child (5-15 years) £18.15, Child (4 years or under) Free. Concessions available and discounts when buying tickets in advance.

Website

http://www.iwm.org.uk/events/iwm-duxford/the-duxford-air-show-0

ShowBus, the biggest bus show in the world, makes a welcome return to IWM Duxford in 2014 as it celebrates 60 years of the Routemaster bus.

The magnificent sight of historic and contemporary buses parading across the museum will be an exciting spectacle for visitors. The buses will then park up for public display.

Celebrate the colour and nostalgia of ShowBus at IWM Duxford.

Suitable for

• Any age

Admission

Child (aged 15 and under) Free, Adult £18.50. Concessions available.

Website

http://www.iwm.org.uk/events/iwm-duxford/showbus-0

In "Douglas Haig Reassessed" Professor Gary Sheffield looks at the
controversial military commander who is seen by some as a great leader, while others view him as a callous, unthinking butcher. He argues that while both extremes of opinion are wrong, Haig deserves a great deal of credit for the Allied victory in WW1.

In his second lecture, "Not Sleepwalking: The Origins of the First World War Revisited", he argues that the view that no state can be blamed for causing the war and Europe ‘sleepwalked’ into the conflict, is wrong.

Suitable for

• Any age

Admission

Adult 16-59 years £21.50. Child under 16 years £4.00. Concessions £17.20. Includes admission to all IWM Duxford exhibitions.

We’ll explore the evolution of aircraft roles, from reconnaissance to fighter and bomber aeroplanes, and will take a closer look at the First World War Royal Aircraft Factory RE.8 and de Havilland DH9 aircraft that can be seen in our AirSpace exhibition.

We’ll be enlisting your help to build a large-scale model of a DH9 aircraft. Try on mini-uniforms in the style worn by the First World War air aces and have a go at some hands-on crafty fun.

Please contact venue for event times information.

Suitable for

• Any age
• Family friendly
• Especially for children

Admission

Normal admission applies. Adult £17.50. Child (under 16) Free. Concessions (Senior, Student, Disabled, Unemployed) £14.

Website

http://www.iwm.org.uk/visits/iwm-duxford

On Remembrance Sunday, we offer free admission to all as we remember members of the Armed Forces who lost their lives in active service.

At 11am, a two-minute silence will be observed across the museum. There will also be a traditional service of Remembrance.

We’ll also be giving families the opportunity to learn about remembrance together, with hands-on activities throughout the museum.

Suitable for

• Any age
• Family friendly

Admission

Free for all on this day on Sunday 9 November.

Website

http://www.iwm.org.uk/visits/iwm-duxford