8-9 Whitefriargate
Kingston upon Hull
England
HU1 2ER
07856178885
The Hull People's Memorial Exhibition Centre is located in Kingston upon Hull's busy Whitefriargate, next door to Boots the Chemist. We are totally independent and entirely volunteer-operated. It is thanks to Trinity House that we are able to operate in such an important and busy shopping area as they allow us to use occupy their property at very special rates. Thanks are also due to Kingston upon Hull City Council who have waived our rates as they, like Trinity House, believe that we are offering something very special for the city and the people.
Our exhibition provides an insight into the effect of war on the people of Kingston upon Hull, the most devastated place in the United Kingdom during World War two. When looking at the number of bombs which fell on the UK, London received the greater tonnage With Hull being second; Hull is so much smaller and and the concentration of the bombs was far greater than the Capital. The truth of the bombing of Kingston upon Hull remained secret until 1978, long after the stories of Britain at War were consigned to the history books and films. There are still many secrets about the story of the war in Kingston upon Hull which remain locked in the vaults of the National Archive where they are likely to remain until 2047. Our exhibition explains, for the very first time, many of the reasons that it was imperative that events in our city remained a secret all through the war.
Our exhibition include an amazing number of artefacts which range from cigarette packets, shrapnel, bombs, bullets and rifles. What is special is that you are invited to handle are experience them all. There are very few places where you will be able to handle a Bren gun, a 1911 German Mauser or a selection of incendiaries which actually fell on the city during World War two. Our exhibition also includes a life-size replica of a World War one officers dug-out and a section of trench with a view over no-man's land, all of which was praised by visitors from the Imperial War Museum!
For those researching their own family's wartime heritage, we offer a free service to help you discover what your ancestors were up to during the war. Results vary greatly as many of the Great War records were lost during the WWII bombing of London, but very few people leave our research desks disappointed. Many of our findings can be visited on our Heroes of Hull web site at www.heroesofhull.co.uk and if you or your ancestor does not appear on our web site, please let us know.
