Half-term activities at the Imperial War Museum Duxford tell the story of Big Week, the bombing campaign which paved the way for the D-Day invasion.

Seventy years ago, military planners knew that the only chance of invading France successfully was if the men on the ground weren’t being attacked by enemy aircraft.

The military planners decided to lure the German Air Force into large-scale aerial warfare which would significantly reduce their bombing and manufacturing capability in the four months leading up to the D-Day invasion.

During half-term, the museum’s interpreter inhabits different characters to explore the roles played by airmen and their aircraft during Big Week.

A spokesman said: “You will also find out about the huge numbers of people who contributed to the success of Big Week, not just air crews, but ground crews, planners and many more.

“Learn about the hundreds of aircraft that took part in this vital bombing campaign.”

There will also be hands-on craft fun, making badges and paper aircraft, under the wings of Concorde in AirSpace, daily from 10.30am-2.30pm.