All Aboard: Stories of War At Sea
Special Exhibitions Gallery, 17 July 2010 – April 2011
FREE ENTRY www.iwm.org.uk/north
Jump aboard and test your sea legs at this major new exhibition for families at Imperial War Museum North in Manchester. Get hands on with activities for all the family in the Imperial War Museum’s first ever large-scale exhibition to look at life at sea in wartime.
Action-packed and interactive, this is a great day out for visitors of all ages. Ever imagined what it would be like to be a sailor? Try out some ‘Jackspeak’ and see if naval clothing would keep you warm on the icy deck of a warship in the Arctic. Discover the naval origins of many everyday words and phrases and find out why you might find a reindeer on a battleship. Learn which animals have sailed the oceans and why, from cats and dogs to Tirpitz the pig.
Embark on a voyage of discovery through some of the most momentous events in British history - from the First World War to the present day. Immerse yourself in the vast scale of the oceans and ships, while discovering moving real life stories of bravery, adventure, suffering and survival. See and hear what life was like at sea through the words and voices of people who were there.
This free exhibition contains many objects on public display for the first time, including part of a ship’s gun damaged during the first sea battle of the First World War, medals awarded for bravery at Dunkirk, and a uniform worn by a woman who worked on preparations for D-Day.
All Aboard: Stories of War at Sea is timed to mark the anniversaries of some of the most significant and dramatic moments in British history. This year is the 70th anniversary of the Battle of the Atlantic and the evacuation of Dunkirk, while the exhibition also includes powerful stories from more recent conflicts, marking the 20th anniversary of the first Gulf War for example.
Ship-Shape Saturdaysat the Museum are packed with even more family fun - from craft to theatrical performances - for the duration of the exhibition. Get a feel for historic naval items in our object handling sessions. Join one of our Animals and War sessions to meet ship's cat Simon, then spot him in the exhibition.
Find Imperial War Museum North at the Quays, Manchester. Although no longer a working port, in the Second World War, the Quays, then called the Port of Manchester, was a busy hub for merchant ships bringing in their vital cargoes from overseas. Come and explore how the Merchant Navy struggled against the odds to keep Britain supplied during the Battle of the Atlantic. See how many of our possessions are still supplied by the Merchant Navy today.
Uncover more remarkable objects from war at sea in the Museum’s Main Exhibition Space, such as the bell of the enormous liner, Lusitania, sunk by a German U-boat in 1915. Don’t miss the lifebelt recovered from HMS Indefatigable, sunk in 1916 at the Battle of Jutland, the last and largest of the great sea battles. Then take home an array of ship-shape toys from the Imperial War Museum North shop – from soft rats to dough boy hats.
Jim Forrester, Imperial War Museum North Director, said: “As an island nation, the extraordinary courage and sacrifice of men and women at sea in wartime was hugely important to Britain’s history. With incredible tales of real people involved in dramatic events on the high seas and activities for all the family, All Aboard: Stories of War at Seashows how war at sea has shaped all of our lives. The exhibition is a great, free day out.”
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
STORIES OF BRAVERY AND ADVENTURE AT SEA:
Be inspired by eye witness accounts and true stories of adventure, bravery, loyalty and teamwork - vividly brought to life through artefacts and audio-visual material. Contrast huge oceans and terrifying battles with exciting and moving stories of individual people. Many stories and objects are on public display for the first time:
- Nearly 95 years since the Battle of Jutland during the First World War, hear the story of Harold Gould, who was a 16-year-old signaller on HMS Duke of Edinburgh during the battle.
- Then take a passage through time to the Second World War. Dramatic archive footage shows the explosive end of HMS Barham in 1940. Find out about 17-year old crew member Herbert Moores, who died as the battleship sank.
- In the seventieth year since the 1940 Dunkirk evacuations, be inspired by the actions of Kenneth Gadd, who helped helped save the lives of more than 1,000 soldiers by bringing them back from the Dunkirk beaches.
- The exhibition also marks seventy years since the Battle of the Atlantic during the Second World War. The first civilian woman to be awarded the Lloyds War Medal was Mary Ferguson, who later joined the Women’s Royal Naval Service (Wrens). She survived at sea for 20 days after her ship was torpedoed. Uncover her remarkable true story and see some of her possessions are on public display for the first time in the exhibition.
- As the voyage through time continues, uncover secrets of the deep. Imagine life under the sea and hear about submariner Trevor Wentworth and his secret operations at the height of the Cold War.
- Travel forward through time again and see what life as a sailor was like in more recent conflicts. 20 years after the first Gulf War, find out about Richard Boswell’s experiences in HMS Manchester during the conflict and its aftermath.
TOP 5 NAVAL PHRASES
Fancy talking like a sailor? You probably already do! You don’t have to live by the sea to pick up the naval lingo. Many well known phrases have naval origins, most dating back to the age of sailing ships. Here’s our top 5:
1. Getting your own back (getting even or having revenge)
If the wind was blowing in the wrong direction when using the toilets toilets (or ‘heads’) on a ship you would ‘get your own back’.
2. Be at loggerheads (arguing)
A loggerhead was a round iron ball at the end of long handle that was used to heat pitch (a type of sticky tar) for sealing deck planks. Arguing sailors often used loggerheads as weapons.
3. Sling your hook (go away)
What one sailor might say to another in the next hammock wanting him to move elsewhere, to sling his hammock somewhere else.
4. Pipe down (Stop talking)
The boatswain piped a signal at the end of the day for lights out and silence.
5. At the sharp end (in danger)
At the bows of the ship, ie at the front.
RELATED EVENTS AND ACTIVITIES:
Fancy Dress Launch Day
Saturday 17 July 2010
All Aboard: Stories of War at Sea will launch on Saturday 17 July 2010 with a special fancy dress Ship-Shape Saturday. Come dressed to impress and win a special prize on launch day. Why not start your school holidays by coming to the Museum as a little sailor? Or perhaps you fancy yourself as the ship’s cat?
Ship-Shape Saturdays
Learning Studio open 1-4pm every Saturday from 17 July 2010 – 30 April 2011
Ship-Shape Saturdays at the Museum are packed with family fun – from craft to theatrical performances - for the duration of the exhibition.
- Get creative in our special craft sessions. Make your own pop-up character, whether it be Simon the ship’s cat or your own sailor.
- Decorate your own wind-up clockwork character. A ship's mascot or a sailor? You decide!
- Get a feel for historic naval items in our object handling sessions.
- Watch dramatic films and footage from Imperial War Museums Archive.
Ship-Shape Summer
Learning Studio open 1-4pm every day throughout the school summer holidays
Ship-Shape Saturdays are so good that every day is Ship-Shape during the school holidays, as we launch Ship-Shape Summer. Make your own sailors and sea-faring animals, or grasp the chance to handle historic objects from our collections.
Animals Aboard
11.30am, every Saturday 17 July 2010 – 1 May 2011 and Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays throughout school holidays,
Meet cuddly character Simon, the ship’s cat, in our Animals and War Tours. Dress up as the cat who controlled the mice on board ship. Learn how Simon was captured by the enemy for more than 100 days and awarded the Dickin Medal for ‘behaviour of the highest order’. Then spot Simon’s remarkable story in the exhibition.
What a Performance
Main Exhibition Space, 11.15am, 12.15pm, 2.15pm, 3.15pm, every Saturday 17 July 2010 – 30 April 2011
See one of our special, family friendly performances, dramatising stories of bravery, adventure and endurance at sea.
A Closer Look
2.30pm, Meet at Tour point in the Foyer, Tuesdays and Thursdays for the duration of the exhibition (but not during school holidays - see iwm.org.uk/north for updates)
A 20 minute walk and talk around our Main Exhibition Space and Special Exhibitions Gallery taking in key artefacts and moving personal stories to bring the history of war at sea to life.
NOTES TO EDITORS
IMPERIAL WAR MUSEUM NORTH
Open 7 days a week from 10am - 6pm (Nov to Feb 10am - 5pm) with free admission The Quays, TraffordWharf Road, Trafford Park, Manchester M17 1TZ (close to Harbour City Metrolink and Junction 9 of the M60) T: 0161 836 4000 E:iwmnorth@iwm.org.uk www.iwm.org.uk
The multi-award winning Imperial War Museum North is a great free day out for all ages. Designed by world-renowned architect Daniel Libeskind to represent a globe shattered by conflict. it reveals how war shapes lives through powerful exhibitions, the Big Picture (a 360 degree light and sound show), tours, object handling sessions, and family activities all available daily. Visit the cafe, shop and viewing platform offering views over The Quays.
The Museum tells the story of how war has affected the lives of British and Commonwealth citizens since 1914. It is the 5th branch of the Imperial War Museum and the first outside the South East of England. The Museum was named as one of the top Large Visitor Attractions in the country at the Enjoy England Awards for Excellence 2010. It was also named Northwest and Manchester Large Visitor Attraction of the Year 2009 and one of the top 10 buildings of the last century (The Rough Guide to England, 2008).
Imperial War Museum North is a charity and much of the work the Museum does, from unique exhibitions to learning programmes with the local community, relies on the generosity of trusts, foundations, the business community, a corporate members scheme and individual giving. IWM North is extremely grateful to its current and past supporters.
