We are delighted to announce that IWM Duxford has received a grant of £980,000 from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) for the American Air Museum redevelopment project.

The American Air Museum was built at IWM Duxford in 1996-7 to present for public display the best collection of American military aircraft outside the United States. The American Air Museum tells the story of American air power and the integral relationship between the United States and the United Kingdom.

The heritage presented in the American Air Museum has a relevance to everybody living in Britain, particularly people in the East of England. Our aim, in the redevelopment of the American Air Museum, is to inspire people to relate the objects in the museum’s collection to their own lives and to the world in which they live.

We’ll be asking people to get actively involved in the project by contributing recollections from their own personal and community heritage so that we can create an impressive bank of memories, knowledge and information for current and future generations.

There are three main aspects to the American Air Museum redevelopment project. The first is a dynamic website based around The Freeman Collection, a compilation of approximately 15,000 prints and slides assembled by Roger Freeman (1928-2005), a hugely respected aviation historian and a native of East Anglia. Many of these images have not, up to now, been publicly available.

The Freeman Collection shows the many and varied experiences of the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) in Britain during the Second World War. Images depict the different roles undertaken by members of the USAAF and also off-duty leisure time, the aircraft, the combat missions, events and the local communities in which the USAAF served.

Using The Freeman Collection of photographs as its core content, the website will link each photograph to the serving group or unit it represents. It will show the geographical location in which the photograph was taken, the type of aircraft the group operated and may also give the personal story of a man or woman shown in the photograph.

With thousands of images in the collection, we’ll be asking people to help us uncover the stories behind the photographs by logging on and telling us what they know. We hope that the first phase of the website will be live from summer 2014.

Secondly, we’ll be refreshing and re-energising the American Air Museum to ensure that it is impactful for the next generation of visitors. We’ll be helping our audiences to understand the co-operative relationship between the United States and the United Kingdom, which was forged in the East of England during the First World War and the Second World War and which has shaped the modern world ever since. Visitors will discover this theme from a personal, regional and national perspective.

Thematically, we’ll be displaying our key objects in new ways and redeveloping our existing displays by layering in new interpretive material which will help visitors see our museum objects in a new light. We’ll be placing a greater emphasis on the individual stories of war and conflict which show events from a range of personal perspectives.

We’ll also be bringing the American Air Museum exhibition up to date with material covering the last two decades of conflict, looking at the personal stories and political context of that period.

Thirdly, we’ll be undertaking detailed conservation work on the aircraft and objects in the American Air Museum to ensure that this important collection is kept in good historical condition for future generations to enjoy.

This large-scale conservation project will involve lowering suspended aircraft from the ceiling, taking out the large plate glass wall from the rear of the American Air Museum and removing all aircraft from the building. This huge undertaking should prove fascinating for visitors, who will be able to see the work in progress.

Diane Lees, Director-General of Imperial War Museums said: “I am delighted that the Heritage Lottery Fund has supported the American Air Museum redevelopment. This exciting project will bring to life Anglo-American relations past, present and future, in a way that enthralls and engages. Whoever we are, wherever we live, this is our story and one that we can work together on for the benefit of future generations.”

Robyn Llewellyn, Head of the Heritage Lottery Fund for the East of England said: “The American Air Museum has possibly the best collection of US military aircraft outside the USA. This project will give IWM Duxford the opportunity to overhaul the displays and galleries and bring many of the fascinating stories of the First World War, Second World War, and more recent conflicts to life in new and exciting ways which will give many people the opportunity to get involved. We look forward, in particular, to the museum’s interpretation of the Freeman Collection of photographs, many of which have never before been seen by the public.”

www.iwm.org.uk

Manama, Bahrain: BAE Systems and the RAF Museum will be showcasing an iconic, World War II era Spitfire at Bahrain International Airshow 2014. The aircraft is a piece of aerospace history and is also a reminder of the strong links between Bahrain and Britain which were underlined in the Second World War.

Students from the Gulf Aviation Academy in Bahrain have been working with BAE Systems and the RAF Museum this week to assemble the Spitfire ready for the start of the Airshow. The students were given the opportunity to get a first-hand look at how one of the Second World War’s iconic aircraft is put together and to discover more about how Spitfire featured in Bahrain’s history.

The Supermarine Spitfire remains the iconic British fighter of the Second World War, and Britain was not alone in its fight – Bahrain, through the Fighter Fund, financed the purchase of 10 Spitfires to aid the war effort. These were funded by all sections of the community in the Arabian Gulf. In total, the Fighter Fund raised £50,000 (31,000 BHD) and six Spitfires bore the name Bahrain.

Keith Ifould from the RAF Museum, said: “Spitfire is a true aerospace icon, and it played a key role in the Second World War, so we’re pleased to be working with the BAE Systems and the Gulf Aviation Academy to display a Spitfire at Bahrain International Airshow 2014. The aircraft helped cement a strong spirit of cooperation between Britain and Bahrain which remains to this day, so it’s a great opportunity for Airshow visitors to come and find out about Spitfire and this historical connection between the countries.”

The aircraft was well known for its elliptical wings and the sound of its supercharged Rolls Royce Merlin engine, which can be seen up close at the show. An RAF Museum representative will be on hand to provide insights and anecdotes about Spitfire and its link to the Middle East, as well as the role Gulf Aviation Academy students have played in preparing the aircraft for display at the Bahrain International Airshow.

Spitfire entered service in 1938, with 20,321 Spitfires built over 24 variants and its last operational RAF sortie came in 1954. The actual model on display was originally ordered in June 1943 and built in 1945.

For more information visit www.rafmuseum.org

Forthcoming events taking place at the Royal Air Force Museum Cosford during 2014:

· Half Term Activities – 17th – 21st February

· Shropshire Scale Model Show – 6th April

· Easter Trail – 14th – 25th April

· Bike4Life Fest – 27th April

· Open Cockpits Evening – 10th May **

· Cosford Flights of Fantasy – 17th & 18th May

· Women in Aviation – 26th – 30th May

· National Service (RAF) Association Parade – 1st June

· RAF Cosford Air Show – 8th June **

· D-Day Afternoon Concert – 15th June **

· Armed Forces Day – 28th June

· Large Model Aircraft Rally – 19th & 20th July **

· Cosford Food Festival – 26th & 27th July **

· August Activities – 1st – 31st August

· Gala Ball – 30th August **

· Open Cockpits Evening – 20th September **

· Half Term Activities – 27th – 31st October

· Remembrance Service – 9th November

· Conservation Centre Open Week – 9th – 15th November **

** Admission Charges Apply.

More details on each event will be issued closer to the time. Some events may incur a small participation fee and additional events may be added during the year.

For further information on forthcoming events taking place at the RAF Museum Cosford in 2014, please contact the Museum on 01902 376200 or visit www.rafmuseum.org. Museum is open daily from 10am and admission is FREE of charge.