The Lowestoft War Memorial Museum is a

museum A museum ( ; plural museums or, rarely, musea) is a building or institution that cares for and displays a collection of artifacts and other objects of artistic, cultural, historical, or scientific importance. Many public museums make thes ...

located in Lowestoft in the English county of Suffolk. It is housed in the

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

headquarters of the

Royal Naval Patrol Service The Royal Naval Patrol Service (RNPS) was a branch of the Royal Navy active during both the First and Second World Wars. The RNPS operated many small auxiliary vessels such as naval trawlers for anti-submarine and minesweeping operations to prot ...

in Sparrows Nest Gardens in the north of the town. The museum is dedicated to all of the people of Lowestoft who served during

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

and World War II. It was opened in 1995, to coincide with the 50th anniversary of

VE day Victory in Europe Day is the day celebrating the formal acceptance by the Allies of World War II of Germany's unconditional surrender of its armed forces on Tuesday, 8 May 1945, marking the official end of World War II in Europe in the Easter ...

on 8 May that year.Lowestoft war museum needs you!
''Lowestoft Journal'', 3 March 2014. Accessed 29 March 2014. The museum is operated by volunteers and is open on some weekends and school holidays during the summer period. Inside the museum is a small

chapel A chapel is a Christian place of prayer and worship that is usually relatively small. The term has several meanings. Firstly, smaller spaces inside a church that have their own altar are often called chapels; the Lady chapel is a common ty ...

and the roll of honour for civilians killed by enemy action in Lowestoft during both World Wars. There are numerous exhibits and photographs, including many that relate to the wartime defences of the town and the effect on the town and its population of the destruction caused by enemy bombing. Other artifacts and photographs tell the stories of the servicemen and women who either served in, or who came from, Lowestoft.

History

Sparrows Nest originally formed the grounds and formal gardens to the early 19th century thatched summer residence of Robert Sparrow, a local wealthy landowner.The Sparrows of Worlingham
/ref> The local council bought the gardens in the 1890s.Sparrows Nest Park
, Waveney District Council. Accessed 29 March 2014. The gardens became a popular venue for concerts and, in 1913, the Borough of Lowestoft commissioned the 1300-seat Pavilion Theatre in the gardens.BBC Suffolk – Where I Live
/ref> The museum building was built by the Royal Navy as an extension to the house following the commandeering of the site as the headquarters and central depot for the

in September 1939. The base was originally named ''Pembroke X'' before being renamed HMS ''Europa'' until its decommissioning in 1946. The thatched two storey residence was demolished by the local authority in the 1960s, leaving the brick and concrete extensions which now form the Lowestoft War Memorial Museum, the Royal Naval Patrol Service Museum and a café.Rose, J. ''Jack Rose's Lowestoft Picture Book''. Prior to its restoration in the 1990s, the building had become dilapidated, with a downstairs room, previously used by the

Suffolk Wildlife Trust Suffolk Wildlife Trust (SWT) describes itself as the county's "nature charity – the only organisation dedicated wholly to safeguarding Suffolk's wildlife and countryside." It is a registered charity, and its headquarters is at Brooke House in ...

, in a reasonable condition, but the upstairs room needing a lot of work. Funds for the refurbishment of the building, which cost £23,000, were largely raised by Jack Rose, through the sales of his local history books and by

slide show A slide show (slideshow) is a presentation of a series of still images ( slides) on a projection screen or electronic display device, typically in a prearranged sequence. The changes may be automatic and at regular intervals or they may be manu ...

Exhibits

References

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External links

Museum Website
{{Authority control Military and war museums in England World War I museums in the United Kingdom World War II museums in the United Kingdom World War I memorials in England World War II memorials in England Local museums in Suffolk Lowestoft