Eleanor Pulfer | BBC Celebrity Antiques Road Trip visit to Bentley Priory Museum

BBC Celebrity Antiques Road Trip visit to Bentley Priory Museum

It was a privilege to welcome Blue Peter’s Sarah Greene and Peter Duncan to Bentley Priory Museum in July 2016, as part of their Celebrity Antiques Road Trip adventures.

Museum Trustee Natasha Brown thoroughly enjoyed showing aviation enthusiast Sarah Greene and antiques expert Catherine Southon around the Museum, highlighting the pivotal role that Air Chief Marshal Sir Hugh Dowding and The Dowding System played during the Battle of Britain.

The episode aired on BBC on Wednesday 14 December- if you missed it or want to watch it again, it is currently available on Iplayer:

www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b085z8kl

Eileen Younghusband (4 July 1921 – 2 September 2016)

At the age of 19, Eileen Younghusband (nee Le Croissette) volunteered for service with the Women’s Auxiliary Air Force (WAAF). She was trained as a Filterer Officer, sent initially to 10 Group and later transferred to Headquarters Fighter Command at RAF Bentley Priory. As required at the time, Eileen signed the Official Secrets Act and did not speak of her wartime work for 30 years.

Eileen became an incredible advocate for her generation, highlighting the remarkable contribution of ‘ordinary’ men and women who worked within The Dowding System. Eileen’s book ‘One Woman’s War’ gives an invaluable insight into the work that was undertaken, and in 2016 a revised version was written and published for children – to engage younger generations with this important history.

Eileen was also a vocal supporter of Bentley Priory Museum, and supported its creation in 2013 – particularly the recreation of The Filter Room. A bronze cast model of Eileen stands proudly in this gallery within the Museum. Her story and contribution will not be forgotten.

Bentley Priory Museum is awarded £1 million libor funding to enhance learning and access

Bentley Priory Museum is delighted to announce that it has been awarded £1 million from the Armed Forces Covenant (Libor) funding.

The funding will enable the Museum to significantly enhance its Learning Centre and resources, aiding its development as an important and inspiring educational environment to support the learning of school children and families.

The Chair of the Museum’s governing Trust, Sir Brian Burridge, has expressed the Museum’s appreciation for the funding:

”The Trust is very grateful to have been allocated this significant grant for our museum from the Libor fund. Given that Bentley Priory is the place from where the Battle of Britain was won, we are now ready to embark on an exciting project to bring the inspirational stories of the time to the widest possible audience and thus ensure that future generations are aware of its significance in the Nation’s history.’

Bob Blackman, MP for Harrow East, has congratulated the Museum: ‘This funding will allow the museum to grow into an all-encompassing educational environment, teaching the values of leadership and comradeship, as well as displaying the technology and skills involved in the Dowding System and the important role of women in the war.”

75th Anniversary Events, September 2015

75th Anniversary Events, September 2015

To commemorate the 75th Anniversary of the Battle of Britain, we will be increasing the Museum’s opening days and hosting a series of events and throughout September 2015.

Sundays in September: Museum Opening, 10am-5pm

The Museum is usually closed on Sundays, but will open on Sunday 6 September, Sunday 13 September, Sunday 20 September and Sunday 27 September.

Please note, advance tickets are needed for Sunday 20 September due to performances of a new one act musical ‘Fighter Command and the Battle for Britain and will be available from 3 August.

Admission tickets on 6, 13 and 27 September can be purchased on the day of your visit at the Museum’s Reception.

Tuesday 15 September: Historic Flypast (Museum open 10am-5pm)

Boultbee Flight Academy’s historic flypast on ‘Battle of Britain Day’, Tuesday 15 September include plans for 6 fighter aircraft to fly over Bentley Priory Museum.

The 15th of September 1940 was an important day in the Battle, when the Luftwaffe co-ordinated large bombing raids over London and the South of England, but lost a significant amount of aircraft.

To commemorate 75 years since Battle of Britain day in 1940, Boultbee Academy have organised for 40 Spitfires and Hurricanes to take part in a historic flypast.

The aircraft will all take off from Goodwood, before flying different routes around the South East of England. Details of the routes can be found here, with timings to be confirmed soon.http://www.battleofbritainday.co.uk/#!routes/c1

‘Fighter Command and the Battle for Britain’: A new one act musical commissioned for the 75th Anniversary of the Battle of Britain.

‘Fighter Command and the Battle for Britain’ will be performed 6 times over 3 days by Tonic choir and young people from St John’s School, Grimsdyke School and Harrow Youth Choir.

Advance tickets are required for all performances, and will not be available on the day. Tickets will go on sale on 3 August 2015 at 10.30am from the Museum’s Reception or 020 8950 5526.

Saturday 19 September, 11am & 12.30pm performances: Tonic Choir & students from St John’s School

Sunday 20 September, 11am & 12.30pm performances: Tonic Choir & students from Grimsdyke School

Saturday 26 September, 11am-12.30pm performances: Tonic Choir & young people from Harrow Youth Choir

The musical has been composed by Philip Barnett and Bryan Kesselman and funded by the Arts Council England and the Heritage Lottery Fund.

Advance Tickets: Saturday 19 September, Sunday 20 September & Saturday 26 September

On 19, 20 & 26 September Advance Tickets are needed.

On all other days that the Museum is open, admission can be purchased on the day of your visit from the Museum’s Reception.

There will be 3 ticket types, which will be available for purchase on 3 August at 10.30am from the Museum’s Reception or on 020 8950 5526.

Ticket 1: 11am performance of ‘Fighter Command & the Battle of Britain’ and general entry to the Museum. Standard admission rates apply.

Ticket 2: 12.30pm performance of ‘Fighter Command & the Battle of Britain’ and general entry to the Museum. Standard admission rates apply.

Ticket 3: General entry to the Museum after 1pm, at discounted rate of £5.00. Please note this is a timed ticket and admission will not possible until after 1pm.

Saturday 19 September: Flypast

A flypast from the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight (BBMF) has been requested for Saturday 19 September at 3.00pm.

Please note that the flypast is subject to weather conditions and cannot be guaranteed.

Sunday 20 September: Wreath Laying

A wreath will be laid at 1.30pm at Bentley Priory Museum, to remember the brave men and women who won the Battle of Britain in the skies and on the ground 75 years ago.

Saturday 26 September: Vintage Hair & Make-Up

Victory Rolls and 1940s make-up will be available between 12.00-3.00pm, by an experienced vintage hair and make-up artist.

Activity costs: £2 per young person under 16, £3 per adult (admission tickets are required for entry to the Museum).

17,000 Reasons to Remember: Temporary Exhibition on the contribution of Polish Aircrew during World War II, Wednesday 9 September – Saturday 3 October.

This important temporary exhibition will highlight the contribution of the Polish Aircrew during World War II, through the stories of Polish Air Force veterans and their families who were recently interviewed by young people.

Their stories represent the incredible histories of 17,000 Polish Air Crew during World War II.

The project is in partnership with Aik Saath: Together as One and MAPIS CIC and funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund ‘Young Roots’ grant.

Historic Flypast over Bentley Priory Museum on Battle of Britain Day, 15 September

Boultbee Flight Academy’s historic flypast on ‘Battle of Britain Day’, Tuesday 15 September include plans for 6 fighter aircraft to fly over Bentley Priory Museum.

The 15th of September 1940 was an important day in the Battle, when the Luftwaffe co-ordinated large bombing raids over London and the South of England, but lost a significant amount of aircraft.

To commemorate 75 years since Battle of Britain day in 1940, Boultbee Academy have organised for 40 Spitfires and Hurricanes to take part in a historic flypast.

Bentley Priory Museum will be open on ‘Battle of Britain Day’, 10am-5pm.

(Flypast subject to weather conditions).

Battle of Britain 75th Anniversary Stamps

The Operations Room at Bentley Priory features in the Royal Mail’s new commemorative stamps for the 75th Anniversary of the Battle of Britain.

The six special stamps will be available to buy from 16 July from 8,000 Post Office branches, online at www.royalmail.com/battleofbritain and by calling 03457 641 641.

Andrew Hammond, the Director of Stamps and Collectibles at Royal Mail highlighted the importance of the new stamps which ‘pay tribute to the men and women who helped protect Great Britain from the formidable threat of the Luftwaffe 75 years ago. It is fitting that these stamps will help us remember the debt that we will forever owe them”.

The Royal Mail will also mark the anniversary with a special postmark on all stamped UK mail between 16 and 18 July, reading ’75th Anniversary Battle of Britain’ and will have Royal Mail vans with the images on near to RAF bases.

Flight Lieutenant Owen Burns (1915 – 2015)

Flight Lieutenant Owen Valentine Burns was a air gunner on Bristol Blenheims during the Britain of Britain.

Born in 1915, Burns volunteered for the RAF at the beginning of October 1939. He became an air gunner and in May 1940 was posted to 235 Squadron at Bircham Newton in Norfolk, which was part of Coastal Command and was equipped with Bristol Blenheims.

235 Squadron was assigned to Fighter Command to replace losses during the Battle for France. Burns flew with 235 Squadron throughout the Battle of Britain, either from the Squadron’s base or on detachment at St Eval in Cornwall or Thorney Island near Portsmouth.

Because the Bristol Blenheim lacked the speed of single-engined fighters, Squadron duties were mainly aerodrome protection and fighter escort to aircraft crossing the Channel.

Returning from a dusk patrol over the North Sea on 14 February 1941, Burns was caught in an enemy raid. The aircraft crashed on landing as the flare path had been extinguished. The navigator was killed and the pilot spent a year in hospital, but he escaped with a broken collar bone.

He was later with 279 Squadron, and was commissioned in 1943. In January 1945 he was appointed Gunnery Officer for 19 Group, Plymouth and a month later he became PA to AOC, AVM CBS Spackman. Burns left the RAF in 1949.

Owen Burns was a great supporter of the creation of the Museum at Bentley Priory.

The photograph shows Burns with fellow Battle of Britain Veteran William Walker at Bentley Priory, during the restoration works.

17,000 Reasons to Remember: Commemorating the Contribution of Polish Aircrew during WWII

Bentley Priory Museum was privileged to welcome Polish veterans and their families at the weekend, to be interviewed by young people from Aik Saath: Together as One.

These incredible veterans included a member of the Guinea Pig Club and a Fighter Pilot who took part in D-Day Operations – which was particularly apt as interviewing was done on 6 June, the 71st Anniversary of D-Day.

The oral history interviews are part of a project funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund to commemorate the contribution of Polish Aircrew during WWII.

The invaluable stories from these interviews will be integrated into a touring exhibition that will be on display at Bentley Priory Museum in September.

The veterans visit to the Museum was organised by MAPIS, who also supported the young people to interview the veterans.

Flight Lieutenant William James ‘Bill’ Green (23 April 1917 – 7 November 2014)

Flight Lieutenant Bill Green was a Battle of Britain Fighter Pilot.

Green flew Hawker Hurricanes for 9 days during the Battle of Britain, between 20-29 August. During this time, he was shot down twice. On 24 August he was shot down and crash landed at Hawkinge, and on 29 August he was shot down over Deal in Kent.

Green was born in 1917 in Bristol and left school aged 14 to work in a cardboard box factory. In 1936, Green joined the Royal Auxiliary Air Force as an engine fitter and later trained as a pilot.

On 19 August 1940, Green joined 501 Squadron. He had less than 200 hours flying time and less than 7 hours on Hurricanes when he was sent into action on 20 August 1940. Green considers himself to have been one of the least trained pilots during the Battle of Britain and lucky to have survived.

On August 24, Green’s 501 squadron based at Hawkinge in Kent was scrambled to intercept a raid against the nearby airfield at Manston. Green closed in to attack an enemy dive-bomber when his aircraft was hit by the airfield’s anti-aircraft fire. His Hurricane was badly damaged and the engine stopped, but he managed to glide to Hawkinge, where he discovered half the undercarriage had been shot away. He crash-landed and scrambled from the wrecked aircraft.

The first thing Green knew of being shot down on 29 August 1940 was a large hole appearing in his armoured windscreen and he never saw the aircraft that shot him down. He managed to exit his aircraft but his parachute initially failed. His boots were ripped off his feet during the ensuing high-speed fall. As he fell towards tree-tops, the parachute eventually opened and he landed in a farm in Folkestone. Green had been hit in the leg and was unable to walk. Two men came out of the farmhouse with shotguns and once they realised Green was British, took him inside for a cup of tea.

Green did not fly again during the Battle of Britain, but once recovered he continued to serve with the RAF.

Wing Commander Robert William (‘Bob’) Foster DFC, AE (14 May 1920 – 30 July 2014)

Wing Commander ‘Bob’ Foster flew Hurricane fighters during the Battle of Britain, when he was credited with destroying and damaging a number of enemy aircraft; later in the war he destroyed at least five Japanese aircraft while flying from airfields in northern Australia.

Robert William Foster was born in 1920, in Battersea in South London. After leaving school, he worked for Shell and BP and became a member of the RAFVR in 1939. He was called up as war was about to be declared.

Foster was commissioned in June 1940. In July 1940 he was posted to No 605 (County of Warwick) Squadron, then at Drem near Edinburgh.

On September 7, having re-fuelled at Abingdon, so as not to be low on fuel in the area of most action, the squadron arrived at Croydon, as the first large attack on London was taking place. From the next day the squadron was suffering casualties. Foster remembers one occasion when, from the air, he could see bombs exploding in the vicinity of his family home at Clapham, however the house only suffered broken windows.

With a damaged engine on September 27, he landed in what appeared to be a Sussex field, but was surprised to realise that an RAF “erk” was standing beside the aircraft. His answer to the question, “Where am I?” was, “You have landed at RAF Gatwick, sir”.

Foster moved to instructing in the autumn of 1941 before becoming a Flight Commander with No 54 Squadron. In 1942 the squadron was sent to Australia as part of the country’s defence against the Japanese, being based first in New South Wales and then at Night Cliff in the Northern Territory. Foster was awarded the DFC on August 13 1943. He returned to the UK, went with the Air Information Unit to the continent in July 1944, before serving at HQ Fighter Command, Bentley Priory and in ground appointments at RAF Bentwaters. He left the RAF in 1947, but later served in the RAuxAF until 1957. Bob Foster was Chairman of the Battle of Britain Fighter Association.