Public History Musings : Daytrip to London: Spies, Nurses and Exploding Rats!

This week's blog emerged after a walking tour around London we had booked to go on was cancelled and so we decided to take it upon ourselves, as 'public historians' to seek out an appropriate replacement. Maria suggested the Imperial War Museum as it is one of her favourites and so we went! Those who are familiar with the IWM will know that it is currently under redevelopment in order to mark the Centenary of the First World War. As a result, not as many exhibitions were open to the public and the inside looked completely alien but this did not affect the overall enjoyment. We visited several exhibits including A Family in Wartime, War Story: Supplying Frontline Afghanistan, Horrible Histories: Spies and Secret War. Secret War was especially interesting as it contains newly released information about the hidden actions of spies throughout twentieth century conflicts which was intriguing and created self reflection for me personally. Videos showed the process members of the 'Special Operations Executive (SOE) –a secret agency formed by the British government to conduct undercover operations during the Second World War' underwent to ensure they were fit to become spies, showing the dedication that these individuals demonstrated in helping the nation. The presence of cyanide pills and various hand-to-hand weapons really brought home the danger these people faced by going into enemy territory, giving me a new respect for those involved in the war effort.

Forged documents used by SOEs

Maria disguised as a civvy

After experiencing Secret War, it was enlightening to then engage with the exhibition designed with children in mind. Being fans of the book series and TV show Horrible Histories, we could not pass up the opportunity and so we diligently completed the activity sheet to fully understand the exhibition from the point of view of a child. (That's the official reason anyway!) This included queueing in order to stamp our activity sheet and dodging children splatting rats on the interactive floor. The Spies exhibition was extremely interactive and educational; in some ways the presentation of the information has ensured that it have stayed with me after the visit. This was achieved through engaging in answering questions about spy techniques, attempting to crack cryptic codes, cycling to power a radio and disguising oneself as a civilian whilst in enemy territory! Although the exhibit did not shy away from more adult issues, including the use of cyanide by captured spies, the Secret War had more of an emotional impact on me, raising the issues of entertainment, personal resonance and education within museums and the difficulty in striking the balance between the three depending on the audience. In this case, I feel it was important for the children to engage in terms of education and entertainment and to allow them time to reflect upon the actions of the spies after the excitement had subsided.

After a delicious lunch, we wandered along the Thames and happened upon this memorial. Ordinarily, I am ashamed to say, I would have ignored this and continued walking but we noticed that it was commemorating the work of the SOEs during WWII. Without having gone to that exhibition, we wouldn't have stopped to look at it, showing that new knowledge can expand your perspective on what deserves your attention and enlighten you about the wider impact it has performed in the world.

S.O.E. memorial

From there, we decided to visit the Florence Nightingale Museum which was much more engaging than I was anticipating. The periods of her life were displayed in circular structures (as the photograph might show) which you were encouraged to explore. Despite only being in one room, we spent quite a while there, learning about her childhood, her work in the Crimean war, her contribution to nursing practises and the changing attitudes towards nursing in general. One of the more interesting activities you could look at was the records for the nurses who served under Ms Nightingale in the Crimea and the varied outcomes from their time there, with quite a few dismissals for drunkenness! Fascinating museum and unusual to have a person focused museum in Britain but very educational.

Here are a few more photos taken throughout the day:

Maria in an Air raid shelter- cosy!

In the Spies exhibition you followed the stories of select spies- Ms Wake cycled 72 hours straight to deliver a message to and from Britain!

Showing off forging skills through giving Hitler a new identity.

Dead rat with explosives inside them to put in German factories- back fired but meant Nazis were reluctant to burn any of the rat corpses, meaning the spread of disease.