The National Archives Open Day 2004

War time poster

Operation Archives: D-Day to VE Day at The National Archives

Saturday 18 September 10:00 - 16:00

A D-Day inspired Open Day at The National Archives in Kew with events to suit all ages. Discover original documents, film, dance, food, music, and clothes from the 1940s. And meet the real heroes, veterans of D-Day from the Royal Star and Garter Home in Richmond.

Deception and Defence

• Follow the family trail and discover documents about deception, decoys and defences
• Join our actor who takes up the story of a Double Agent, Codename Garbo, and learn about the key part that deception played in the plans for D-Day
• Put your best foot forward as costumed performer Captain Llewelyn puts you through your paces in the Home Guard

Domestic Life

• See how people dressed on a ration and kept up with Forties fashion with Kate Hargreaves of Gunnersbury Park Museum
• Pick up a pencil and draw your own poster with artist Karly Allen
• Hear about what life was like as a child in the war as storyteller Pamela Marre weaves history, folk tales and real life stories
• Join our cinema usherette for a taste of wartime propaganda films. Short and entertaining, these films show the different ways people were asked to support the war effort
• Step out with the London Swing Dance Society's Sugar Foot Stompers
• Sample the delights of the wartime kitchen and Forties food with Monica Askay
• Have a go at making your own ration style notebook

D-Day

• Meet the real heroes - D-Day veterans from the Royal Star and Garter Home in Richmond will talk about their experiences and answer audience questions
• See what it was really like as Toby Haggith, film historian at the Imperial War Museum, introduces film of the Normandy invasions, including unedited footage, newsreel and amateur film
• Learn about the use of photographs in the planning for D-Day as Allan Williams, Head of The Aerial Reconnaissance Archives (TARA) at Keele University, demonstrates the new online resource of over 5 million aerial images, www.evidenceincamera.co.uk.

Discover what's in The National Archives

• Go behind the scenes at Britain's biggest archive, witness the building in operation and look at documents relating the local area during the war years
• See our conservation experts at work, try your hand at some of their techniques and see a collection of photographs from the period
• Talk to experts from the Family Records Centre and The National Archives about tracing your own family history

More information

Operation Archives is FREE and there is no need to book in advance. Places are limited for some activities so we advise you to arrive early to avoid disappointment.

For further information contact: +44 (0) 20 8392 5202 or email events@nationalarchives.gov.uk

Please note that there is limited parking on site.

Operation Archives: D-Day to VE Day at The National Archives is part of Archive Awareness Campaign and London Open House weekend.