Polish Institute and Sikorski Museum
20 Princes Gate, London SW7
The Sikorski Museum was established at the end of World War II by the exiled Polish community in London who did not wish to return home to a Russian controlled homeland.
This museum is named after General Wladyslaw Sikorski, 1881 - 1943, the war hero and leader of the Polish government-in-exile.
The museum's main collection is the 10,000 military items arranged in rooms dedicated to each of the armed forces. These include an Enigma ciphering machine, cracked by Polish mathematicians.
The full-size model of Wojtke the 'soldier bear' adopted by Polish soldiers as a travelling mascot is popular with younger visitors.
General Sikorski personifies the Polish national spirit, and his writing desk, together with part of a collection of his personal and military effects, is an attraction for Polish visitors.
