Armoury

Building No.5 is the original Armoury, built in 1926. It contains a comprehensive collection of both ground based and airborne weaponry together with the country's most complete collection of original 1940 uniforms, flying equipment and insignia as worn by both sides of the conflict, as well as personal items donated to the Museum by pilots, both Allied and German, who fought in the Battle of Britain.

There is also the "Wall of Honour" which carries the autographs of over 600 Battle of Britain pilots and aircrew, some famous and many not so. An impressive collection of over 300 Battle of Britain fine art prints, carrying the signatures of many of 'The Few', by some of the country's most accomplished aviation artists, is also displayed throughout the building.

One of our most prized exhibits in this building is the case containing the actual service uniform worn at the time by Sir Hugh Dowding, the architect of the plans to protect the country during the summer of 1940, his dress sword, and a number of other items relating to him. All these were donated to the Museum by the late Lady Dowding.

In 2017 the Museum was extremely proud to have been chosen from amongst many national and provincial museums around the world, including New Zealand, Canada, America and the United Kingdom, to receive some of the personal effects of the late Air Chief-Marshal Sir Keith R. Park, who commanded No.11 Group during the Battle of Britain and who was, arguably, the second most important figure in the battle to Air Chief-Marshal Sir Hugh Dowding. These items were acquired by his friend and neighbour Don Lobban after Sir Keith's death. They will be on show from 2018 in a purpose-built display close to the personal effects of Lord Dowding. Don donated these items partly because of the Museum's well-known ethos of both commemoration of and education on the Battle of Britain, but also as one of the few organisations that could protect his copyright on some of the items that will feature in a book he is writing on Sir Keith Park.

Items donated by the families of such famous airmen as Group Captain Douglas Bader and Wing Commander 'Bob' Stanford-Tuck together with relatively unknown Sergeant-Pilots can be seen. In the Luftwaffe Gallery you can see many items donated by former Luftwaffe pilots and aircrew as well as a couple of items relating to Commander-in-Chief of the Luftwaffe, Reichsmarschall Her-mann Göring.

Finally, there is a small display dedicated to the First World War, which includes items from Trench Warfare through to the Zeppelin and Gotha bomber raids on Great Britain, the first 'Battle of Britain' .

Note. All weapons in this building and throughout the Museum have been deactivated in accordance with Home Office guidelines and are incapable of being chambered or fired.