Stow Maries Great War Aerodrome Frontline: Faces and Spaces

The popular seminar returns!

A one-day focused history seminar, on an original Great War site, in an original great War Building?

Tell me more!

Frontline is a opportunity and an annual, must-go event for the Great War history enthusiast. You will join a restricted number of your peers as you explore a specific area of this wide ranging and complicated field.

With talks in previous seminars ranging from the tribulations of recreating a Great War Aircraft (from drawing board to actual flight) to the challenges of excavating a totally buried Royal Flying Corps Camp, you can guarantee an interesting an exciting day, beginning when you arrive to register at 0900hrs, at the museum.

The exact timings of the day will be confirmed as the event is finalised, but you can expect to be finished by 1700hrs.

For 2026, year, the theme is 'Faces and Spaces'.

We are presently accepting applications for speakers.

Presentations should be illustrated and highlight key, possibly even pivotal, people or locations in the Great War. These could be related to aviation, but equally could be of a more general nature. There need not be a direct link to RFC / RAF Stow Maries, Home Defence, or Essex.

Presentations should be 35-45 minutes long, and speakers will be invited to conduct book or media signings and sit on our popular Q&A Panel in the latter part of the day.

The day includes up-close and personal tours of aircraft & object handling sessions, as well as lunch in the original 1917 Airmen's Mess.

Finishing off the day with that Q&A session with our experts, you will leave informed, educated and excited about a day well spent.

Propeller Members are eligible for a reduced admission fee to this event. Please contact the Propeller Club team to arrange this.

The Tours

As part of your admission, you will enjoy a behind-the-rope tour of the Aircraft collection, showcasing the rare Albatros, Tabloid, Avro and BE2e aircraft. During the tour, you will be free to take photographs and ask questions.

Handling Sessions You will have a chance to get hands-on with a selection of our Objects, drawn from the collections indivudually for this year's event.

Lunch

Lunch will be a buffet style affair, with refreshments, as part of your admission. It will be served in the1917 Airmen's Mess. Yes - you will eat where the personnel of 37 Sqn, RFC (later RAF) ate!

You will be able to purchase additional drinks and snacks during the day from our Cafe.

Please see below the Agenda from 2025 and 2024 to give you an idea of what you can expect.

Please note - these agendas are from PREVIOUS events and are only given to provide an idea of what the day entails.