When I first heard of We’ll Meet Again it was while watching an episode of The Buildings That Fought Hitler because there was a part that included Eden Camp, but what I didn’t know was that this particular programme featured a war museum that I had never heard of. We’ll Meet Again, named after the famous song by Vera Lynn that went viral during the Second World War, was the brainchild of a husband and wife, Paul and Linda Britchford who were passionate about the history of the area they lived at Freiston, Lincolnshire. Originally a mobile war museum that went around visiting schools, after putting a ton of effort into making several large buildings that resemble aircraft hangars, the museum opened in 2018.
The site is far away from civilisation it seems, but this only adds to the peaceful surroundings, but then again this may have been due to the fact I arrived on a quiet day! The car park was easy to get into and after paying an entrance fee we were ushered into the first of several buildings where it was obvious that the owners had spent a long time collecting war memorabilia and had lovingly cared for each artefact. There is so much to see that you can spend several minutes in just a small area taking in the things that showed Britain at war from the Home Front perspective – the food packages, ration books, gas masks, uniforms, ARP badges, Red Cross just to name but a few. A model of a blitz-damaged street brings it home to you the horrors that faced every town and city during the conflict.
Outside there is a mock-up of a police station where a volunteer sits there to answer any questions, the relics dotted around like it was actually 1941 again, a bike resting outside for errands to be run, posters on the wall advertising that the enemy could be listening, to not waste food and to adhere to the blackout rules. A nearby air raid shelter surrounded by sand bags is just one mock-up of what was facing every family as the bombs rained down, good if you were covered in dirt and bricks, not so good if the bomb took a direct hit.
Inside the larger building there are references to the film Lancaster Skies, there is an actual Lancaster bomber simulator and various aircraft hang from the ceiling as the dozens of uniforms adorn the outskirts. There is so much to take in it is clear that they want the public to see the remarkable collection as much as possible without it being too crowded. Stories of the war tell you what was going on through the years, the victories as well as the defeats. Again volunteers on hand to answer any questions and to talk about the history of some of the darkest times Britain had faced in many years.
Back outside the toilet facilities are clean and tidy, again a war theme inside as well as the entire museum is wheelchair accessible. The Ration Book Café has a number of tasty treats and plenty of places to sit, or in the corner the opportunity to purchase some second-hand war books at a very reasonable price (this is not including the gift shop at the entrance).
But this is not all……for there is an area down the grassy track that leads to more wartime relics and the owner directs me to where we later find a number of concrete structures dotted across the edge of the fields. Due to land reclaiming the coastline is now much further away, leaving the coastal defences now looking like they were randomly placed on the edge of a farm. But upon further examination there are buildings hiding below ridges, the remains of an anti-aircraft gun emplacement, the space for a huge searchlight that would look for the bombers heading over the nearby North Sea and guide the gunners so they could aim for a shoot down. The structures are well built, they have survived 80 years, their guns and equipment long gone, but their presence perfect for the museum’s location.
Before I left I interviewed Paul for Richard M. Jones History Bites, my YouTube channel, to highlight this amazing place, one that should be given more publicity, for I recommend it to anybody interested in the Second World War and know that the long journey there is well worth it.
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Richard M. Jones is an author and historian specialising in disasters and shipwrecks along with two World Wars. Spending his time between Hampshire and Yorkshire, he has put up 12 memorials to victims of forgotten tragedies and published 19 books along the way.