Friday Morning Talks

Join us on Zoom for a new Online Talk and discover the world of Battle of Britain archaeology! As a boy living near RAF Fighter Command's famous Biggin Hill airfield in 1940 Terry Parsons had a death-defying encounter with a hail of bullets from a low flying Dornier 17. It was this haunting experience that … Continue reading Online Talk: The Wreck Hunter: Battle of Britain & the Blitz

Join us on Zoom for a new Online Talk and discover the fascinating story of Sir Archibald McIndoe and the Guinea Pig Club! Sir Archibald McIndoe was based at the Queen Victoria Hospital, East Grinstead, during WWII. An eminent plastic surgeon, he pioneered techniques in plastic surgery, rebuilding the bodies of the airmen who had … Continue reading Online Talk: Sir Archibald McIndoe, Pioneering Plastic Surgeon & the Guinea Pig Club

FROM F-4 PHANTOM TO A-10 WARTHOG Join us for our Friday Morning Talk by speaker Steve Ladd, who will share his experiences in the US Air Force flying the F-4 Phantom and A-10 Warthog. Colonel Steve Ladd, DFC, MSc, BSc was a career USAF officer, fighter pilot and commander for 28 years. During his career, … Continue reading Friday Morning Talks: Memoirs of a Cold War USAF Fighter Pilot

Join us on Zoom for a new Online Talk and hear the first hand account of Air Marshal Cliff Spink's experiences as a Cold War pilot and commander! This talk will be presented by AM Cliff Spink and is available to join FREE through funding from the National Lottery Heritage Fund. In this exciting new … Continue reading Online Talk: My Cold War – Fighters and Lots More

How do you rehabilitate Nazis? Join us for our next Friday Morning Talk, by Robert Bieber MBE, Visiting Research Fellow in War Studies at King's College, London. Robert will talk about prisoners of England at the end of WW2, the national effort to de-radicalise former enemies, and the remarkable tale of Jewish Army Officers who … Continue reading Friday Morning Talks: British POW Camps & the Denazification Process

Join us for our next Friday Morning Talk, by Graham Murchie, Trustee at Bawdsey Radar. Graham will give a brief history of early radar, and share the events leading up to the development of a viable system and the establishment of the world’s first operational radar station at Bawdsey in Suffolk, with a focus on … Continue reading Friday Morning Talks: The Eyes of the Few

Join us for our next Friday Morning Talk, by Air Marshal ‘Black’ Robertson! In this talk, AM Robertson discusses how he came to pen the story of two improbably fortunate individuals – one a decorated Spitfire ace whose brief wartime career was ended by injury and the other, a Cold War flier who retired in … Continue reading Friday Morning Talks: Like Father, Like Son: A Story of Two Airmen

Join us for a special Saturday Morning Talk by Dr Anush Yardim and discover the fascinating story of Beatrice Shilling, a British female WWII engineer, and her important work on the Rolls-Royce Merlin engine, used in Spitfires and Hurricanes! Please note that this talk is taking place on Saturday 13th November at 11am. By Dr … Continue reading Saturday Morning Talk: Beatrice Shilling – Full Throttle!

Join us for our next Friday Morning Talk, by Evan Panagopoulos, Tour Guide and Freelance Researcher! Evan will talk about the surprising history of the mansion formerly known as Battle of Britain House, whose ruins lie forgotten inside Ruislip Woods. From humble beginnings as a farmstead, the House became a pioneering wellness centre, and was … Continue reading Friday Morning Talks: Forgotten Histories of the Battle of Britain House

Join us on Zoom for a new Online Talk and discover the history of Bomber Command and its role during the Battle of Britain! In this talk, Dave Gilbert will describe the task of gathering the names of the 58,500 losses that are inscribed on the memorial walls at the International Bomber Command Centre, and … Continue reading Online Talk: The IBCC Losses Project & Bomber Command’s Role in the Battle of Britain