Uploaded May 2025 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
On the 3 September 1939, the UK Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain addressed the nation on BBC Radio. Hitler had been given an ultimatum: withdraw from Poland by 11am that day or the UK would formally declare war on Germany… it was 11.15.
Chamberlain’s words would have echoed through the halls and galleries of the British Museum, his voice amplified by the emptiness of the vast rooms. The galleries were closed to the public, and even if visitors had turned up, there wouldn’t have been much to look at. Museum staff had been evacuating the collection since 7am on 24 August, and in just eight days (they took Sundays off) the team had already managed to evacuate over 150 tonnes of material.
Join Nick Harris, as he pitches you a display case he would like to see installed in the British Museum galleries. It tells the incredible story of British Museum staff who spent the Second World War protecting the British Museum collections from the threat of Nazi bombers - some of them armed with nothing more than a golf club and a bucket of sand.
This story is obviously enormous, and had to be reduced down for the purposes of this video. If you'd like to find out more about this story, Nick thoroughly recommends reading some of the articles by Marjorie Caygill and Tom Hockenhull on the British Museum during the war. There is plenty still that hasn't been written about during this time - Museum staff working at Bletchley Park as code breakers for one. Nick hopes one day to publish on this, but encourages anyone interested to take up the mantel in the meantime.
00:00 Intro
00:57 What happened to the British Museum in WWII?
02:10 How did the British Museum Prepare for WWII?
02:24 Air Raid Precautions In Museums Picture Galleries and Libraries
03:09 Sir John Forsdyke British Museum Director and Principal Librarian
03:21 Dr Harold Plenderleith British Museum Science Laboratory
03:37 John and Harold's 4 step plan for protecting your collection from Nazi Bombers
03:56 Fire in Museums and Safehouses
04:50 Damp in Museums and Safehouses
05:10 The Beginning of Science in Museums
08:56 Priority Lists British Museum
09:50 Speed
12:07 Where did the British Museum store Objects in WWII?
14:15 Bomb Damage to British Museum in WWII
16:32 May 10-11 1941 Blitz British Museum
19:40 Nazi risk spreads
20:05 Westwood Quarry British Museum Store WWII
21:00 Sir John Forsdyke Air Raid Precaution Handbook
21:54 The Legacy of Dr Harold Plenderleith
22:30 1980s update to WWII story
23:29 Conclusion
#VE80 #history #ww2
On the 3 September 1939, the UK Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain addressed the nation on BBC Radio. Hitler had been given an ultimatum: withdraw from Poland by 11am that day or the UK would formally declare war on Germany… it was 11.15.
Chamberlain’s words would have echoed through the halls and galleries of the British Museum, his voice amplified by the emptiness of the vast rooms. The galleries were closed to the public, and even if visitors had turned up, there wouldn’t have been much to look at. Museum staff had been evacuating the collection since 7am on 24 August, and in just eight days (they took Sundays off) the team had already managed to evacuate over 150 tonnes of material.
Join Nick Harris, as he pitches you a display case he would like to see installed in the British Museum galleries. It tells the incredible story of British Museum staff who spent the Second World War protecting the British Museum collections from the threat of Nazi bombers - some of them armed with nothing more than a golf club and a bucket of sand.
This story is obviously enormous, and had to be reduced down for the purposes of this video. If you'd like to find out more about this story, Nick thoroughly recommends reading some of the articles by Marjorie Caygill and Tom Hockenhull on the British Museum during the war. There is plenty still that hasn't been written about during this time - Museum staff working at Bletchley Park as code breakers for one. Nick hopes one day to publish on this, but encourages anyone interested to take up the mantel in the meantime.
00:00 Intro
00:57 What happened to the British Museum in WWII?
02:10 How did the British Museum Prepare for WWII?
02:24 Air Raid Precautions In Museums Picture Galleries and Libraries
03:09 Sir John Forsdyke British Museum Director and Principal Librarian
03:21 Dr Harold Plenderleith British Museum Science Laboratory
03:37 John and Harold's 4 step plan for protecting your collection from Nazi Bombers
03:56 Fire in Museums and Safehouses
04:50 Damp in Museums and Safehouses
05:10 The Beginning of Science in Museums
08:56 Priority Lists British Museum
09:50 Speed
12:07 Where did the British Museum store Objects in WWII?
14:15 Bomb Damage to British Museum in WWII
16:32 May 10-11 1941 Blitz British Museum
19:40 Nazi risk spreads
20:05 Westwood Quarry British Museum Store WWII
21:00 Sir John Forsdyke Air Raid Precaution Handbook
21:54 The Legacy of Dr Harold Plenderleith
22:30 1980s update to WWII story
23:29 Conclusion
#VE80 #history #ww2
