Biggin Hill Museum

2017 Heritage Open Days events

2017 Heritage Open Days and two events at St Georges Chapel which may be of interest ;
https://www.heritageopendays.org.uk/visiting/printable-area-lists/town/Biggin%20Hill
‘Battle Of Britain’ month too and worthy of support .

HOD website here and quite a few aviation or military events listed so worth checking out your own local area ; https://www.heritageopendays.org.uk/

From the Chapel website.

The St George’s Chapel which you see today is not the original chapel. Although there was a station church, the idea to create a more permanent memorial chapel at Biggin Hill emerged in 1943 when RAF personnel thought it would be appropriate to have a memorial to the increasing number of aircrew who were being killed on operations from within the Biggin Hill sector, remembering especially those who had died in the Battle of Britain. Further more, there was a desire to commemorate that victory, and mark the destruction of the 1000th German aircraft by fighters from the Biggin Hill sector, which happened in June 1943. Three prefabricated huts, made with steel angle-iron frames and lined with fibreboard, were acquired and placed together to form a single rectangular unit as a chapel, similar in size and layout to today’s chapel. A commemorative service, unveiling and dedicating the Memorial – the reredos – and the Book of Remembrance, was held on Battle of Britain Sunday 19 September 1943.

As Andy said the original Chapel was destroyed by fire in December 1946 and the new Chapel was built on the same site and to resemble the size and shape of the wartime huts.

http://www.rafchapelbigginhill.com/history.html

Just a reminder of how the chapel looked in its original form. It was then burned down and replaced with the current structure.

What, if any, involvement does the modern day RAF have with Biggin Hill and do RAF Chaplin’s administer services in the chapel ? If the answer is yes what is their view on these changes.

Totally agree that what is left of the war time layout, ‘blast pens’ and buildings, ect should be the priority for preservation.

The “mission” statement of the BHMM is

“Protecting, gathering and making known the stories of Biggin Hill and communicating its significant role in shaping the modern world”

Here the significant word is “stories”.

The Charitable objects are

1.TO ADVANCE THE EDUCATION OF THE PUBLIC BY MAINTAINING ST GEORGE’S CHAPEL OF REMEMBRANCE, AND ESTABLISHING AND MAINTAINING AN ASSOCIATED MUSEUM EXHIBITING THE STORY OF WORLD WAR 2 AND THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN, AND 2.TO PRESERVE, FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE NATION, ST GEORGE’S CHAPEL OF REMEMBRANCE, IN MEMORY OF THOSE WHO SERVED IN THE ROYAL AIR FORCE IN WORLD WAR 2 AND FOR HISTORIC INTEREST

The only physical artefact intended to be “preserved” is the Chapel.

That is the object of the Charity and the Lottery grant has been made on that basis.

Take a look at the Trustees to get a better understanding of how the form of the “museum” came about.

My view is that the ship has sailed but perhaps a letter to the Patron Randolph Churchill might help get some physical objects on the airfield brought within the scope of the museum.

We could ask the chairman of the Trustees, Bruce Walker, to respond to this thread and the petition.

To me this project would be better served on the internet where people can browse the history of the personnel that served at BQH. I do not see the educational benefit of visiting a chapel and a new built structure to see information. People are not going to stand and read the sort of information that can be hosted on a website and you visit the Chapel to remember.

The true “experience” of Biggin Hill is a pilgrimage to stand on the same hallowed ground that was trod by heroes. To see the actual watch hut, pens and shelters that were in use at that time. Is it really not possible to do this with all those millions of pounds, and have a website too?

Signed and shared

I cannot see why they couldnt use something like the former gym for aircrew selection. Why mess with a building that was built for religious purposes .

Done

Hi Guys, Please go to my thread to see pictures, I think it is now on page two, look for: Protect Biggin Hill St Georges RAF Chapel.

Here is the link to the petition (I hope):https://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/protect-biggin-hill-st-george-s-raf-chapel-of-remembrance

Signed.

There have been proposals for a museum at the airfield going back many years and when I read about this latest one in the local newspapers I had high hopes that it would finally bring it to reality. But the more I look at the details it just looks like a museum for the sake of a museum and will damage the setting of the Chapel. When you consider the amount of surviving structures from the Second World War period (and that just before it) the idea of making these intrusive modifications to the Chapel just seem like a lazy way out (and quite an expensive way out judging by the Lottery grant, although most of that is because contractors will have to be used).

From memory the West Camp is owned by Formula One Management (FOM) – given the recent change of ownership I wonder whether they would be more receptive to releasing part of the site to allow a museum to be built in one of the original buildings to complement the Chapel compound.

Regards,

Dan

Forgot to add. The designs are horrid.

If you want to preserve something for future generations why ruin it in the process?

If you copy a link from a secondary website like this forum it is likely to be copied in its abreviated form including that nasty little string of punctuation marks which is breaking the link.

You’re best copying the URL from the source website itself.

Not sure what’s going on there, if you click on the link in post two it works, my copied version doesn’t

:apologetic: 404 Error
We’re sorry – we can’t find the page you’re looking for.

Would you like to go to our home page?

Even if you don’t want to sign the petition go to the link posted by Doctor Rita. https://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitio…of-remembrance

It describes the damage that will be done to the chapel, which amounts to nothing more than vandalism. I’m going to contact Historic England, who administer listing of buildings and their protection and who have the power to stop the damage at least.

‘They’ must right. They only have to look at the RAF Museum closing the Battle of Britain Hall to know they are on the right track.
Virtual Reality Battle of Britain anyone?
mmitch.

Paul I totally agree, it is a RAF chapel after all, and should reflect the RAF’s role, including those non British members of the service. I would also like to see the ground crews and backroom staff recognized.
I think there is a generational thing here. Growing up in the 70’s and early 80’s WW2 was still a big issue, everybody then over 50 played had their part. I grew up with a WW1 Somme artillery veteran one side and a WW2 RAF ground crew veteran the other. There was still that underling current of anti German and Japanese sentiment. Things have changed, the RAFM feel the Battle of Britian is no longer a centerpiece and most of the population under 40 have never met a WW2 veteran.
Its crazy that there are more WW2 aircraft flying than since the early 50’s so people still have a massive interest in the conflict. However there has been a creep on how the conflict is portrayed in museums. No more good and bad sides, a bit like non competitive sport in schools, no mention of winners. Just junk all the exhibits and end up like IWM North!

In your last succinctly phrased paragraph you say everything I would have said myself.

Thank you.

Quote from the Interpretation Plan.
[QUOTE]Tone of Voice
There is a wariness of hearing what feels like an old fashioned, one-sided
story, with the Allies presented as the victors and the other side presented
one-dimensionally or insensitively. There is also, particularly amongst young
people , a reluctance to hear stories
that reduce either side into archetypes – good and bad, heroes and villains.
There is a reluctance not to hear both sides of the story; a feeling that this
would be a whitewashing ,
and international audiences in particular were not interested in hearing stories
that just focussed on the UK .
There is also an appetite for hearing the contemporary consequences of this
important story – ‘why we don’t live in a fascist world’ .
Families consulted were keen for the story not to be too sombre; rather, to
be a celebration

At least they didn’t say that: ‘it’s a unique building designed by an iconic architect …..’!