Wednesday, 8 February 2012

Guild of Battlefield Guides Visit to the Airborne Forces Museum & Archive at IWM Duxford - Friday 10 February 2012

Introduction

The Airborne Forces Museum at Duxford has kindly agreed to host a visit from the GBG on Friday 10 Feb 12. The visit will focus primarily on the museum, its archive, and the source material stored within. In addition, Guild Member Joe Hamon has arranged exclusive access to the IWM Land Warfare Hall and its unrivalled collection of vehicles.

The visit has been organised with Assignment 6 in mind and offers an ideal opportunity for those members preparing to undertake that Assignment to visit an active archive and examine the different types of source material stored within.

Programme

Members are requested to arrive at Duxford no later than 0945 hours, the visit should conclude at 1630 hours. A detailed programme is included in this instruction. Members should note that due to constraints on space within the archive, we will be required to work in two separate groups during the afternoon. A list of members attending and the breakdown of groups is listed later in this event instruction.

Dress

The programme for the morning session includes a ten-minute walk across the airfield dispersal - It will be cold and windy. The Land Warfare Hall is also not the warmest of places, please dress accordingly.

Directions to IWM Duxford

The archive is situated on the opposite side of the A505 from the main museum site staff entrance - GPS/SATNAV - Post code is CB22 4QR.

Approaching from the M11:

Instead of turning into the main Visitors Entrance Car Park on your left, continue down the main road, under the Bailey bridge and you will see the Staff Entrance signposted on the left hand side - Turn Right into the small car park - a member of archive staff will direct you to the archive.

Approaching from Royston A505 direction:

You will pass a Citroen garage (left hand side) and traffic lights. Shortly after this, on the right hand side you will see the signs for the Staff Entrance. Turn Left opposite the staff gate into a small car park, archive staff will direct you from there.

Members Attending

The following members have confirmed their attendance:

Group A

Group B

1. Cliff Lloyd

2. Steve Roberts

3. Paul Oldfield

4. Clive Harris

5. Hugh Jenner

6. Francois Wicart

7. Joe Hamon

8. Margaret Pearson

9. John Cotterill

10. James Dinsdale

11. Tim Pritchard-Barrett

12. Karl Weaver

13. Alison Pritchard-Barrett

14. David Winn

15. James Carroll

16. Richard Barnes

17. Jim Davies

18. Roger Lye

19. Jonathan Pooley

20. Andy Johnson

21. Frank Toogood

22. Tom Dormer

23. Alan Choat

24. Andy Johnson

25. Nicky Bird

26. Charmian Griffiths

27. Scottie

28. Brett Hayward

29. Charles Mather

30. John Greenacre


Pub Lunch at The Red Lion - Whittlesford Bridge

We have booked into the Red Lion Pub at Whittlesford Bridge, five minutes drive from the archive car park. A menu is attached to the email, all members are responsible for settling their own bar and food bills. To find the Red Lion turn left out of the museum onto the A505 toward the M11 (Post Code CB22 4NL), look out for red signs on the left hand side of the road. Parking is available immediately outside the pub and in the Holiday Inn nearby.

Due to numbers, members are asked to book their meal by 1700 hours on 9 Feb 12 (Menu on page 5) - Tel 01223 832047, Booking is under Guild of Battlefield Guides.

Programme Content

Land Warfare Hall - Joe Hamon will host the group on a visit to the hall that focuses primarily on the 1944 campaign in Normandy.

The Airborne Forces Archive - The Museum Curator Jonathan Baker will lead a tour of the archive explaining:

· How the archive is organised and the procedures for its use.

· The different types of source material that are available to the would-be researcher.

· How to make best use of different types of reference and source material on tour.

· The importance of verification and cross referencing source material.

The Airborne Forces Museum - The museum's Assistant Curator Becks Skinner will lead a tour of the airborne forces museum allowing a detailed look at the museums extensive collection of airborne equipment and uniforms.

Cost

We will be making a donation to the Airborne Forces Museum and Archive for making the visit possible. I will collect £10 per person at the start of the day, please have this ready in cash.

Contact Details

In the event of emergencies, delays or cancellation please email or call me direct on my mobile number:

07837 232256

Mike Peters


GBG Duxford Programme 10 Feb 12

Timings

Location

Remarks

0830

Mike Peters & John Greenacre Arrive

0930-1000

GBG Assemble in Archive Car Park

1000

Depart Car Park - Walk to Land Warfare Hall

On Foot

1015

Met at LWH by Joe Hamon

1015-1145

Normandy Tour

1145

Walk back to Car Park

1200 hours

Drive to Red Lion - Whittlesford Bridge for pub lunch

Station Rd East

CB22 4NL

1215-1330

Lunch, Drinks & Chairman's Open Forum

Group car share 4 pax per car - same group.

1330

Drive back to Group Activity

1345-1445

Session 1

Group A - Museum

Group B - Archive

1445-1515

Coffee at The Mess Restaurant in Visitor Centre - Both Groups meet.

Museum book Shop open

1515-1600

Session 2

Group B - Museum

Group A - Archive

1600

Gather at the Archive for Q & A

1630

End of visit


Contact Numbers

Mike Peters - 07837 232256

Jonathan Baker - 07825 712825

The Red Lion - 01223 832047

Post Codes

Archive - CB22 4QR

Red Lion Pub - CB22 4NL

Tuesday, 10 January 2012

Guild of Battlefield Guides Visit to the Airborne Forces Museum & Archive at Duxford - Friday 10 February 2012

The Airborne Forces Museum has kindly agreed to host a visit from the GBG on Friday 10 Feb 12. The visit will focus primarily on the museums superb archive and the source material stored within. This Guild one-day visit offers an ideal opportunity for those preparing to undertake Assignment 6 to visit an active archive and to gain an understanding of research techniques and source material.

After an arrival brief, our group will split into two halves and then tour the archive and the museum concurrently in the morning. We will then rendezvous for lunch before swapping locations for the afternoon.

The Museum Curator and his staff will lead a tour of the archive explaining:

· How the archive is organised and the procedures for its use.

· The different types of source material that are available to the would-be researcher.

· How to make best use of different types of reference and source material on tour.

· The importance of verification and cross referencing source material.

In addition to the archive visit each group will take a guided museum tour of the museums extensive collection of airborne equipment and uniforms.

A detailed administration instruction outlining directions, costs and timings will be produced in the New Year; costs will be kept to a minimum. Numbers are constrained by space in the archive to an overall total of twenty GBG members. In the event of over subscription, priority will be given to those GBG members who are validating and are preparing to attempt Assignment 6.

Those interested in attending should initially e mail Mike Peters at

chalkypeters@googlemail.com