Sunday 30th September

Brooklands Museum’s Great War Day on Sunday 30th September commemorates the centenary of the end of the First World War and Brooklands’ role in that conflict. It will highlight the historic site’s rapidly expanding aircraft production in 1916 and showcase the Museum’s mighty Vickers Vimy – a replica of the long range bomber built in 1918 which made the first non-stop trans-Atlantic flight in 1919. Visitors will be able to see the engines of this aircraft demonstrated on part of the original Brooklands Race Track alongside two WWI bi-planes from the collection: the SE5a and Sopwith Camel which has its original 1917 Clerget engine.

In and around the Paddock, in front of the Clubhouse, re-enactors and living history groups will be setting up displays showing different aspects of wartime life adding to the period flavour of the day. These include:

• The 10th Essex Group – a military display and living history group accurately depicting the British Soldier in the Great War and will be running scouting and weapon demonstrations
• The Royal Army Medical Corps and Red Cross who will be displaying their Field Hospital & Convalescence unit
• Ladies from the First Aid Nursing Yeomanry (affectionately known as FANYs)
• Edwardian re-enactors in costume
Although the Track had closed to the public in 1914, the site was still very active in manufacture, record-breaking and testing. At the Kingston-based Sopwith Aviation Company factories, Camels, Snipes, Pups and Triplanes all came off the production line and were all assembled, test flown and delivered from Brooklands. In 1915, the Military Services staged some hill climb and sprint events for the personnel and officers based in the nearby Aldershot and Bisley garrisons. The Brooklands Motorcycle Team and visiting groups with war-time-era motorcycles, including examples of Triumph and Douglas which were used by the military in Belgium, will take part in a re-enactment of the ‘serpentine’ slalom course.

The event will also feature pre-1919 civilian and military vehicles which include an original 1915 Pierce-Arrow military truck, Edwardian cars and the usual array of ambulances, motorcycles and bicycles. Making a very welcome return will be the Matchless with Vickers machine gun carrier Motorcycle Combination from 1917. This is only one of three surviving motorcycle combinations from WWI left in the UK and is being kindly loaned by the Tank Museum for the event. At lunchtime, visitors will be able to see a cavalcade of period vehicles on the circuit at neighbouring Mercedes-Benz World.

All the Museum’s motoring displays and Aircraft Park will be open as usual including the Award-Winning Aircraft Factory and Flight Shed, motoring exhibitions, Concorde Experience and London Bus Museum. The gates open to the public at 10am and the event finishes at 5pm.

Normal admission charges apply: Adults £13.50, Seniors/Students £11.50, Children (5 – 16yrs) £7. Children under 5 are FREE and a Family ticket (2 adults and up to 3 children) is £35. The Concorde Experience is £5 for Adults, £3 for Children. The 4D Theatre is £4 for Adults, £2 for Children.

For directions, videos, all event information and latest news, go to www.brooklandsmuseum.com, call 01932 857381

Tags: 2018, Brooklands Museum, News, September