List of Objects

Telling a history of our world through objects

Click on the titles in the blue bar below [Location, Theme, Contributor Type, etc.] and then choose a category to see a list of objects - e.g. click Theme and then click War. (All objects have been classified by their contributor.)

You can also chose to see objects from a particular time period by clicking on the dates in the box below.

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Time Periods

Theme / War / 1925 - 1950

  1. Red Cross butter tin from Colditz Castle Red Cross butter tin from Colditz Castle This Canadian Creamery Butter tin comes from Colditz Castle in Germany. The tin was part of a Red Cross parcel, sent to ... Contributed by Individual
  2. Polish Cooking Pot journeyed to Scotland Polish Cooking Pot journeyed to Scotland It belongs to my father-in-law, Leon. His mother took it from the Polish farm where he was born. The pot went with them ... Contributed by Individual
  3. Colossus World's 1st Electronic Computer Colossus World's 1st Electronic Computer Colossus was designed to break the Lorenz cipher, used by German High Command. Contributed by Museum
  4. My Father's Rice Box My Father's Rice Box This box contained my father's daily rice ration when he was a Prisoner of War in Japan. My father was arrested in ... Contributed by Individual
  5. Bomb Disposal Poster from 1942 Bomb Disposal Poster from 1942 This poster came to me from my father, who was in the Royal Engineers as a sapper during the Second World War, in the ... Contributed by Individual
  6. Drinking water vessel from Lifeboat Drinking water vessel from Lifeboat During the Second World War the Merchant Navy sailed back and forth across the dangerous Atlantic keeping supply lines ... Contributed by Individual
  7. Small useful cupboard Small useful cupboard My family moved to Highbridge after the Bath Blitz. A neighbour made the object out of wood packaging from the ... Contributed by Individual
  8. A Japanese flag from Burma in WW2 A Japanese flag from Burma in WW2 One wet Saturday afternoon, when I was in my early teens, I decided to take all the records out of the record cabinet - ... Contributed by Individual
  9. a postcard from Theresienstadt 1944 a postcard from Theresienstadt 1944 This is the only link I have to my grandmother,Sophie Storch, this postcard from Theresienstadt Poland 1944 was a ... Contributed by Individual
  10. Audio Disc - Voices of the Forces Audio Disc - Voices of the Forces Becky Lowe - 12/07/2010 My grandad Kenneth Curley sent messages to his parents on discs such as this between 1942 and ... Contributed by Individual
  11. Eritrean Pipe Eritrean Pipe Acquired by my father in Eritrea in mid 1940's during the British occupation of Ethiopia.This represents a ... Contributed by Individual
  12. Hiroshima Jam Jar Hiroshima Jam Jar This object was recovered from the debris of Hiroshima after the world’s first atomic bomb at the end of World War II. ... Contributed by Individual
  13. souvenir programme from changi prison souvenir programme from changi prison My father, Geoffrey Knight, was one of 6 musicians who made up the Changi Chamber Sextet.They played at Smokey Joe's ... Contributed by Individual
  14. Wooden Toy Spitfire 1940 Wooden Toy Spitfire 1940 Icon of the Battle of Britain and the pivotal events of 1940 following the occupation of Europe and threat of invasion ... Contributed by Individual
  15. D-Day Map D-Day Map This map was left to me by my father who served in the Royal Navy during WW2. He commanded a landing craft that landed ... Contributed by Individual
  16. Shrapnel from V1 Flying Bomb Shrapnel from V1 Flying Bomb This volume of Dickens contains a piece of shrapnel from a V1 flying bomb, or doodle-bug,that fell on Landseer Close, ... Contributed by Individual
  17. Scout Log of a trip to Europe in 1939 Scout Log of a trip to Europe in 1939 This A5 exercise book contains a log of a holiday in Switzerland by boys from the 1st Huddersfield Scout Troop written ... Contributed by Individual
  18. Aircraft Logbook Aircraft Logbook I was Aged 13 in 1943 and kept a logbook of aircraft that I saw mainly where I lived. This was South Norwood SE25, ... Contributed by Individual
  19. Travel Communion Set Travel Communion Set "Air Ministry" Communion Set Silver chalice and paten, glass wine and water cruet with silver caps, and a wooden host ... Contributed by Individual
  20. Dan Snow's piece of shrapnel Dan Snow's piece of shrapnel Historian Dan Snow has been given many things during his research trips around the world. The object that stands out, ... Contributed by Individual
  21. A.R.P First Aid Kit A.R.P First Aid Kit This is a tin First Aid Kit used during the Second World War. The letters A.R.P stand for Air Raid Precautions. They ... Contributed by Individual
  22. NSU HK 101 Kettenkrad (Kuninchen) NSU HK 101 Kettenkrad (Kuninchen) In 1938, and around this period, heavy draught horses were conscripted into the German army, which was over 90% ... Contributed by Individual
  23. Swan Ink Bottle from bottom of Scapa Flo Swan Ink Bottle from bottom of Scapa Flo Scapa Flow in the Orkney Islands to the north of Scotland is a natural harbour used by the Royal Navy for over 100 ... Contributed by Individual
  24. Nuclear Weapon Effects Computer No. 1. Nuclear Weapon Effects Computer No. 1. This object belonged to my mother in law who was a member of the Royal Observer Corps during the Cold War. In an ... Contributed by Individual
  25. 'Cat's Whisker' radio device 'Cat's Whisker' radio device At the BBC Guernsey half-term event for A History of the World, Julia Blondin contributed this 'Cat's Whisker' radio ... Contributed by Individual
  26. A Clock made from bits of a spitfire A Clock made from bits of a spitfire My paternal grandfather was a time served cabinet maker. During World War 2 he was employed at Hooper Bros. of Park ... Contributed by Individual
  27. RAF Gold Caterpillar Tie RAF Gold Caterpillar Tie The father of the contributor was Polish and part of the RAF Polish bomber squadron. They had to swear allegiance to the ... Contributed by Individual
  28. Hawker Hurricane Propellor Gear Unit Hawker Hurricane Propellor Gear Unit Just after midday on the morning of the 7th January 1940 a Mk1 (revised) Hawker Hurricane, No. L2074 of RAF St Athan ... Contributed by Individual
  29. World War 2 Mobile VAD badge World War 2 Mobile VAD badge World War 2 Mobile VAD Arm Band with embroidered badge (H=7cm, W=5cm) This arm band and badges belong to my mother ... Contributed by Individual
  30. Dutch East Indies Army Rucksack Dutch East Indies Army Rucksack Rucksack made for Dutch East Indies Army. Japanese issued Prisoner's of War with this captured equipment. It belonged to ... Contributed by Individual
  31. Identity bracelet child WW2 Identity bracelet child WW2 During World War Two , not everyone could bear to let their children go on the evacuation. Jean Bullows was one of five ... Contributed by Individual
  32. Canadian 'Sweetheart' Badge Canadian 'Sweetheart' Badge I have been collecting ‘sweetheart’ badges like this one for a number of years. They were mementoes given by RAF crews ... Contributed by Individual
  33. Springbok stand crest Springbok stand crest In 1943, in recognition of the part played by British troops in the liberation of Egypt from the threat posed by the ... Contributed by Individual
  34. German Imperial Navy Dagger from WWII German Imperial Navy Dagger from WWII This ceremonial dagger has an elaborately etched blade, gold-plated guard and scabbard; its insignia include the ... Contributed by Museum
  35. Bass tuba from a German marching band Bass tuba from a German marching band Geoff brought a bass tuba to BBC Guernsey's Outside Broadcast at the Guernsey Museum. He writes: "This instrument was ... Contributed by Individual
  36. The 1944 Escape Boot The 1944 Escape Boot A pilot's flying boot with a cut-awayable leg that could be removed to leave an Oxford shoe. Contributed by Museum
  37. Rolls-Royce Merlin VIII Aero-Engine Rolls-Royce Merlin VIII Aero-Engine The Rolls-Royce Merlin was the pinnacle of piston engine design in the 1940s. This particular engine was used in Fairey ... Contributed by Individual
  38. Cartoon of St Nazaire Raid Cartoon of St Nazaire Raid THIS OBJECT IS PART OF THE PROJECT 'A HISTORY OF CORNWALL IN 100 OBJECTS'. PENDENNIS CASTLE. The St Nazaire Raid was ... Contributed by Museum
  39. The Imjin Pistol The Imjin Pistol This .38 Webley revolver was used in the Korean War at the Battle of Imjin River in April 1951. The pistol was found ... Contributed by Individual
  40. Women's Land Army armbands Women's Land Army armbands THIS OBJECT IS PART OF THE PROJECT 'A HISTORY OF CORNWALL IN 100 OBJECTS'. DAVIDSTOW AIRFIELD. The Women's Land ... Contributed by Museum
  41. D Day mascot uniform D Day mascot uniform THIS OBJECT IS PART OF THE PROJECT 'A HISTORY OF CORNWALL IN 100 OBJECTS'. PERRANZABULOE MUSEUM. This is the uniform ... Contributed by Museum
  42. Keys to Colditz Castle Keys to Colditz Castle The keys to the main courtyard of Colditz Castle where Allied PoWs considered the greatest escape risk were held. Contributed by Museum
  43. Nurses' World War II battledress jacket Nurses' World War II battledress jacket A green wool Second World War nurse's battle dress uniform with scarlet and grey braiding. Contributed by Museum
  44. Airborne Lifeboat Airborne Lifeboat The airborne lifeboat, which was designed to compliment the better known air/sea rescue boats. Contributed by Museum
  45. Coventry Strasse airfield sign Coventry Strasse airfield sign The Coventry Stasse runway was used by German aircraft which bombed Coventry in 1940. Contributed by Museum
  46. Burtons Demob Suit Burtons Demob Suit A Burtons blue pinstripe demob suit issued in 1946 to a soldier on leaving the army at the end of the war. Contributed by Museum
  47. copy of letter from W. Joyce 2 Nov. 1945 copy of letter from W. Joyce 2 Nov. 1945 This was found in my late mother's papers. She was, for a time, Mr Head's secretary so it must have come into her ... Contributed by Individual
  48. Oliver Philpot's Compass Oliver Philpot's Compass Handmade compass used by Oliver Philpot in the successful 'Wooden Horse' escape from POW Camp Stalag Luft III in 1943. Contributed by Museum
  49. Enigma machine Enigma machine This four-wheel Enigma machine was used by the German forces during the second world war to send coded messages. Many ... Contributed by Museum
  50. Gas Mask Gas Mask This gas mask belonged to my grandad. He had to carry it around on his back just in case a bomb dropped. Gas masks were ... Contributed by Individual