View the memories of war that have been submitted to our online memory bank. 'Remembering War: Your memories' was part of the 'Remembering War' event, which supported the 'War and Medicine' exhibition.
Whether they are of an actual experience, of watching a film, or of listening to others recount their experiences, our minds are infused with memories of war and conflict.
From 11 November 2008 to 15 February 2009, we invited you to share your memories.
At Wellcome Collection's 'Remembering War' event in January 2009, Professor Martin Conway and his colleague Dr Catriona Morrison from the University of Leeds analysed these memories to give us further insight into how society remembers conflict.
Featured memories
Remembrance Day
11/11/2008 and I'm in a meeting in the bush discussing the next steps to take in our work with a critically endangered bird species. Mid sentence the Chair tells us it's 11am. The group falls silent, heads lower and everyone is left with their own thoughts. Me? In a moment I'm back in that room with Grandpa many years ago where I was wondering if now was an OK time to ask him about his war service. We were very close but he never spoke about it. The first question was worded carefully I thought, yet the tears were immediate and the conversation was never had. A lifelong pain and sacrifice that breaks my heart each Remembrance Day.... then bang, back to the task at hand....
Politics
My father used to relate a tale from his days in the Royal Air Force. During the Vietnam War he was stationed in Hong Kong. One day an American air force cargo plane, en route to Vietnam, landed at the RAF base at Hong Kong and was in need of some maintenance work. My father was called upon to drive a crane which was needed to lift part of one of the engines on the American aircraft. My father basically needed to stay in the crane cab and make sure the part did not move while engineers carried out their work. My father recalled that, while he was waiting, a black American sergeant gave him a copy of a British newspaper to read. The paper was the Daily Mirror. It's headline was, to the effect, that the British government categorically denied providing any assistance to the American war effort in Vietnam.
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For more information, please email: info@wellcomecollection.org