The Their Past Your Future programme (TPYF) at the Imperial War Museum
(2004-2010) has now closed. This website is an archive of the project’s
website serving as a record of activities throughout its lifetime, and
will not be updated beyond January 2010. If you have any questions
regarding the TPYF programme please contact the Imperial War Museum
through info@iwm.org.uk quoting
"Their Past You Future" in the subject heading.
To access the new TPYF/IWM website for teachers, featuring a range of
exciting teaching ideas, resources and source material to explore the
impact of conflict from the First World War to today, please go to
www.theirpast-yourfuture.org.uk.
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Click on the images to enlarge.
Leonard Cheshire was a hero during and after the war. He was a talented pilot who became the youngest Royal Air Force Group Captain at the age of 25. After the war, a dying man named Arthur Dykes who knew Leonard from the RAF asked for help. When Leonard could not find somewhere for Arthur to live, he took him into his own home and cared for Arthur until he died. More and more people came to Leonard for help so he opened a second Cheshire Home in 1951. Today, the Leonard Cheshire Foundation helps over 20 000 disabled people in the UK live more independent lives. |
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‘Nagasaki in a way didn’t feel fair.’
Watching the atom bomb drop on Nagasaki changed Leonard’s life. He remembered, ‘ At the moment I first saw it, it was like a ball of fire 3,000 feet high…a churning, boiling, bubbling cloud getting larger and larger…I think if there was a first impression that I had it was you cannot fight this weapon. If your enemy has this weapon then you cannot fight it. It convinced me that the war was finished.’ |
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The Victoria Cross is Britain's highest award for bravery. Cheshire was given this award after carrying out 100 successful missions over Germany. |
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These veterans are doing exercises before being fitted with artificial legs. Almost 370, 000 British people were injured during the war. The new National Health Service could not provide all the care that everyone needed. |
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‘As I reflect on the years I have so far spent amongst disabled people, I see them as men and women who are in the forefront of our common struggle, just as in a different way were those amongst whom I served during the war. I find unique the example they set of how to rise above adversity, of how to forget what might have been and concentrate on making the most of what is left. I find we need that example if we are to stop taking so much for granted, our good health and our many other blessings, and if we are to stop taking so seriously the little setbacks and the minor irritations of daily life.
We need a vision, a dream.
The vision should be the oneness, the essential and organic solidarity of the human family. The dream, that we each in our own way make our personal contribution towards building unity and peace among us.’
Leonard Cheshire from his book The Hidden World |
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Leonard asked Roger Waters from the rock band Pink Floyd to help him raise money for his Memorial Fund for Disaster Relief. Leonard wanted to raise $500 million- $10 for every person who died in the First and Second World Wars. Roger agreed and on 21 July 1990 staged a massive performance of the album ‘The Wall’ near the remains of the Berlin wall.
You can see this piece of the Berlin wall in front of the Imperial War Museum, London. |
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Download the Personal Story in full as a PDF document
