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The Second World War

The First World War was the first of the industrial wars where the machine gun, the tank, the aeroplane and artillery were to devastate the battlefield and take the lives of countless thousands of young men.  Germany's defeat in 1918 produced only a short period of peace in Europe with many countries suffering from revolution and violent upheaval.  In Russia the Communist Party siezed power whilst Hitler's Nazi's Party gained control in Germany. 

The Second World War was truly a total war involving everyone including civilians. With rationing, war work and the threat of enemy bombing raids, for the first time everybody risked their life. The introduction of large numbers of tanks onto the battlefield by all sides prevented a repeat of the static trench warfare of the First World War and saw fast moving, mobile battles dominating the conflict. The loss of life on all sides, especially in Russia, meant that the Second World War was the most devastating war in human history.

Hands on History has put together a collection of uniforms, equipment and weapons for British, American, Russian and German soldiers as well as for British airman and sailors. Our use of the personal accounts of local veterans and their families in our presentations brings home to everybody how recent these conflicts are and the profound effect they still have on all of our lives.

The uniforms and equipment, much of it original, are available for everybody to try on and our wide range of deactivated firearms are there for all ages to handle.  Our trained staff are available to answer any questions and help everyone enjoy this activity in a safe and controlled manner.

At our camp, displays of life on the Homefront include gas masks for all the family, ration and ID cards and the uniforms and equipment of the Homeguard, The Air Raid Wardens and the National Fire Service.