Isle of Wight Classic Boat Museum exhibit has been shortlisted in major new BBC programme initiative.

The Classic Boat Museum was delighted to learn this week that the World War II ‘Airborne Lifeboat’, designed by Uffa Fox, has been chosen as one of only 10 items that are to be considered for inclusion from across the entire Hampshire and Isle of Wight region.

Today, Wednesday 25th November the BBC will announce details of a major new broadcast titled ‘The History of the World in 100 Objects’.

Over a period of twenty weeks starting in early 2010 BBC Radio 4 will broadcast, in prime-time, a new 100-part radio series using objects of art, industry, technology and arms as an introduction to parts of human history. 

What began as a collaboration between The British Museum and Radio 4 has grown into something much bigger that will tie in the World Service, the BBC foreign language services, regional and national television schedules, children’s television, the BBC website and schools and museums all over the country and, potentially, the world.

Classic Boat Museum Chairman, Felix Hetherington, said

“We are all delighted that the renovation work undertaken by our volunteers has enabled post war generations to see and appreciate a vessel that was involved in the saving of many hundreds of lives.  It is excellent to see that it is now being recognised for the important contribution it made to the war effort”.

The Airborne Lifeboat was launched from beneath a selection of aircraft and dropped into the sea with the assistance of parachutes, to help aircrew whose plane had ditched. The vessel was equipped with sail and motor power as well as food rations, warm clothing, first aid kits, distress signals, paddles, balers, a signal whistle and a radio transmitter.