OTHER FEATURES INSIDE:Volunteering on the Lives of the First World WarDigital Memorial

Volunteer celebrations and commemorationsrecalled

My conservation calling

What volunteering at IWM Duxford meansto me

My connections to conflict and Churchill

VOLUNTEERNEWSLETTER

ISSUE 26 – SUMMER 2016

A Night to Remember

WELCOME TO ISSUE 26 OF THEIWM VOLUNTEER NEWSLETTERBy Jim HutchinsonHead of Volunteering & Engagement, IWM

Nearly 1,000 dedicated volunteers now provide asignificant source of support for the delivery of IWM’sstrategic objectives and help with the delivery of ourmission and vision. We recognise that volunteeringfor an IWM project or branch can represent amilestone in a Volunteer’s life and we seek to ensurethat, through the operation and evolution of ourvolunteering programmes, such experiences arenurtured and encouraged. We will continue tocelebrate the personal developments and lifechanging opportunities that a well-supportedvolunteering programme can make possible.

During 2015-16 an average of 1052volunteers collectively donated some100,704 hours in support of IWM branchesand projects. Volunteers are currentlyinvolved with a broad range of supportservices from aircraft, military vehicle andship conservation through to collectionssupport, Friends of Duxford and IWMMembership events and recruitment,on gallery interaction and informationdelivery, radio station operation andoffice support.

There are many examples fromacross all of our sites about thepersonal development journeysand positive impact upon lifequality which have come aboutthrough volunteering for IWM.Some more recent examplesare included in this latestissue of the IWM Volunteermagazine.

Enjoy the read.

Cover: IWM staff,visitors andvolunteers in theAtrium on theevening of30 June 2016

VOLUNTEER PROGRAMME NEWS IWM LONDON NEWS

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A NIGHT TOREMEMBER

By Karen Gurney, Volunteer ProgrammeManager, London Branches and Volunteers

On the night of 30 June 2016 IWM Londoncommemorated the centenary of the Battle of

the Somme by doing something extraordinary.We opened from 8pm to midnight with a free event

which included film screenings, immersive theatre,poetry and music. The evening was designed to be

complimentary to the all-night vigils held elsewhereacross the country and was an artistic response fuelled

by the desire to create a unique, engaging andimpactful event.

The Atrium was the focal point of the evening, where eachhour represented four emotions LOVE, FEAR, HOPE and

COURAGE. Using music, songs and letters from IWM’scollection, we explored the states of mind of those about to

take part on that first day of the Battle of the Somme. Forexample ‘LOVE’ saw actors reading sign offs from letters

written on the eve of the battle. ‘HOPE’ saw over 150 membersof community choirs (including IWM’s own choir) ‘flash mob’ the

Atrium singing popular First World War songs while visitors joinedin. At 11.45pm the Atrium fell silent listening to Stephanie

Childress playing the incredible ‘Western Front’ violin. Aroundvisitors in the Atrium and First World War Galleries small theatre

vignettes ‘happened’ based on true accounts of the battle fromIWM’s collections and Nutkhut Theatre Company performed scenes

from Dr Blighty. The Tea Room was transformed into a pop-up cafétheatre, where two shows – Raising Lazarus and Magic Lantern – were

performed. In the cinema there were two panel debates regarding theimportance of the film The Battle of the Somme, chaired by BBC journalist

Kate Adie. These discussions were followed by a full screening of the film.

The whole programme was run by a combination of 32 volunteers andnumerous IWM staff who generously gave up their evening to make this

extraordinary event a success. Diane Lees our Director General was greatlyimpressed: “A great example of exemplary team work. Well done all.”

There are days where I am extremely proud of ‘my’ volunteers and ‘my’ museum.30 June 2016 was one of those days. Volunteers not only represented IWM with

pride, good humour and a sense of real passion and purpose – they had a blastdoing it. I lost count of the amount of IWM staff that came up to me and said

(surprised) “wow – our volunteers are amazing”. I (quite smugly) responded with“yes, they really are aren’t they?”To all those who took part: thank you

for all the hours that you have given meand IWM over the past month in

preparation for the Night before theSomme. To those who came along and

enjoyed the evening: thank you for yoursupport. To those who wished that they had

been involved: come and join us next time!

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Volunteer Reactions

Firstly a huge ‘well done’ to everyone involved in putting together such amagnificent evening. These events never just happen and it really wasquite a bold thing to hold. I felt honoured and privileged to be part ofyour teams and thoroughly enjoyed not only being part of the eveningas a volunteer but also briefly as a visitor. The sight of the museum litup as we left was a magical moment. As a bonus it only took an hourto get back to Brighton instead of the usual 2 hour plus. Thank youso much and if ever I can support IWM as a volunteer again in thefuture for other such events please do let me know.

Sue Marguet, Membership Ambassador Volunteer

I enjoyed it too and it was good to meet you and othermembers of staff/volunteers I don’t normally see. It was avery busy but worthwhile evening and I was amazed at thehuge number of visitors... I did get the chance to listen tothe massed choirs and they were excellent (I’d beinterested to join the IWM choir). I was exhausted bythe time I got home too at well gone midnight...

Pat Barber, Warship Conservative Volunteer

The whole evening was well organised and I knewwhere I had to be and when and also who I wasworking with – excellent. I am most proud of beingpart of the museum and having the opportunity tobe part of such a great evening and for me to beable to have kept the trench event goingsmoothly. A big thank you for allowing me toattend the evening even though because ofwork I could not attend the briefings – I wasso proud to be able to contribute to such awonderful event.

Julie Underhay, Membership Ambassadorand Interaction Volunteer

Thank you Karen for all your efforts,it really was a night to remember.

Joyce Glassock, Occasional Volunteer

I just wanted to say thank you forlast night, it was a great evening andI enjoyed it very much! I hope itwas a success in general.

Isabelle Von Maltzan, InteractionVolunteer

May I just say what a pleasureit was to work with you onwhat has been an exceedinglysuccessful project. I hope itis the first of many, andlook forward to meetingyou at the next.

David Welsh, VisitorSupport Volunteer

IWM LONDON NEWS

IWM Volunteer Alwyn Jones meeting and greeting outside the main entrance

IWM Volunteers Pat Barber, Stuart Davies and Lowri Daniels share a joke and a cuppa

VOLUNTEERING ON THE LIVES OF THE FIRST WORLDWAR DIGITAL MEMORIALBy Michael Newbury, on behalf of the Lives Remote Volunteer Group

REMOTE VOLUNTEERS NEWS

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Some of our Lives Remote Volunteer Groupcomparing notes as part of updatingthe current website

Elements of the British Grand Fleet at anchor shortly before the Battle of Jutland on 31 May 1916

Lives of the First World War is the permanent digitalmemorial to the millions of men and women whocontributed to the British war effort during the FirstWorld War. This article exemplifies the work of the 15volunteers who support the Lives project.

Before we get on to what we do let’s talk briefly aboutwho we are. We’re from all over the world, from allwalks of life and backgrounds. Most of us have neverphysically met. But that’s not at all important. Whatunites us all is a belief in the potential of the Livesdigital memorial to be the essential first port of call foranyone interested in the First World War and thosewhose lives it touched.

Within the group we have folks who have years ofexperience behind them in the fields of family, militaryand social history. Our interests are reflected in thevarious Communities that we curate, which includeregimental, family, event and organisationalcommunities. Alongside our belief in the site is a two-fold commitment: the first is to ensure thatinformation in Lives is accurate and evidence-based;the second is to help users and potential users of theLives get the very best out of it.

With the various anniversary events, interest in the Warand in Lives picks up. The Volunteer Group picks upand deals with queries that are posted on theSuggestions part of the Lives site and elsewhere. Sofar the Volunteers have dealt with almost 600 requestson the Suggestions Forum in 2016 alone. We have alsoworked with Lives users on particular projects such asthe loss of HMS Bulwark in 1914. Sometimes it’s simplya case of knowing where to look and you’re able toquickly point to the right person on the Lives site. In

other cases it can be trickier, particularly if factsprovided in good faith prove to be wrong.

With the Jutland anniversary volunteers have beenplaying a leading part in ensuring that every British shipand their crew is remembered on Lives. Particularrecent effort has also been going into creatingCommunities for victims of air raids and for peoplecaught up in accidents in munition works. Ensuringwomen’s stories are told alongside the sailors, soldiersand airmen (and their female service branches) isanother area of work which makes Lives unique in itsbreadth and ambition.

At any given time members of the Volunteer Groupwill be working on a range of projects linked to makingthe Lives site even more informative. As we write this atthe end of May 2016, volunteers are working on: UKNaval War Memorials; checking Commonwealth WarGrave Commission (CWGC) UK burials to make sureeach has a Lives record; answering requests andsuggestions on the Forum; checking through 1 July1916 CWGC records ahead of the Sommecommemorations; and keeping our many and variedpersonal research projects up to date.

On any day – including Christmas Day – a Volunteer isalmost always busy doing something on Lives. And it istime none of us begrudge particularly when we getfeedback like this:

“I’d also like to say my thank you to the IWM volunteerswho are working so hard to make this site do what itshould. The Great War – and I use that term deliberately– was the first to involve and affect nearly everyone inthe country – and the Empire of the time – and theability to put a face to a name is incredibly moving.”

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IWM NORTH NEWS

VOLUNTEER CELEBRATIONS AND COMMEMORATIONSRECALLEDBy Gill Ashcroft, Volunteer Placement Assistant and Chris Cook, Volunteer, IWM North

On 3 June 2016 IWM North and its project partners held a big thank you event for Volunteers Week at Manchester ArtGallery. In keeping with our volunteering for wellbeing theme we included a lovely lunch, a wellbeing tour and anactivity in their Japanese Design exhibition. This involved letting the creative juices run wild. Volunteers wereprovided with a large piece of paper to create something. Noglue, blue-tack or shiny decorative bits, just paper. Althoughthere was no guide many people took inspiration from thedisplays around them. The feedback was excellent, “I didn’trealise I would have to think so much”, “I really enjoyedthat time focusing on one thing for a change”.

In the same week three of our volunteers travelled toFrance to the D-Day Commemorations. David andBernard, both veterans of the campaign, talk regularlyabout their experiences on gallery. Visitors are alwayskeen to shake their hand and say thank you. Theirengagement with the public is a great contributionto the work at IWM North. Chris, our rovingreporter volunteer travelling with them, has sentthe following article from the front:

Normandy. It’s a busy few days for David and the other39 veterans – all their museums want to welcomethem, whole towns offer free lunches, there are Legiond’Honour medal ceremonies, commemorative badgesand crowds of people simply wanting the opportunity tosay thank you. You can’t walk down any street inNormandy with a veteran and not be stopped, thanksgiven, have photos taken, hands shaken. There arefirework displays, fly pasts, vintage vehicle drive bys,and radio, press and television interviews. It was maybe72 years ago but the 92 year old remembers D-Day as ifit was yesterday. To finally be on the same sandy beachas all those years ago brings memories flooding back.It’s an emotional trip, taken by so many; to pay respectsto their comrades, to remember friends, remember thegood times and the bad and to reflect on their part inthe largest amphibious attack in history. All ourveterans are special. all deserve respect, each and everyone of them, but the Second World War D-Day veteransare an extra bit special. Just ask anyone in Normandy,they’ll tell you!

David and Chris volunteer twice weekly and offervisitors a real insight into war and its effect on people.They often report having spoken to 100 adults andchildren in a day. The recent visit will support theirvolunteering and allow David to share the experience ofwhat it is like to return to the beaches 72 years later.

David sitsin the

precise spotwhere he

landed onD-Day over 72

years ago.

The gentleman isIWM North

volunteer DavidTeacher M.B.E.

The beach is just outside the village of Courseulles-sur-Mer Normandy. This beach was ‘Mike’ sector, Junobeach on D-Day, June 6th 1944. 72 years later DavidTeacher is back, but this time armed with informationfrom the IWM archive. He now knows this is the precisespot of beach he landed on all those years ago, as amember of 102 Beach Unit Combined Operations. Theunit was one of the first to land, and then spent closeto three months on the beach helping the unloading ofmen, vehicles, food, ammunition, fuel etc.

David always remembered the coxswain of his landingcraft using a church as a marker for the landing. On this2016 visit David actually got to step inside that verychurch, Saint-Martin de Graye-sur-Mer, for the firsttime, even after over twenty anniversary visits to

When people ask me what I do for voluntary work,I think they are expecting me to say fundraising for achildren’s charity, Help the Aged, local soup kitchen(all fabulous causes). I always get that jaw-droppingresponse when I say conservation on HMS Belfast.I suppose it’s not the obvious choice for a middle-agedwoman, but it was the right choice and one of thebest decisions I’ve made.

This is real get down and dirty, Boys-Own stuff. Whereelse to get to play with real life 4" guns on twin turrets!It’s hard work but really rewarding. I have met someamazing people from vastly different backgrounds.People I probably would not have met otherwise.And I’m learning new skills all the time.

A huge number of visitors come through every day.Some just wander by, some stop and watch what we aredoing. I can’t make up my mind if they think we are RoyalNavy or a bunch of community service participants!

Some do stop and chat and want to know aboutBelfast (I have to confess I’m still winging it a bit onthat at the moment). Not long after I started, a littleboy of about seven stopped to watch us with hismum. He wanted to know what we were doing andwhy. Bearing in mind this was my second dayand I really had no idea what I was talking about,I think I sounded fairly convincing. He wanted toknow how we pay for things so I told him“when nice people like you and your mum buya ticket to come visit us, we use that moneyto mend stuff and buy new things. Sotechnically you have paid for a little bit ofthis ship.” He was very excited about thisand I’m sure he’s gone off to tell all hisfriends he now owns part of the ship.I think I just sold Belfast to a seven yearold. Still, if it means all his friends willcome visit too...

But it’s for people like him that wereally do this. London has amazingmuseums and they are allfabulous in their own way.Ancient History in the BritishMuseum, 500 year old mastersin the National Gallery. ButBelfast is real and still current.Real people and real life.People lived and died onthis ship and if it wasn’t for

HMS BELFAST NEWS

MY CONSERVATION CALLINGBy Marina Maher, Warship Conservation Volunteer, HMS Belfast

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them and thousands like them, our lives could be verydifferent. We are still of generations where all of usknow someone who served in the war or they wereactually there. It won’t be long before that is no longerthe case and the D-Day landings will be storiesassigned to the history books along with other lifechanging moments in history. It’s so important thatfuture generations realise the sacrifices that weremade for us and them. Preserving places like HMSBelfast, and enabling people to actually walk the decksas they did, keeps those memories alive.

I am privileged to be a part of that conservation.

So I’m looking forward to receiving my badge ofhonour, i.e. overalls that fit! And I can’t wait to see whatthe coming months and years have in store.

Marina in active conservation mode on HMS Belfast

WHAT VOLUNTEERING AT IWM DUXFORD MEANS TO MEBy Joe Hamon, Learning and Engagement Volunteer, IWM Duxford

IWM DUXFORD NEWS

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I think my first visit to IWM Duxford wasin about 2006, when I moved into thearea with a new job. I can rememberjoining a guided tour of Land Warfareand it was led by a chap calledPatrick (can’t remember his lastname), but like myself, he wasex Army. I thought at the time,I could do this and talk aboutmilitary matters and equipmentinside Land Warfare.

When I first joined as avolunteer for theDepartment of Learning,my first assignment wasexplaining mysteryobjects to the public,inside AirSpace. Iteamed up with JonWarden and weexplained the use ofbutton sticks,puttees, flechettes,machine gun links.It is a way ofengaging withthe public andexplaining howkit works.

I moved onto LandWarfare,giving guided tours on the D-Day exhibition andexplaining the various innovations, such as theMulberry harbours, PLUTO, landing craft, Hobart’sfunnies, Monty’s caravans, etc. It is interesting talkingto Americans about Monty, he had a somewhatbumpy relationship with Eisenhower and the top USgenerals. I also try and weave in some of myexperiences as a Sapper and describe their role, suchas clearing landmines, which I did for real in Kuwaitafter the First Gulf War in 1991. I also give a tour ofland warfare starting in the Great War, ending in theGulf war; describing the evolution of the British Armyin the twentieth century. I believe that I am the onlyvolunteer that gives land warfare tours.

I also give guided tours in AirSpace to the public onthe role of airpower and what it can do for the soldieron the ground, illustrating it with the various aircraft

on display: surveillance and the ability to get abovethe battlefield and come back with intelligence,and the ability of aircraft to transport troops on andoff the battlefield and also deliver firepower. Mostpeople know about Bletchley Park and the role ofthe codebreakers in helping winning the SecondWorld War, very few people know about RAFMedmenham. The Allied Central Interpretation Unit(ACIU) was critical in the D-Day planning and alsothe hunt for the Nazi V weapons. There are some3-D models in the Airborne museum used to briefthe paratroopers before they went into action,which were actually made at Medmenham fromaerial photographs.

I guess I like explaining and de-mystifying some ofthe wartime operations and how things work andanswering questions from the public.

Joe Hamon (centre) at a museum on the Seelow Heights, Germany during a previous battlefield tour of Berlin

My interest in the Second World War started at a early age. Being a child in the 60s I was surrounded by images andmemories of the War. Growing up there were endless films at the cinema and on TV of this momentous period.Being Londoners both my parents told me of their experiences at that time.

My father came from Lambeth Walk and as a eight year old in 1940 watched the dogfights overhead during theBattle of Britain in absolute awe. He was evacuated to Somerset where he and all the other London kids drove thelocal farmers mad with their antics. They had never seen a open field before and were taught to hunt rabbits. Beingstreetwise London urchins they were terribly homesick. My mother was from ‘posh’ Pimlico on the other side of theThames which was equally severely bombed during the Blitz but my grandmother totally refused to let her kids beevacuated so I heard about all their times down in the underground shelter.

Both my parents are no longer with me but my mother’s story about ‘going down the Yanks’ has always amusedme. Apparently an American detachment was billeted not far away from my mother’s council flat block in 1943 andall the kids would go to get free orange juice and chewing gum which they had never seen before. The AmericanGIs were very friendly with all the children and were always very generous; it was a great treat for a nine year old girlduring the rationing to get such luxuries but the GIs would always ask the kids “did they have a older sister?”.

My mother survived the bombing and stayed put in London; she was lucky, but to the kids it was all a big game.I was heavily influenced by all these stories and really interested listening to my grandparents too. Both mygrandads served and survived the War. One rose to Chief Petty Officer on a minesweeper in the Royal Navy servingmainly in the Med. The other saw combat in Burma in the Army fighting the Japanese.

I personally remember Churchill’s funeral in 1965 and all my extendedfamily saying what a great man he was and how he had saved this countryduring the War. His oratory and bulldog spirit had raised people’s morale.

At school growing up, the only real subject that I excelled in was historyand I have been that way all my life. Getting a chance to volunteer andwork at the Churchill War Rooms earlier this year has been a dreamcome true for me as the great man is my hero too. I attended thesecond opening day in 2005 and have been going to the mainmuseum for 30 years. I enjoy meeting visitors and some of thestories I have heard have been so interesting. The staff there areso welcoming and helpful. I would recommend the ChurchillWar Rooms to any prospective volunteer if the Second World

War rocks your boat. What else can I say?

Churchill War Rooms Interaction TeamVolunteer Lee Harris next to the

timeline in the ChurchillMuseum

CHURCHILL WAR ROOMS NEWS

MY CONNECTIONS TO CONFLICT AND CHURCHILLBy Lee Harris, Interaction Team Volunteer, Churchill War Rooms

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IWM Duxford: Vicki Williams, Volunteer ProgrammeManager on 01223 499 357.

IWM’s London Branches: Karen Gurney, VolunteerProgramme Manager on 0207 940 6345.

IWM North: Danielle Garcia, VolunteerProgramme Manager on 0161 836 4080.

VOLUNTEER‘SITUATIONSVACANT’ WITHIN IWM!At all of our IWM branches capacity for new volunteers can vary astraining programmes and operational/development projects start and finish.For the latest on current openings for volunteers please contact the VolunteerProgramme Managers recruiting for the branch or project that you wish to join. These are: