WW2 London

Hello all,

I'm planning a trip back to the old country next year and hope to spend four or five days in London during which i'd like to take in a few WW2 related sights. Other than the IWM and RAF museum can anyone recommend some "must see" places to visit? (Public transport and kids are the only restrictions!)

Regards

 

good day biggles 115,m,today 01:09.am.re:ww2 london.as an x londener i would say its all worth looking at.as for ww2 damage.i think they have fixed it up,you can get a map of london showing bomb damage.and the place to go.but to be honest looking at bomb damage,thats if there is any left,is better looking at the new london.you will be amazed at the sites to see.i hope you and your family have a great trip.regards bernard85 :smash:

 

At the risk of stating the obvious, keep this link on file nearer the time of your visit:

http://www.timeout.com/london/attractions/must-see-london-for-visitors

If you do nothing else on your trip, take the river boat from Westminster Pier and, on your return, imagine the Luftwaffe following the River Thames into town on their numerous bombing trips on the city.

Ron

 

HMS Belfast

 

Thank you Bernard, Ron and Drew. It's been a long time since I was in London so looking forward to it. HMS Belfast, i'd forgotten about that one. Kids will love it.

Cheers

 

Museum of London


FREE ENTRY
Mon-Sun: 10am – 6pm
Closed 24-26 Dec
Galleries begin to close at 5.40pm
- See more at: http://www.museumoflondon.org.uk/london-wall/visiting-us/#sthash.j8Yl2XRx.dpuf

 

National Army museum is worth a look ,and try the Guards chapel ,St Paul's and surrounding area ,even St Katherine's Dock ,I would suggest looking through the Blitz Then And Now by After The Battle.

 

The Royal Maritime Museum at Greenwich. And the memorial to the disaster at Bethnal Green tube station (though not everyone likes the style of it.)

 

Unfortunately the National Army Museum closed on May 30 for a two year rebuild.

 

It does make you wonder 100 years of Great War , 70th of WW2 and all that so increased footfall ,and we close for 2 years ? don't what to be to busy do we.Never mind Mons Great War museum is closed till 2015!
Any way Docklands museum has a fair WW2 section .

 

I'm also visiting London soon and so far the National Army museum is closed until 2015 & the IWM won't re-open until after I leave.

Depending on when Biggles visits he might miss the IWM too (closed until August this year, I think).

So far my main aims will be the Churchill War Rooms & a trip to Hendon. I also plan on going to Tankfest at Bovington - lucky coincidence that it is the same time I planned on being in England.

 

As it's easy to get to from London would recommend Chatham Historic Naval Dockyard ,includes a WW2 destroyer and well worth a visit and whilst there on to the REs museum .

 

Quite a few interesting suggestions, won't be there until September 2015 so hopefully the IWM will have re-opened. Thanks to all.

 

IWM is supposed to re-open on 19 July.

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

 

Just in London for a few days and I have to agree with Ron & Drew - I took the river boat from the Tower of London to Westminster Pier from which I got a good view of HMS Belfast. Inside the Tower grounds is the museum of the Fusiliers plus a nice looking 25 pounder field gun (see attached).

As for Bernard's comments regarding actual WW2 evidence, one thing pointed out on our tour and very noticeable from our position on the bus is the remaining pockmarks from exploding bombs on the outside of St Clements Dane church - which is now the RAF chapel in London. Out the front are statues (of Park & Harris I think?) - I hope to visit there over the next few days.

Along Whitehall are Churchill's War Rooms - which I also plan on visiting soon. A statue of Churchill is in Parliament Square plus there are statues of Slim, Alanbrooke & Montgomery along Whitehall (also on my list to photograph).

 

The Churchill War Rooms (also known as the Cabinet War Rooms) is well worth a visit. If you do go allow sufficient time to fully appreciate the 'Churchill Museum' interactive section.

This is a link to their website (part of the I.W.M. family):
http://www.iwm.org.uk/visits/churchill-war-rooms

Photography is allowed - encouraged even. I visited this museum in May 2014 (my second visit) and found it very informative especially about Churhill's life (some photographs included as a 'sampler' for you)

1. Churchill War Rooms (main entrance)

2. Chiefs of Staff Conference Room

3. Churchill Museum (about Clementine)

 

Thanks RV - it is definitely on my list for the next day or so (when I get back from my day trip to Stafford / Manchester).

I also believe that both the British museum & the London museum have a few things of interest so in the absence of the IWM & the NAM while I am here I will give them a run too.

 

DaveB:

The statues outside St Clement Danes church just off London's Strand commemorate Bomber Harris and Lord Dowding (see attached photographs). London has many interesting and 'free' things to see connected to the war years if one knows what to look for.

Photographs (statues in front of St Clement Danes Church, Westminster):

1. 'Bomber' Harris

2. Lord Dowding

 

Cheers RV - I was close with my guesses of who the statues were of.


Something else I noticed while traveling in a Double-Decker bus up Old Kent Road (where we are staying) to New Kent Road are memorials on the side of Driscoll House - I will let Wiki pick things up:

The building was eventually bought by Terence Driscoll, founder of the International Language Club in Croydon. He renamed the building after himself, and two plaques were later added to the front of the building in remembrance of the 335,451 men and women of the Commonwealth (left plaque) and the 292,131 Americans (right plaque), who gave their lives in the two World Wars.

The plaques were unveiled on 13 August 1995. The left plaque was unveiled by Mr Driscoll, and the right plaque was unveiled by representative of Admiral William James Crowe, US Ambassador to the UK from 1994 to 1997.


Attached is a photo of one of the plaques, the best way to see them is from the top of the Double-Decker bus, but it doesn't lend itself to taking great photos for numpties like me. I will see if I can get the other one somehow.