Lowestoft War Memorial Museum facts for kids
An early photograph of the Lowestoft War Memorial Museum
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| Established | 8 May 1995 |
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| Location | Sparrows Nest Gardens, Lowestoft, Suffolk |
The Lowestoft War Memorial Museum is a special place in Lowestoft, Suffolk, England. It's a museum that remembers local heroes. It is inside the old headquarters of the Royal Naval Patrol Service from World War II. This building is in Sparrows Nest Gardens.
The museum honors all the people from Lowestoft who served in World War I and World War II. It first opened its doors in 1995. This was on May 8th, exactly 50 years after VE Day.
Volunteers run the museum. It is usually open on some weekends and during school holidays in the summer. Inside, you can find a small chapel. There is also a special list, called a roll of honour. This list remembers civilians from Lowestoft who died because of enemy attacks in both World Wars.
The museum has many interesting items and photographs. Some show how the town was defended during wartime. Others show how bombing affected Lowestoft and its people. You can also see items and photos that tell the stories of service members from Lowestoft.
Contents
Discovering the Museum's Past
The area known as Sparrows Nest was once the gardens of a large house. This house belonged to Robert Sparrow, a rich local landowner. He lived there in the early 1800s. The local council bought these gardens in the 1890s.
Sparrows Nest became a popular spot for concerts. In 1913, Lowestoft built a large theatre there. It was called the Pavilion Theatre and could hold 1300 people.
From Home to Headquarters
The museum building itself was built by the Royal Navy. This happened after the site became the main base for the Royal Naval Patrol Service in September 1939. This was during World War II. The base was first called Pembroke X. Later, it was renamed HMS Europa. It stayed a naval base until 1946.
The original thatched house was taken down by the council in the 1960s. Only the brick and concrete parts were left. These parts now house the Lowestoft War Memorial Museum. They also hold the Royal Naval Patrol Service Museum and a café.
Bringing the Museum to Life
Before the 1990s, the museum building was in poor condition. One room downstairs was okay, but the upstairs needed a lot of work. It cost £23,000 to fix up the building. Most of this money was raised by a man named Jack Rose. He sold his local history books and gave slide shows to collect the funds.
Exploring the Exhibits
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A World War II air raid siren, now housed in the museum.
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Original example of a barrow used by boys in Lowestoft to transport servicemen's belongings.
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Memorial board kept in the museum's chapel.
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A photograph of HMS Europa. The sailors are waiting to be given their draft or ship by an officer.
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The museum has many interesting items that tell stories from the wars. You can see a real air raid siren from World War II. This siren would warn people when enemy planes were coming.
There is also an old barrow, which is like a small cart. Boys in Lowestoft used these barrows to help carry things for servicemen. It shows how everyone helped during the war.
Inside the museum's chapel, you can find a special memorial board. This board remembers those who served in World War I. There are also photographs, like one showing sailors at HMS Europa. They are waiting to find out where they will be sent next.
