Imperial War Museum, London

The Imperial War Museum in London was founded in 1917 to house collections of artifacts from the Great War. In 1936 the collection was established in the former Bethleim Royal Hospital on Lambeth Road, in South Kensington, London. The two wings of the hospital had been demolished leaving only the central portion. In 1968 two 15 inch naval guns, one from the HMS Ramilles and the other from HMS Resolution, were mounted in the forecourt. Both were battleships of the Revenge class that served in both the First and Second World Wars, before being scrapped in 1948.

The central hall has been updated in a rather modern and angular style (not particularly my taste). Floating above the hall is a Supermarine Spitfire, German V1 flying bomb and V2 ballistic missile.

Model of HMS Hercules, a Colossus class dreadnought built in 1910. Hercules fought in the Battle of Jutland (1916). The ship was scrapped in 1921.

Early uniforms of the First World War. On the right is a 1914 German uniform.

Russian officer's uniform.

German and French uniform.

Later style uniforms from later in the First World War.

Armour plating.

Gas masks.

Sopwith Camel. An iconic British fighter of the First World War. https://sopwith-aviation.com/sopwith-camel/
It is most famous as being the plane flown by Roy Brown to shoot down the Red Baron (Brown's claim is challenged on this incident and is seems likely Richthofen was actually killed by ground fire from Australian troops). https://www.awm.gov.au/visit/exhibitions/1918/people/rbaron

British Mark IV tank. The British introduced tanks in 1916 but they were terribly unreliable and easy targets for German artillery. The Germans did not see the early tanks as any kind of threat. Tanks however were progressively improved and by 1917 were beginning to have a decisive effect on the battlefield.

I don't believe this is a real tank, but a fibreglass replica. For more information about British First World War tanks, check out the excellent Tank Encyclopedia. http://www.tanks-encyclopedia.com/ww1/ww1-british-tanks.php

The Sopwith Camel makes a strafing run. To the left is a Zeppelin observation car. These were hung from a Zeppelins flying above the clouds and a navigator in the car would provide directions via telephone link. It must have been a terrifying and freezing experience.

The horrors of war had a profound influence on art.

Possibly the best tank of the Second World War - the Soviet T34. Strong, like Mother Russia.
http://www.tanks-encyclopedia.com/ww2/soviet/soviet_T34-85.php

Another view over the entry hall.

Austin staff car.

German BMW R75 with sidecar. The BMW R75

Nazi eagle captured in Germany

Japanese Mitsubishi A6M 'Zero' fighter. http://www.aviation-history.com/mitsubishi/zero.html

The Zero was Japan's premier naval fighter in the Second World War, outclassing all Allied fighter aircraft in 1942. It was faster and more maneuverable than either British or American fighters and it caused carnage in the skies during Japan's lightning war in the Pacific. But the Zero was not invincible and the Allies quickly developed tactics that negated some of its advantages. By 1943 better Allied fighters, such as the Vought Corsair and Grumman Wildcat, were able to out-fight and out-fly the Zero. The Japanese never succeeded in developing a replacement for the Zero.

Britain's premier heavy bomber, the Avro Lancaster. http://www.aviation-history.com/avro/683.htm

Human torpedo

Part of an X-Class Midget submarine

What to do with the returned service men?

After the damage and destruction of the Second World War came the rebuilding. British planners envisaged a new, clean and modern world.



Saddam Hussein tiled mural from Iraq

The IWM London isn't particularly large and its collection isn't as impressive as you'd expect. It's worth a visit if you are in London and have an interest. It took me only half an hour to visit in 2015. One of the problems I observed is that its displays suffer from an overbearing political correctness. Commentary is often bland or irrelevant and context is often completely missing. This is especially notable when compared with the French Great War Museum, which provided excellent context and very moving displays (visit documented here: https://militarymuseum.blogspot.com/2019/07/historial-de-la-grande-guerre-peronne.html). As you will see from the IWM's website, there is a lot of focus on 'feelings' and 'experiences.' https://www.iwm.org.uk/visits/iwm-london

The museum can be visited at:

IWM London
Lambeth Road
London
SE1 6HZ

If you are traveling through the UK, I strongly recommend visiting IWM Duxford. That museum is stunning and well worth several hours. I will be posting up photos from my visit shortly.