Curator Dan has been busy introducing new displays to the museum to keep the museum fresh and informative.
Among some of the new displays introduced for the 2025 season cover display subjects such as…
Operation Market Garden
Operation Overlord – D-Day
Tragedy at Lyme Bay and D-Day training at Slapton
Battle of the Bulge and the Ardennes
As well as the display subjects above we have also incorporated some new never-seen before personal memorabilia including:
- WAAF Balloon and Parachute packer, including letters from air crew giving thanks having actually used one of her parachutes to bale-out of their burning Lancaster Bombers!
- Uniform to Squadron Leader Coates and his personal story, Coates was commander of 454 RAAF Squadron, flying American Lend Lease Baltimore medium bombers in operations in 1943 during World War Two. He was also involved in the senior planning of Operation Huskey – the allied invasion of Sicily.
- Uniform and personal flying kit to a Spitfire Ace Flt. Lt. Arthur William Varey who flew from RAF Warmwell and RAF Kenley as well as flying from Malta. Flt. Lt. Varey was credited with 6 aerial victories! Come and read his story at the museum.
- Original Uniform from an Operation Market Garden C-47 Pathfinder pilot who was tragically shot down during the opening phases of the operation. Lt. Chauvin was MIA (Missing in Action) until he was finally recovered and laid to rest in 2022. On display is his original uniform (with thanks to his daughter Linda) and parts from his aircraft.
We also received some large items from the Hawker Typhoon RB396 Preservation Group including the rear fuselage of a Mk V Tempest and the rear cockpit section from a Mk 1 Typhoon! We would like to thank all the team at Hawker Typhoon RB396 and if you can support them in anyway please do check out their excellent website https://hawkertyphoon.com
At the time of going to press more items are being readied for future display later this year, so please do visit us again soon as you never know what you might see!