Museum: Recollections of War – Albany, Western Australia

The port city of Albany, which sits 418km (260mi) southeast of Perth has played an important part in Australia’s military heritage and the region has many related sites for visitors to explore, including Recollections of War, a private museum that should be on the itinerary of anybody with an interest in military history.

The museum, which is located about half an hour’s drive along the South Coast Highway outside of Albany on the way to Denmark, features the collection of Kathryn and John Shapland, whose hobby rapidly expanded into a custom built exhibition building featuring six display rooms with space also dedicated to a library, research area and theatre.

The Recollections of War Museum. Photo: Julian Tennant

The Recollections of War Museum. Photo: Julian Tennant

The Recollections of War Museum. Photo: Julian Tennant

The Recollections of War Museum. Photo: Julian Tennant

It continues to grow and there are also more extensions in the planning stage, the latest being a WWI aviation gallery to house a replica Fokker D VIII that has been donated to the museum by a pilot from nearby Manjimup. This will be complemented by items belonging to Sir Keith Smith and other early aviator artifacts and having viewed some of the Australian Flying Corps pieces that Kathryn and John have, I am eagerly awaiting its completion.

The replica Fokker D VIII that has recently been donated to the Recollections of War museum. Photo: Kathryn Shapland

Visiting the museum, it is astonishing to realise that the Shaplands only started collecting militaria in 2009 after John, who is originally from Sussex, returned to England on a holiday with his eldest daughter. Whilst there, he visited an air-show at Duxford and returned home with some souvenirs including a limited edition aviator signed print by noted artist Robert Taylor.

It was the acquisition of autographed aviator prints such as Robert Taylor’s “Eagles out of the sun” (top) that started the Shapland’s collecting journey. Photo: Julian Tennant

Back in Albany, he recruited wife Kathryn, who had been a collector of stamps, coins and other items since she was young, to help him find more items on-line. One of the early pieces Kathryn found was a Corgi die-cast model signed by Billy Drake, a Battle of France pilot. The seller turned out to be an engineer restoring warbirds at North Weald airfield and mentioned that there was a Hurricane muster there in October and that John should return to the UK to attend. He did, meeting the veteran pilots and aircrew, examining the aircraft and museums.

The result was that their collection rapidly outgrew a couple of display cabinets and a few prints in the house. John, who in addition to running their cattle farm was a builder and cabinet maker converted his workshop into a custom made exhibition space for the WWII aviation collection. Kathryn recalls,

‘We started with the WWII aviation room and the first library as that was John’s main interest at the time. As visitors started to come, it became apparent that we were lacking in other areas and so we expanded to cover the main three military services and eventually the auxiliary services too. Similarly, John’s interest was WWII and we started getting veterans from more recent wars. In addition, we were coming up to the ANZAC centenary, so decided WWI artifacts and stories needed to be added. We now go from the Boer War to the present day.

I have a very broad focus and far too many things appeal to me. I suppose at the heart of it all there must be a story about the people that used or produced the items. John has a good general knowledge about military history and the hardware used (but) my interest is in social rather than military history. I love the research side of things.’

This is one of a couple of First World War US Army groups that are held in the collection. These items belonged to James William Walston who served with the US 5th Infantry Division during the Great War. Photo: Julian Tennant

First World War period US Army ‘doughboys’ toy soldiers made by the German firm of Elastolin and sold in the USA prior to America’s entry into the war in 1917. Photo: Julian Tennant

A soldier’s friend. The “Camp Pocket Candlestick” is a small tin containing a candle and box of matches that was given to Commonwealth troops during WW1. It allowed them to read or write letters whilst in the trenches with the lid of the tin offering some cover to limit the glow from the lit flame of the candle. Photo: Julian Tennant

Inter war period insignia from the Royal Air Force’s 84 Squadron. The Squadron was born in January 1917, equipped with SE5 fighter aircraft and was soon despatched to France . During its 15 months service in WWI the Squadron’s pilots proved very successful and destroyed 129 enemy aircraft and 50 observation balloons. After spending a year as part of the Army of Occupation in post war Germany, the Squadron was disbanded as part of a major reduction in the Armed Forces in 1920 (the first of many!!). 84 Squadron was reformed just 8 months later in Baghdad and spent the years leading up to WWII in Iraq. Photo: Julian Tennant

First Word War period Australian Army bayonet training protective clothing and mask. Photo: Julian Tennant

The collection now features thousands of meticulously researched items recording the war experiences of both the military personnel and civilian populations from the Anglo-Boer War onward. But rather than emphasise the battles or weapons, the focus is centered around the histories of ordinary people living through the war and the layout does not follow a chronological sequence. Items are grouped together to help broaden understanding and give additional context to individual pieces, which makes it all the more fascinating to explore. John describes the museum as a ‘treasure hunt’ which is an apt description.

Red Cross Appeal badges from the First World War and early post war years. Photo: Julian Tennant

American Red Cross nursing display detail. Photo: Julian Tennant

New Zealand Red Cross uniform patch details. Photo: Julian Tennant

Details from some of the nursing uniforms held in the collection. Photo: Julian Tennant

American Red Cross and nurses display. Photo: Julian Tennant

Detail from the “Recollections of War” museum’s Red Cross display. Photo: Julian Tennant

A couple of sweetheart badges including a nice painted acrylic Netherlands East Indies (KNIL) Air Force Pilot – Observer flight qualification wing. Photo: Julian Tennant

A magnificent hand-made aluminium ‘sweetheart’ badge made in 1916 by George King from Kent, who was serving as a 1st class air mechanic in the Royal Naval Air Service at the time. Photo: Julian Tennant

British and German donation collecting tins. Photo: Julian Tennant

German Winterhilfswerk donation badges. The Winterhilfswerk des Deutschen Volkes ( Winter Relief of the German People), commonly known simply as Winterhilfswerk (WHW), was an annual donation drive established in 1933 by the National Socialist People’s Welfare (German: Nationalsozialistische Volkswohlfahrt) to help finance charitable work. Photo: Julian Tennant

Medal group, locally made dagger and photograph belonging to a member of V Force, an intelligence gathering and screening force for the British 14th Army in the India/Burma area of operations. Photo: Julian Tennant

Home Guard display detail at the Recollections of War Museum, Albany. Photo: Julian Tennant

WW2 Australian Womens Land Army and Air Raid Protection officer display. Photo: Julian Tennant

Kathryn spends much of her time researching and scouring the internet for suitable items, but many pieces have also been donated by visitors and locals who recognise the important role that Recollections of War plays in maintaining our knowledge of conflicts.  

In the aftermath of both world wars, the southern region of Western Australia became home for many ex-service personnel who took advantage of the Soldier Settlement and Group Settlement schemes which were respectively aimed at getting returned servicemen into some form of gainful work and aimed at both increasing the population of W.A. as well as increasing primary (especially dairy) production. In subsequent years the local veteran community has continued to grow and includes former service personnel from more recent wars and several nations.

Detail from a group of items belonging to Alexander George Jerrat who served with the Palestine Police. Photo: Julian Tennant

Items belonging to NZDF soldier captain Neil Henry who served with the NZSAS and also the United Nations. Photo: Julian Tennant

Various late 20th and early 21st century military uniforms. Photo: Julian Tennant

Post 2000 Australian army uniforms (display not yet completed). Photo: Julian Tennant

French Foreign Legion 2 REP parachutist beret. The former owner served in the Congo, possibly as a participant during the Kolweizi drop in 1978. Photo: Julian Tennant

Care package sent to Australian Defence Forces personnel during their deployment to East Timor. Photo: Julian Tennant

Canadian Korean War era cold weather jacket. Photo: Julian Tennant

Helmet worn by Peter Geoffrey Larard during his Vietnam service as a pilot with the Royal Australian Air Force. Peter Larard flew Sabre’s with No. 79 Sqn whilst stationed at Ubon in Thailand from 9 September 1965 until 4 November 1965 and then served with the RAAF element of the HQ Australian Forces Vietnam from 26 November 1968 until 26 November 1969. Photo: Julian Tennant

Navy compass, ephemera plus a printed Combined Operations patch and metal badge. Photo: Julian Tennant

Interesting combination of an early post war Royal Australian Engineers battledress jacket with printed Combined Operations patch. Photo: Julian Tennant

 

As a result, the museum displays several donated items which would otherwise be unlikely to be shown to the public as they fit outside the curatorial focus of institutional collections or the RSL. One such display is the collection of over 300 toy soldiers that were scratch-built by Reg Copeman, an Englishman who had served with the Royal Artillery during the Korean War, then 22 Special Air Service Regiment in the Malayan Emergency and Aden prior to his discharge as a WO2 in 1968. Reg then worked for WatchGuard International  the private military contracting company which had been formed by SAS founder Colonel David Stirling and John ‘Jock’ Woodhouse in 1965. This took Reg to Zambia and Sierra Leone before he moved to Australia in 1973 and finally settled in the nearby town of Denmark in the 1990’s.

Reg’s soldiers are all hand-made and each took around 50 days to complete. There was no set pattern to which soldier would be made next, sometimes basing his decisions on the book he was reading at the time. Reg was keen to keep the collection together and now in his 90’s he decided to donate the entire collection along with his reference material to Recollections of War where it is displayed in a custom made display cabinet.  

Some of the 315 model figures that were scratch-built by 90 year old Reg Copeman, a Royal Artillery and 22 Special Air Service Regiment veteran who now lives in south western WA. Photo: Julian Tennant.

John’s own family connection is also included in the displays. His father, private Alan James ‘Jim’ Shapland enlisted in the Sussex Regiment during World War II and later volunteered for the Airborne Forces, joining the 22nd Independent Parachute Company which acted as the pathfinders for 6th Airborne Division. However, Jim was injured in mid-May 1944 during a training jump for D-Day and was hospitalised. As a result, he did not return to the unit and subsequently served with the Seaforth Highlanders for the remainder of the war.

A group belonging to John Shapland’s father, private Alan James ‘Jim’ Shapland who qualified as a military parachutist on Course 80 which ran at RAF Ringway from 30 August to 9 September 1943. The course instructors’ notes record that Alan had a cheerful disposition and was a good performer. Jim then joined 2 Platoon of the 22nd Independent Parachute Company, but  was hospitalised in mid-May 1944 after carrying out a training jump for D-Day. He did not return to the unit and subsequently served with the Seaforth Highlanders. Photo: Julian Tennant

As can be expected from a collection that focuses on the personal histories of the participants and witnesses it also contains dozens of documents, letters, keepsakes and personal photograph albums reflecting the experiences of people from all sides, which can be viewed by visitors. One of the albums that I found particularly interesting belonged to a German sailor who served as a signaller on minesweeper’s during WWII. In addition to photographs and recording service details, the album also includes his Kriegsmarine and trade insignia plus the award certificate documentation which accompanied his Minesweeper War Badge. His group also includes an extensive hand annotated notebook, complete with diagrams but unfortunately, not being fluent in German, I could not make much sense of what I was viewing.

Notebook and photo album from a German sailor (signals specialist) who served on a minesweeper carrying out anti-submarine operations. In addition to these badges, the photo album also contained several photographs of his time at see and the original certificate for his Kriegsmarine Minesweeper War Badge. Photo: Julian Tennant

 

A deceased Japanese soldier’s haramaki (belly band belt). The blood stained belt has a small pocket on the reverse side which held the photographs of loved ones and notes (shown). Also included is a photo of the original owner after he had been killed during the fighting in New Guinea in September 1943. Photo: Julian Tennant

A nice example of the WW2 period 4th Indian Division shoulder patch. This patch is one of the many stored in folders that are not on public display but may be viewed by visitors to the museum. Photo: Julian Tennant

Japanese soldier’s photo album. The “Recollections of War” museum holds many wartime photo albums which can be viewed upon request. Photo: Julian Tennant

Some of the many autograph albums from the troops who fought on both sides that are held in the Shapland collection. Photo: Julian Tennant

Pen and ink cartoon drawn by Sergeant Arthur Barnett (RAAF) whilst stationed in England during the war. Photo: Julian Tennant

World War One period French souvenir postcard booklets that were sold to troops serving on the Western Front. Photo: Julian Tennant

Many of these albums and documents are not immediately on display, but like all collectors, the Shapland’s are keen to share their collection with visitors, which is why they encourage visits by appointment only rather than having fixed visiting hours. It allows them to create a more intimate and personalised experience. When I spoke to Kathryn prior to my visit, she asked what my interests were and when I arrived, she had gathered some of their Australian Flying Corps pieces for me to view. As I wandered through the exhibition rooms, if I found something of interest John and Kathryn would answer my questions and were more than happy to pull things out of the cabinets to let me see specific details.

RAN commemorative port, bronze ‘Naked Army’ statuettes and Special Air Service Regiment beret. The SASR beret belonged to 54159 John Murray Robinson who, as a sergeant, completed both of 3 SAS Squadron’s tours of Vietnam in 1966-67 and 1969-70. Photo: Julian Tennant

Vietnam in-country made 1 Troop, A Squadron, 3 Cavalry Regiment, Royal Australian Armoured Corps patch attached to a lightweight flying suit which was worn around the base area at Nui Dat. Photo: Julian Tennant

Mid 1980’s period 3rd Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment brassard featuring the distinctive 3RAR parachutist wing. Photo: Julian Tennant

Whilst Recollections of War is listed as a museum, I would describe my experience as being more like visiting another collector, discussing the objects and comparing ‘notes’. Kathryn agrees and goes on to say

‘I would love for more authors, researchers and students to visit and make use of our libraries and other archives. I can’t see the point in having all this stuff if it can’t be shared with like-minded or interested people.’

As a result, if you’re a collector or somebody with specific interest areas, you may find that you spend more time at Recollections of War than you anticipate. My primary area of interest is airborne and special operations insignia and I had expected to be at the museum for two to three hours, but I ended up staying over four and then returned the following day for another couple of hours to examine more of their collection… and I still wonder what else I may have missed. So, my advice is to plan accordingly, when arranging a visit let Kathryn know what your interests may be and allow yourself time to take it all in.

Albany is great long-weekend destination being a pleasant four hour drive from Perth and home to several military related attractions for the interested visitor. The city of Albany is also home to the Princess Royal Fortress which opened in 1893 and was Australia’s first federal fortress. Later, during the First World War, the town was the last port of call for the ships carrying the ANZAC troops departing Australia. The fort’s gun batteries and port were also active during the Second World War, particularly at the point in time when the Japanese were on Australia’s doorstep and Albany, along with the port of Fremantle were seen as providing safe refuge, beyond the reach of Japanese aircraft. Albany then became home to three USN submarines along with tender craft and crews. The military history of the region is preserved and presented in a series of military museums and displays including the National Anzac Centre at the fortress site. These are all in close proximity, opening at 09:00 and can be adequately covered in a few hours allowing enough time to visit Recollections of War in the afternoon or following day.  

Recollections of War
Halcyon Park
51253 South Coast Highway
Albany WA 6330
Australia

Phone: +61 (0)8 9845 2083    /    0447 765 511     /    0428 981 976

Email: contact@recollectionsofwar.com.au     kathryn@recollectionsofwar.com.au

Website: https://recollectionsofwar.com.au/

Opening hours: By appointment – Call to arrange a time.

The entrance to the Recollections of War Museum at 51253 South Coast Highway, which is about half an hour’s drive out of Albany on the way to the town of Denmark. Photos: Julian Tennant

Birdwood Military Museum – Geraldton, Western Australia

One of the earliest known purpose-built Returned and Services League (RSL) halls in Western Australia is also home to one of the state’s regional military museums.

The Fallschirmjäger Collection – Overloon War Museum, The Netherlands

On the 30th of September 1944, shortly after the failure of Operation MARKET GARDEN, German and Allied forces clashed in the vicinity of Overloon, approximately 35km south of Nijmegan. It took almost three weeks before Overloon was liberated and the clash went down in history as the most intense tank battle that ever took place on Dutch soil. Harrie van Daal, a civil servant was living in the area during that time and in May 1945 after walking through the battle ravaged Overloonse forest petitioned the Mayor and local pastor to create a memorial honouring those who fought. On May 25, 1946, the Oorlogsmuseum Overloon (Overloon War Museum) opened to the public – even before the village itself was rebuilt. It was the first museum about the Second World War in Western Europe. I will cover the museum in more depth in a future article, but one of the highlights is undoubtedly the Fallschirmjäger Collection which is part of their “Turning Point Europe” exhibition section.

Unlike the Dead Man’s Corner museum in Normandy (see my review and pictures here), which concentrates on the actions of the German paras at Normandy, the Fallschirmjäger Collection presents an overview of the German paras from the early days of WW2 up until 1945. It does this in eight display cases filled with uniforms, equipment and related ephemera.

The first display shows the paratroopers of the early war and the invasion of the low countries, including mannequins representing their Dutch opponents.

The next section shows the uniforms and equipment used during the campaign in North Africa. This is followed by a showcase displaying the paratroopers as they would have been seen in Sicily and the Italian Campaign.

The mannequin display cabinets are also broken up by others featuring an impressive collection of fallschirmjäger related documents, insignia, personal artifacts and other related ephemera.

This is followed by showcases depicting the fighting in the Netherlands during the 1944/45 period and then jumps to displays of the fallschirmjäger kitted out in the equipment used during the fighting in the area of Monte Cassino and the Grand Sasso.  The exhibition finishes with the final display cases representing the paratroopers on the Eastern Front during the winter months.

I visited the Oorlogsmuseum Oveloon as a day-trip excursion during my exploration of the battlefields and museums related to Operation MARKET GARDEN in the Arnhem area. Traveling by car it is a relatively short trip from Oosterbeek, roughly an hour’s drive  from The Airborne Museum Hartenstein. If you have the time, definitely plan to visit, even without the Fallschirmjäger Collection, the Oorlogsmuseum Overloon remains one of the most impressive WW2 military museums that I have encountered.

Oorlogsmuseum Overloon / Overloon War Museum
Museumpark 1
5825 AM Overloon
The Netherlands

Website: www.oorlogsmuseum.nl/en/

Phone: +31 (0)478 – 641250

E-mail: info@oorlogsmuseum.nl

Reservations: publieksdienst@oorlogsmuseum.nl

Open: The museum is open Monday to Friday from 10:00 – 17:00 and on weekends from 11:00 – 17:00. It also has reduced visiting hours on some days and is closed on some public holidays so it is best to confirm their opening schedule here. Due to current restrictions the museum only allows a limited number of visitors each days and online ticket reservations are essential prior to visiting.

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The D-Day Story Museum – Portsmouth UK

British soldiers negotiating a barbed wire defence during a seashore invasion exercise near Portsmouth in 1940. Photo: The News archive.

Portsmouth, situated on the coast 110km south-west of London has been a significant naval port for centuries. During the Second World War it was a critical embarkation point for the 6 June 1944 D-Day landings. It’s role as a major Naval Base and Dockyard had seen the city bombed extensively by the Luftwaffe from August 1940 and by August 1943 the Southsea seafront, which included the city, was declared a restricted zone. At the beginning of April 1944, in preparation for Operation Overlord, Portsmouth became part of a 16km deep coastal strip from the Wash to Lands End which was closed to all visitors. By this time, the whole of Southern England had become a huge armed camp in the build-up for the invasion of Europe, with Portsmouth being the headquarters and main departure point for the units destined for Juno Beach on the Normandy Coast.

The D-Day Story (previously known as The D-Day Museum) is located near Southsea Castle in Portsmouth and recounts the story of Operation OVERLORD and the landings on the Normandy coast. Originally opened as a the D-Day Museum in 1984, it was closed in March 2017 for refurbishment before reopening in March 2018 as the D-Day Story. (Note that some of the photographs featured here include images of the older displays taken during a previous visit in 2015). The new museum tells the story of Overlord by recounting the experiences of the people who participated in the invasion or lived in the area at the time.

A Sherman Beach Armoured Recovery Vehicle (BARV), nicknamed ‘Vera’, War Department No. T145523 as displayed prior to the 2018 refurbishment. The Beach Armoured Recovery Vehicle was developed specifically for the Normandy landings. It utilised a modified Sherman Mk.III M4A2 tank that was able to wade into water up to feet deep and push or pull ‘drowned’ vehicles out of the sea. They could also help refloat beached landing craft. Trials of the BARV began in December and by D-Day, 5 were available for service. This particular tank was originally built in 1943 as a regular gun tank. Markings on the hull suggest that its parts were produced in a modular fashion by several different companies and then assembled together. It was produced with “LO”, a type of steel particularly adapted to cast large pieces of armour. The tank was assembled at Lima Locomotive Works in Lima, Ohio as part of contract S/M 1012 for the British Government. The hull (part number E4151) was built by American Steel Foundries East St. Louis (Illinois) Works, and the bogies were made by several companies including the Continental Foundry & Machine Company of Coraopolis, Pennsylvania. This BARV’s exact wartime history is not known, but it is known that a relatively small number of BARVs were converted. It shows the markings of a beach recovery section of the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers. Sherman BARVs remained in British Army service until the early 1960’s.

A 2nd Lieutenant from the Hampshire Regiment with kit whilst on bivouac prior to the invasion. (2015 display). Photo: Julian Tennant

A DUKW amphibious vehicle, Registration 73 YP 44, Chassis 353/15418, Class 3 as displayed at the D-Day Museum in 2015.. It has been given representative markings of A Platoon, 101 Company (Amphibian), Royal Army Service Corps, which served with the British 3rd Infantry Division on D-Day. The history of this vehicle is only known from 1965 onwards, when it was part of HQ Army Emergency Reserve of the RCT (Royal Corps of Transport), then a number of different establishments from October 1965 including the Central Vehicle Depot, Hilton and the Proof & Experimental Establishment, Shoeburyness, before being struck off on 24 October 1974. It is believed to have been one of the last DUKWs left serving with the British Armed Forces.

The museum exhibits around 500 artifacts, from a collection of over 10,000, which are combined with touch screens, audio and video presentations to allow the visitor to understand the complexities of planning such a huge operation and its impact on the people involved. To tell the D-Day story, the museum is divided into three sections: Preparation; D-Day and the Battle of Normandy; Legacy and the Overlord Embroidery.

Operations room display at the D-Day Story museum, Portsmouth.

Preparation covers the period from the Dunkirk Evacuation (1940) until just before 6 June 1944. It gives visitors an overview of the planning for Operation OVERLORD including some of the equipment specially developed to assist in the invasion, plus details of Hitler’s Atlantic Wall and the German defenses.

Betty White’s coat. Five year old Betty White collected 89 badges from the British, American and Canadian troops who passed her house in Gosport on their way to Normandy. Her mother sewed them onto her coat.

Commando and Special Operations display at the D-Day Story.

Model of the German beach defences on the Normandy beaches.

Preparation for D-Day. Troops storm ashore from LCAs (Landing Craft Assault) during Exercise ‘Fabius’, a major invasion rehearsal on the British coast, 5 May 1944. Nearest landing craft is LCA 798. Photo: Imperial War Museum Collection. Object ID: 205359422

Royal Navy officers cap belonging to Sub Lieutenant John Ellis who was the second in command of Landing Craft Tank 2130. LCT 2130 was an LCT Mk.V and was part of 104th LCT Flotilla. On D-Day LCT 2130 took American troops from Dartmouth in the UK and landed them on Utah Beach around 11.20am. For the next three months it continued to carry troops over to Normandy. Ellis wore this cap on the many journeys his ship made to Normandy.

US Army lifebelt recoverd from Omaha Beach. Les Eastwood, a sailor who served on Landing Craft Tank 7057, found this American soldier’s lifebelt on Omaha Beach just after D-Day. The life belt consisted of two separate tubes which could be inflated either through blowing into a mouthpiece, or with CO2 cartridges. The CO2 cartridges were in a tube near the buckle, secured by a screw-on cap. To inflate the life belt, two levers fitted inside the belt forced the cartridges into the sharp points on the insides of the caps which pierced them and released the gas into the tubes. The life belt had to be worn higher than the waist, otherwise the weight carried on a soldier’s upper body might cause him to turn upside down, with potentially fatal results. These life belts were sometimes also tied to items of equipment such as mortars, Bangalore torpedoes etc. to help them float in case they were dropped in the water during the landings.

The D-Day and the Battle of Normandy section describe the landing, fighting in the bocage and the breakout leading to the Liberation of Paris. This section features displays of personal items, weapons and equipment, accompanied by an audio-visual display to give an overview of the experiences of the troops fighting on the five beaches.

British Airborne landing display at the D-Day Museum prior to the upgrade.

Commandos of 1st Special Service Brigade led by Brigadier Lord Lovat (in the water, to the right of his men) land on Queen Red beach, Sword area, c. 0840 hours, 6 June 1944. Sherman DD tanks of 13th/18th Royal Hussars and other vehicles can be seen on the beach. Lovat’s piper, Bill Millin, is in the foreground about to disembark. Photo: Captain JL Evans, No.5 Army Film and Photographic Unit. IWM Object Number B 5103

The final section, Legacy & Overlord Embroidery explores the experiences of loss and coming home through film clips of veterans recounting their experiences with some supporting artifacts, but is dominated by the Overlord Embroidery an 83m long tapestry consisting of 34 different panels takes up a significant section of the floorspace in a relatively small museum. It is underpinned by a small central gallery that explains the techniques used by the twenty members of the Royal School of Needlework who took seven years to complete its construction.

Exhibition explaining the evolution and production of the “Overlord Embroidery” at the D-Day Story museum, Portsmouth.

Detail of the Overlord Embroidery showing Lord Lovat’s piper Bill Millin of the 1st Special Service Brigade in the foreground with American paratroopers behind.

Commando Bill Millin of Lord Lovat’s 1st Special Service Brigade playing his bagpipes just before D-Day on 3 June 1944. Photo: War Office official photographer, Evans, J L (Capt)

A Churchill Mk.VII Crocodile (flame throwing) tank. The history of this particular tank is not known. It has been given representative markings for tank T173174H named ‘Sandgate’. This Churchill Crocodile belonged to C Squadron, 141st (The Buffs) Regiment, Royal Armoured Corps, and on D-Day was commanded by Lieutenant John Shearman (awarded the Military Cross for actions on and after D-Day). In late 2020 the tank was moved to its current location aboard the LCT 7074.

Landing craft tank LCT 7074. Able to transport 10 tanks, LCT 7074 is the last surviving Landing Craft Tank (LCT) from D-Day.

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Outside the main building, visitors can go on a tour of LCT 7074, one of two hundred and thirty five MkIII LCT’s that were built for the invasion and the last surviving Landing Craft Tank in the UK. LCT 7074 transported 10 tanks and crew to Gold Beach at 02:00 on 7 June 1944 before returning to England carrying POWs.  On board visitors will find the Churchill and Sherman tanks that once stood at the front of the museum. The tour includes a series of short films showcasing the history of LCT 7074 including its post war life as a riverfront nightclub in Liverpool before falling into disrepair and sinking at Birkenhead Docks. It was rescued in 2014 and restored to its current state before being moved to the museum in 2020.

A visit to D-Day Story presents a good start point to develop a broad understanding of the invasion if you’re in the UK and are planning to head across the channel to visit the battle sites at Normandy. The museum opens at 10am every day and tickets can be purchased in advance. You should allow around two to three hours to examine all of the exhibits. Portsmouth’s long naval and military history is also commemorated in several other military museums in the area, so plan for a two or three days stopover to check out some of the other museums and to experience more of this interesting city’s attractions.

D-Day Story
Clarence Esplanade
Portsmouth PO5 3NT
England

Website: https://theddaystory.com/
Email:  theddaystory@portsmouthcc.gov.uk
Phone: +44 (0)23 9288 2555

Open: The D-Day Story is open seven days a week, from 10am to 5.30pm. Last admission is 3.30pm to LCT 7074 and 4pm to the museum.

Parking: There is a large 125-space car park located next to the D-Day Story. The car park is open 24 hours a day and has toilet facilities on site. There are 25 coach spaces, with a wash bay facility available. For parking charges please see The Seafront D-Day car park . There are marked disabled bays within the car park and on Clarence Esplanade in front of the museum. Parking is free for blue badge holders.

Park & Ride: Portsmouth’s Park & Ride is available from Junction 1 of the M275 motorway which is the principal route into Portsmouth from the north. Follow the brown direction signs to the Park & Ride car park. The nearest Park & Ride stop to The D-Day Story is at The Hard Interchange transport hub which is adjacent to Portsmouth Harbour railway station and Gunwharf Quays. Catch a connecting number 3 bus to Palmerston Road then it is an attractive 10 minute walk across Southsea Common to the D-Day Story on the seafront. On Sundays there is an hourly number 16 bus which will stop outside the museum.

Buses: The nearest bus stop is an attractive 10 minute walk from Palmerston Road across Southsea Common, to the D-Day Story. See directions above from The Hard Interchange to Palmerston Road.

Train: The nearest train station is Portsmouth & Southsea – a 1.5 mile walk from The D-Day Story. The most direct route is via Isambard Brunel Road, Grosvenor Street, Cottage Grove, Grove Roads North and South, Palmerston Road and Avenue de Caen. There is also a taxi rank outside Portsmouth & Southsea railway station.

Alternatively, it’s a 1.7 mile walk from Fratton station to the museum, via Sydenham Terrace, Victoria Roads North and South, Lennox Road South and Clarence Esplanade.

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If you like what you see here, please FOLLOW this page via email or by using either the buttons below or in the column on the right.  I try to post NEW content every weekend and knowing that somebody is looking at this gives me the encouragement I need to go through my archives and collection to develop the content for the page. And of course, feel free to contact me here, via email or by visiting my Facebook or Instagram pages

The Darwin Aviation Museum – Northern Territory, Australia

Replica of a Supermarine Spitfire Mk VIII on display at the Darwin Aviation Museum. Photo: Julian Tennant

The Darwin Aviation Museum (formerly known as the Australian Aviation Heritage Centre) is situated about 8km from the Darwin CBD, on the Stuart Highway in the suburb of Winnellie. It grew out of the activities of the Aviation Historical Society of the Northern Territory Inc  which was established in 1976 with the aim of recovery, restoration and document of aviation relics related to the defence of Darwin in World War II.

Wreck of the Japanese Mitsubishi A6M-2 Type ‘O’ fighter of Petty Officer Hajime Toyoshima who was forced to land on Melville Island during the attack on Darwin of 19 February 1942. Toyoshima was subsequently captured by a Tiwi Islander, Matthias Ulungura and interned at Cowra in NSW under the alias, Todao Minami. He was one of the camp leaders of the infamous escape attempt on 5 August 1944, blowing the bugle to start the breakout. After recapture he committed suicide and is buried in the Japanese Cemetery at Cowra. Photo” Julian Tennant

Wreck of the Japanese Mitsubishi A6M-2 Type ‘O’ fighter of Petty Officer Hajime Toyoshima on Melville Island shortly after his crash landing. Inset shows Toyoshima’s POW identification photo. The wreck is on display at the Darwin Aviation Museum.

Royal Australian Air Force Dassault Mirage IIIO A3-36 which began service with the RAAF on 3 May 1966. The Mirage 111O was Australia’s front line fighter from the early 1960s when it replaced the Sabre through to 1989 when it was in turn replaced by the F-18 Hornet. On 27 May 1985 this aircraft was being flown by Flight Lieutenant (later Air Vice-Marshall) John A. Quaife RAAF when it crashed on the Ludmilla mud flats near the Darwin suburb of Coconut Grove. Quaife was able to eject at 1,000 feet and 200 knots and landed safely in mangroves with only minor injuries. The crash was found to be due to a compressor stall/loss of thrust whilst in a circuit. The unmanned aircraft conducted a controlled landing on the mudflats and was recovered largely intact. The Mirage was acquired by the Aviation Historical Society of the NT and remained at the Darwin Museum on display until October 2001 when it was loaned to No.75 Squadron for restoration and display purposes during the Squadron’s 60th Anniversary in 2002. It was taken by Chinook helicopter to the RAAF Base Tindal where it was refurbished by 75 Squadron for static display at the Darwin Museum. It was returned to the Aviation Heritage Centre of Darwin on 23 November 2005. Photo: Julian Tennant

Martin Baker MB-326H Jet Trainer Ejection Seat (left) and Martin Baker MK.3B Ejection Seat as fitted to a Vampire Mk. 35A (right). Photo: Julian Tennant

Bell AH-1 Cobra (S Model) gunship. Photo: Julian Tennant

Over the years the museum has expanded to cover all aspects of aviation history in the Northern Territory and today it features one of the largest private collections of aircraft and aviation artifacts in Australia. Housed in a custom built hangar that was opened in 1990 after the Society was able to secure a B52 G bomber and currently exhibits 19 aircraft, 21 engines and numerous other related displays.

Aircraft include a B-25D Mitchell Bomber (one of the few surviving in the world), a replica Spitfire, Mirage, Avon Sabre, a Royal Australian Navy Wessex helicopter that assisted in the clean-up of Darwin after Cyclone Tracy, F-111C and the centerpiece, the aforementioned  Boeing B52 G Stratofortress 92596 “Darwin’s Pride.” This aircraft entered service with the USAF in December 1960 and made its last flight (to the museum) on 1 September 1989. The museum was chosen for its final resting place as Darwin Airport allowed B52 Bombers to take off at their maximum ‘take off weight’ with full fuel tanks or payload.

Boeing B52 G Stratofortress 92596 “Darwin’s Pride” at the Darwin Aviation Museum. Photo: Julian Tennant

Nose detail of the B-52 G “Stratofortress 92596 “Darwin’s Pride”, which fills the hangar at the Darwin Aviation Museum. Photo: Julian Tennant

North American B-25D Bomber s/n 41-30222. This D model is one of a very few that still exist that has seen active service. It flew a number of missions with the 345th Bomb Group USAAF. It was acquired by the 380th Bomb Group USAAF in New Guinea after it had been taken out of active service and was used as a “fat cat”, ie an aircraft used to collect and transport the food and other luxuries that the Group needed to make life more enjoyable. It flew between Fenton Airstrip 160km south of Darwin and Adelaide. On its last flight the aircraft received maintenance at Parafield Adelaide, but the aircraft was not “swung” correctly leaving the compass incorrect. On the return trip to Fenton the aircraft missed Alice Springs and the crew put the aircraft down in the Tanami Desert. They were rescued the following day. The tail section of the aircraft was destroyed on DCA orders to prevent the aircraft from being repaired and used after the War. Salvaged and returned to Darwin in 1972 and was further damaged by Cyclone Tracy while at East Point. It has now been partially restored to the 1943 colour scheme and nose art of its 1943 New Guinea service condition. Photo: Julian Tennant

B-24 Liberator Ball Turret. Photo: Julian Tennant

1938 Indian Motor Cycle restored to represent a communications motorcycle of the 380th Bomb Group USAAF. Photo: Julian Tennant

This relationship with Australia’s American allies is well documented in the museum and includes several artifacts from the USAAF’s 33^rd Pursuit Squadron which flew P-40 Kittyhawks and was virtually wiped out when the Japanese attacked on 19 February 1942, right up to the present day deployment of the  Marine Rotational Force – Darwin (MRF – D).

Uniform and flying helmet of Lieutenant Robert F. McMahon of the 33rd Pursuit Squadron USAAF who engaged the attacking Japanese aircraft in his P-40 Kittyhawk during their bombing raid of Darwin on 19 February 1942. Photo: Julian Tennant

United States HMLA-367 patches from the MRF-D 2019 deployment. US Marine Corps Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron 367 (HMLA-367) is a United States Marine Corps helicopter squadron consisting of AH-1Z Viper attack helicopters and UH-1Y Venom utility helicopters. Photo: Julian Tennant

Embroidered variation of the US Marine Corps Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 268 (VMM-268) patch. VMM-268 is a United States Marine Corps helicopter squadron consisting of MV-22 “Osprey” transport aircraft. The squadron, known as the “Red Dragons”, is based at Marine Corps Base Hawaii, Kaneohe, Hawaii and falls under the command of Marine Aircraft Group 24 (MAG-24) and the 1st Marine Aircraft Wing (1st MAW). VMM-268 undertook a 6 month rotation to Darwin as part of Marine Rotational Force – Darwin 2018 (MRF-D 2018) as part of a bi-lateral programme developed in 2011 to build and strengthen partnerships between US and allied forces in the Pacific. Photo: Julian Tennant

Embroidered US Marine Corps Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 268 (VMM-268) patch. VMM-268 is a United States Marine Corps helicopter squadron consisting of MV-22 “Osprey” transport aircraft. The squadron, known as the “Red Dragons”, is based at Marine Corps Base Hawaii, Kaneohe, Hawaii and falls under the command of Marine Aircraft Group 24 (MAG-24) and the 1st Marine Aircraft Wing (1st MAW). VMM-268 undertook a 6 month rotation to Darwin as part of Marine Rotational Force – Darwin 2018 (MRF-D 2018) as part of a bi-lateral programme developed in 2011 to build and strengthen partnerships between US and allied forces in the Pacific. Photo: Julian Tennant

PVC US Marine Corps Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 268 (VMM-268) patch. VMM-268 is a United States Marine Corps helicopter squadron consisting of MV-22 “Osprey” transport aircraft. The squadron, known as the “Red Dragons”, is based at Marine Corps Base Hawaii, Kaneohe, Hawaii and falls under the command of Marine Aircraft Group 24 (MAG-24) and the 1st Marine Aircraft Wing (1st MAW). VMM-268 undertook a 6 month rotation to Darwin as part of Marine Rotational Force – Darwin 2018 (MRF-D 2018) as part of a bi-lateral programme developed in 2011 to build and strengthen partnerships between US and allied forces in the Pacific. Photo: Julian Tennant

US Marine Corps Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 268 (VMM-268) Marine Rotational Force – Darwin 2018 patch. VMM-268 is a United States Marine Corps helicopter squadron consisting of MV-22 “Osprey” transport aircraft. The squadron, known as the “Red Dragons”, is based at Marine Corps Base Hawaii, Kaneohe, Hawaii and falls under the command of Marine Aircraft Group 24 (MAG-24) and the 1st Marine Aircraft Wing (1st MAW). VMM-268 undertook a 6 month rotation to Darwin as part of Marine Rotational Force – Darwin 2018 (MRF-D 2018) as part of a bi-lateral programme developed in 2011 to build and strengthen partnerships between US and allied forces in the Pacific. Photo: Julian Tennant

One of the aircraft that I was pleased to see was the De Havillland DH104 “Dove” called Manatuto after a town on the north coast of East Timor. My interest in this aeroplane relates to a beautiful civilian Transportes Aéreos de Timor pilot’s wing  that I hold in my collection.

Pre 1975 Transportes Aéreos de Timor Pilot wing. Brass and enamel multi-piece construction with rotating propeller. Collection: Julian Tennant

Transportes Aeros de Timor (Timor Air Transport) De Havillland DH104 Dove ‘Manatuto’  Photo: Julian Tennant

The Manatuto was registered to the Portuguese Government and operated by the Transportes Aéreos de Timor (Timor Air Transport). Originally based at Dili, Manatuto provided regular passenger, mail and cargo service throughout Timor and to Darwin. In October 1975, just before the Indonesian invasion of Timor, the aircraft flew to Darwin. It was admitted to Australia as an ‘aircraft in transit’ but was subsequently declared an illegal import and impounded after the Indonesian invasion before finally being donated to the society by the Portuguese Government in 1978.

Unlike the Darwin Military Museum, which I reviewed in my previous post, the provenance of the exhibits here are well documented and as a collector whose focus is uniforms and insignia I found several pieces that aroused my interest including some of the less well known RAAF uniforms from recent times.

RAAF Flight Service Uniform c1980-1990. Photo: Julian Tennant

RAAF uniforms on display at the Darwin Aviation Museum. Photo: Julian Tennant

Shoulder patch worn by Dutch members of No. 18 NEI-RAAF Squadron during their service in the Northern Territory between 1943 and 1945. Photo: Julian Tennant

Smatchet (bottom) and fighting knives on display at the Darwin Aviation Museum. Photo: Julian Tennant

A section of fabric from the tail of Spitfire A58-70 which crashed at Livingstone Airstrip whilst being flown by Flying Officer I.S. McKenzie of No. 457 Squadron RAAF, on 31 August 1943. Photo: Julian Tennant

Tropical Spitfire Flying Uniform as worn by pilots of No.1 Fighter Wing, RAAF in 1943/44 (left) and Flying Suit, helmet and oxygen mask of Group Captain Clive Caldwell (right). Visible is the embroidered garland of flowers and and hearts that his wife, Jean, embroidered under the right pocket flap of his flying suit just before he deployed overseas. Photo: Julian Tennant

Helicopter Air Crew Vietnam display. The mannequin is wearing the Gentex SPH-4 Helicopter Helmet, which was first produced in 1969 although this particular helmet appears to be a post war example. He is also equipped with a US Army issue 2-piece “Nomex” flight suit and the “Armour, Small-Arms-Fragmentation Protective” jacket which was commonly referred to as the “chicken plate.”  Photo: Julian Tennant

Flight Control panels from the old Darwin Airport. In the foreground is a Dual Flight service console circa 1974, whilst the structure in the background is the Approach Controller’s Radar Console, circa 1990. Photo: Julian Tennant

1940’s single engine, four seater Auster J-5P Autocar VH-BYS as flown by the Salvation Army’s first ‘Flying Padre’ in northern Australia in the 1950’s and early 60’s. Photo: Julian Tennant

The Darwin Aviation Museum. Photo: Julian Tennant

The museum also has a small cafeteria and bookshop which, in addition to their range of aviation and military histories also has model aircraft as well as generic Northern Territory related paraphernalia for sale. Overall, this is an interesting museum well worth the few hours I spent examining the exhibits. It is quite easy to get to using public transport as the number 8 bus stops at the front gate, but if you have a hire car and can set a day aside, I’d suggest combining it with a trip to the Defence of Darwin Experience and Darwin Military Museum at East Point which is about 20 minutes away.

The Darwin Aviation Museum
557 Stuart Highway
Winnellie Darwin, NT 0820
Australia

Phone: +61 (0)8 8947 2145
Email: info@darwinaviationmuseum.com.au
Website: https://www.darwinaviationmuseum.com.au/

Open: Every day 09:00 – 17:00

Entry Fees:
Adults: Au$16
Children under 12: $8
Seniors (65+): Au$12
Family pass: Au$36.00

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The Darwin Military Museum & Defence of Darwin Experience – Northern Territory, Australia

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Keith Swain: ‘Japanese air attacks on Darwin Harbour, 19th February 1942.’ Swain’s painting depicts the Japanese air raid on Darwin on 19 February 1942. Japanese aircraft fly overhead, while the focus of the painting is the Royal Australian Navy corvette HMAS Katoomba, in dry dock, fighting off the aerial attacks. Of the 13 ships in the harbour at the time of the attack, 9 were sunk. Australian War Memorial Accession Number: ART28075

 

On 19 February 1942, Japanese aircraft bombed Darwin in Australia’s Northern Territory. It was the first direct attack on Australian soil. At least 243 civilians and service personnel were killed, and it was the first of over 60 bombing raids on the frontier town between February 1942 and November 1943. Darwin’s proximity to Southeast Asia made it a strategically important location for the war in the Pacific and at its peak in 1943, there were over 110,000 servicemen and women based in the town and surrounding areas.  

Parade at a 6-inch gun emplacement, East Point, 1942. Photo: Northern Territory Library

The strategic value of Darwin was recognised as early as 1892 when military planners perceived a threat from Japan. In 1911 Field Marshall Kitchener had recommended that two batteries of 6-inch guns be situated at the east and west points of the harbour entrance although this was not acted upon. In 1919 as part of Admiral Jellicoe’s plan for the defence of the Pacific a recommendation was made to establish a Far Eastern Fleet in Singapore with a secondary bases in Australia including Darwin. However, with the development of the ‘Singapore Strategy’ in 1923, Darwin’s role as a major naval base was removed and instead it was to be a naval refuelling facility protected by four 6-inch guns.

In 1932, Australian Army troops arrived to construct the fortifications and garrison accommodation and by 1936, four 6-inch guns, two each at East point and Emery Point, magazines, command posts and searchlight stations had been installed. In 1944 the 6-inch guns were replaced by 9.2-inch guns, but apart from firing test rounds in March 1945, not a shot was fired in anger and after the war, the guns were sold as scrap to the Fujita Salvage Company.

9.2-inch gun at East Point at the end of World War II. AWM Photo Accession Number: 126155

Replica of a 9.2-inch gun in its emplacement at the Darwin Military Museum, East Point. Photo: Julian Tennant

The battery emplacements at East Point are now the home to the Darwin Military Museum and co-located Defence of Darwin Experience. Originally established in 1965 by the Royal Australian Artillery Association (NT) Inc to showcase Darwin’s history during WWII, the museum has expanded to include exhibits from all Australia’s conflicts from the Boer War to the present day.

6-inch Naval Gun. This gun was originally on HMAS Brisbane and was subsequently deployed to East Point to form part of Darwin’s coastal defence. After the war the guns were manned by the local militia unit, 121 Medium Coast Battery and remained in service until 30 June 1960, when the battery was disbanded. During its operational life, this gun was situated on the cliff some 300m to the right of the museum. Photo: Julian Tennant

3.7 inch Anti-Aircraft gun. 3.7 inch guns were employed extensively around Darwin during WW2. A battery of these guns were sited on the old Darwin Oval and were the first guns to engage the attacking Japanese on 19 February 1942, firing around 800 rounds in the first raid from 0958 to 1020 hrs. Photo: Julian Tennant

Armoury room at the Darwin Military Museum. Photo: Julian Tennant

Badges, gasmask and 50 cal machine gun in one of the older displays at the Darwin Military Museum. Photo: Julian Tennant

The exhibition spaces have spread beyond the original museum which was situated in the command post bunker and are a mixture of indoor, covered outdoor and open air displays. Being in the tropics, this is presenting obvious preservation issues for some of the exhibits, particularly some of the paper and textile items that are not housed in sealed climate controlled environments.  

Naturally, emphasis is given to the Northern Territory’s role in Australia’s military history, past and present and there are some very interesting exhibits. of particular interest to me were the displays related to the little known 2/1st North Australia Observation Unit (NAOU), nicknamed the “Nackeroos” or “Curtin’s Cowboys” which had been raised by an anthropologist, Major William Stanner. The unit was tasked with patrolling northern Australia looking for signs of enemy activity, patrolling in small groups on horseback and maintaining coastwatching outposts. As the threat of Japanese invasion passed, the unit was reduced in strength and disbanded in 1945. The concept was resurrected in 1981 with the formation of the North-West Mobile Force (NORFORCE), which is based in Darwin and one of three Regional Force Surveillance Units employed in surveillance and reconnaissance of remote Northern Australia.

Early NORFORCE uniform. Note the felt unit colour patch on the slouch hat and the privately purchased basic parachutist badge on jungle green backing. Photo: Julian Tennant

A slightly battered NORFORCE Slouch Hat on display at the Darwin Military Museum. Photo: Julian Tennant

2/1st North Australia Observer Unit (the ‘Nackeroos’) WWII parade uniform. Photo: Julian Tennant

NORFORCE stable belt detail. Photo: Julian Tennant

WWII Buffalo LVT amphibious transport. Powered by a 250hp Continental radial engine, the Buffalo was originally of Australian design (according to the museum’s description panel, which I think may be incorrect) but its manufacturing rights were sold to the USA during the war. This particular example was slightly modified to allow it to be operated from outside the driver’s compartment, which would have become unbearably hot due the tropical weather and the engine being mounted directly behind the driver. Holes were cut into the armour plating on the front and the steering columns, accelerator and brake pedals extended through these apertures. Whilst the Buffalo had potential to be an outstanding utility vehicle, its design did not allow it to operate in any but the calmest of seas without taking on dangerous levels of water. Photo: Julian Tennant

The Australia Under Arms Gallery, which highlights a mixture of conflicts. Photo: Julian Tennant

WW1 Australian Infantryman display in the Australians Under Arms gallery. Photo: Julian Tennant

EOD display in the Australians Under Arms gallery. Photo: Julian Tennant

Korean War infantryman wearing a mixture of Allied apparel, as was common, as the combined nations sought to find the best equipment to battle the extreme conditions. This soldier wears a British steel helmet, a US issue cold weather field jacket, Australian battledress trousers with US leggings and 1937 pattern Australian webbing. Photo: Julian Tennant

Sandcast, collar sized (Australian) Imperial Camel Corps brigade badge. Photo: Julian Tennant

Turret detail of a 1954 Ferret MkII Scout Car. The ‘Nightcliff 1st Cavalry’ insignia is a mystery to me as no such unit is known to have existed and the badge appears to be a variation of the British Royal Hampshire Regiment (minus the crown). Photo: Julian Tennant

1968 Australian variation of the Pandora Productions satirical anti-war ‘Fly Far Eastern Airways: This vaction visit beautiful Vietnam’ poster. Photo: Julian Tennant

Vietnam War display area at the Darwin Military Museum. Photo: Julian Tennant

Viet Cong uniform and equipment display in the Vietnam War section of the Darwin Military Museum. Photo: Julian Tennant

Australian infantryman in the Vietnam War display room of the Darwin Military Museum. Photo: Julian Tennant

Five cent Military Payment Certificate (MPC) currency note and Christmas card. Photo: Julian Tennant

Vietnamese communist flag on display in the Vietnam War section of the museum. No provenance is provided for this particular item and I have reservations about its authenticity as I was able to buy an identical flag (detail and stitching), which was sold to me as a copy, at the Dan Sinh Markets in Ho Chi Minh City for US$20. Photo: Julian Tennant

North Vietnamese Army shirt. The insignia indicates that it belonged to a member of the Dac Công, which was the Special Forces unit of the PAVN. Photo: Julian Tennant

Vietnam War medals of Royal Australian Navy sailor Graham Pattle. The medal on the left appears to be the Vietnam Medal (reverse) but the ribbon is incorrect for the award. In the background are some Vietnam Zippo lighters. However I have reservations about the authenticity of these lighters ( which are one of my collecting areas) and unfortunately no details regarding their provenance is provided. Photo: Julian Tennant

Australian Army Aviation Corps display in the Vietnam War section. Unfortunately this is another mistake on the part of the museum as the badge being worn is that of the 1st Aviation Regiment and was only instituted in 2013-14, long after the end of the Vietnam War. The soldier should be wearing the AAAVn badge on a black backing. Photo: Julian Tennant

‘Cheap Charlie’ badge. The ‘Cheap Charlies’ were like a lot of other clubs of its type in Vietnam and served the same purpose… to break the monotony and drink booze. To qualify one had to be first and foremost a cheap bastard. Meetings were held every two weeks and fines were handed out to those found guilty of not being cheap, i.e. giving someone a smoke, buying someone a beer etc. The badge had to be carried at all times and be produced to another member on the demand of “Cheep Cheep” – the shower being a popular challenge location. Photo: Julian Tennant

Royal Australian Navy aviator in flying suit. Note the distinctive ‘Northern Territory’ patch. Photo: Julian Tennant

WWII US Army Air Force navigator’s uniform from the 5th Air Force. USAAF. Photo: Julian Tennant

WWII US uniform representing a pilot from the 5th Air Force. USAAF. Photo: Julian Tennant

1943 dated Imperial Japanese Navy hat issued to Hiro Hikita (Volunteer No. 25664) of the Kure Naval Arsenal, which was established in 1903 near the city of Hiroshima. The Kure Naval Arsenal was one of Japan’s largest shipbuilding and repair facilities. The battleship Yamato was built here and commissioned in December 1941. Photo: Julian Tennant

However, as a collector and researcher there are also some disappointments. My interests are quite focused, and my knowledge reflects those limitations but some of the mistakes in the exhibits are glaringly obvious to even somebody with a more general interest in Australian militaria.  These include presenting contemporary uniforms and insignia in displays that are described as being from earlier conflicts and including reproduction items as originals without identifying them as copies. Whilst these omissions may escape the notice of the general viewing public, they do undermine the integrity of the museum and the accuracy of its representation, which is unfortunate if its role is to preserve history and educate.

A somewhat strange RAAF ensemble featuring a post WW2 Officer’s summer tropical jacket with current RAAF buttons and WW2 period pilot wings, plus pre-1950 tropical pith helmet. Photo: Julian Tennant

WWII German items on display, although the authenticity of the helmet is questionable. Photo: Julian Tennant

Described as a WW2 US Marine Corps fatigue/field cap, this is in reality a fantasy /fake piece. The Marine Corps actually wore the early short brimmed Army HBT cap in olive drab until the latter part of the war when they introduced the P44 caps for the marines. Futhermore, the camo in WW2 was printed on the same army HBT material for both Army and Marine Corps. This cap has the repeating chevron throughout which, I have been informed, is a sign of the reproduction camo material. Photo: Julian Tennant

Described as WW2 US Marine Corps. This display features a reproduction uniform (identified by the cut and stitiching) plus contemporary K-Bar scabbard embossed with the EGA insignia. Several US collectors have also questioned the authenticity of the belt and magazine pouches used in this display. Whilst it is understandable that museums sometimes include reproductions in their dispays, it undermines the integrity of the institution when they are not identified as such. Photo: Julian Tennant

One of the unusual ‘creative’ interpretations on display in the Darwin Military Museum. The mannequin includes a British Para smock, which I think may be the 1959 pattern, with Airborne forces Pegasus patch and Parachute Regiment beret but it also includes a Glider Pilot Regiment shoulder title which would not be worn by members of the Parachute Regiment and was not worn on para smocks. The Glider Pilot Regiment was disbanded in 1957. Unfortunately this is one of several mistakes that are displayed in the museum. Photo: Julian Tennant

French Foreign Legion uniform representing a legionnaire of the 4e Régiment Étranger, 4e RE. This is the training regiment of the French Foreign Legion and has been stationed at Quatier Capitaine Danjou in Castelnaudary, France, since May 1986. I am not sure why this is on display at the Darwin Military Museum, but here it is. Photo: Julian Tennant

Americans in the Top End display commemorating the close relationship between the US military and the Northern Territory since WWII. In the foreground is a plotting table from the command post of the two 9.2 inch guns that were located at East Point. Photo: Julian Tennant

Australian made Austen submachine gun. Photo: Julian Tennant

Melbourne Argus front page of 20 February 1942. (National Library of Australia)

The Defence of Darwin Experience galleries. Photo: Julian Tennant

Japanese auxiliary fuel drop tank from a Mitsubishi A6M2 Zero fighter dropped in the Darwin area during an air raid during WW2. Photo: Julian Tennant

One of the newer areas of the museum, which is done very well, is the co-located Defence of Darwin Experience. This is presented as a stand-alone attraction in a lot of the tourist orientated promotional material but is really just a new section of the museum which was added in 2012 and included in the one admission fee. This section tells the story of Darwin’s role in World War II through a combination of objects, firsthand accounts and multimedia presentations. Naturally there is an emphasis on the bombing of Darwin and unlike in some of other sections of the museum, the provenance of the artifacts is well documented presenting an engaging insight to the war in the top end by connecting the objects to the participants and their experiences.

War Damage Commission armband on display in the Defence of Darwin Experience gallery. The War Damage Commission was established to enact the Australian ‘War Damage Compensation Act.’ From 1 January 1942, under the ‘national Security Act’, every owner of fixed property in Australia was guaranteed compensation for war damage and was compelled to contribute to a fund from which the compensation would be drawn. After the boming of Darwin, skilled builders and tradesmen were recruited to assess the damage and make compensation recommendations. The assessors wore these armbands to ensure entry into all areas across the military-run district. The War Damage Commission made two major visits to Darwin, in August 1942 and July 1943. Claims were not limited to purely bomb damage; many buildings were purposely destroyed or stripped of materials for military purposes and claims continued to be made by property owners well into the 1950’s. Photo: Julian Tennant

Uniform of Sergeant F.G. Jarvis during his service with the Volunteer Defence Corps (VDC) during WW2. The VDC (aka Dad’s Army) was made up of recruits too old to enlist in the regular forces. The majority of the men in the VDC were veterans of the First World War. Sgt Jarvis was one such veteran having served at Gallipoli as evidenced by the brass ‘A’ on the colour patch indicating active service with the 27th Battalion AIF. The cross-flags insignia represent qualification as a signaller. Photo: Julian Tennant

Overall, I found the Darwin Military Museum to be a mixed bag, sometimes disappointing due to the inclusion of fakes or reproductions that were not identified as such, obvious curatorial errors and the effects that poor display conditions are having on some of the objects. But the exhibits also include some very engaging personal stories and unusual artifacts that are not often found in the public domain. I spent half a day examining the exhibits, jumping back and forth between the various exhibition areas. Visiting the museum resulted in a much better understanding Darwin’s history during the war and when complimented by the ABC’s Bombing of Darwin Podtour,  I was able to develop a much more informed exploration of the military related sites in the area.

 

The Darwin Military Museum
LOT 5434 Alec Fong Lim Dr
East Point, Darwin, NT 0820
Australia

Phone: +61 (0)8 8981 970
Email: info@darwinmilitarymuseum.com.au
Website: https://www.darwinmilitarymuseum.com.au/#/

Open: Every day 10:00 – 15:30

Entry Fees:
Adults: Au$20
Children aged 5 – 15: Au$10
Children under 5: Free
Seniors (65+): Au$10 for Northern Territory residents, interstate and international visitors, Au$15
Family pass(2 ADULTS, 3 CHILDREN U16): Au$45.00
University/TAFE students: Au$10.00
Disability carers: ​Au$12.00
Serving Military Personnel: Au$15

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If you like what you see here, please FOLLOW this page via email or by using either the buttons below or in the column on the right.  I try to post NEW content as often as possible and knowing that somebody is looking at this gives me the encouragement I need to set aside time to go through my archives and collection in order to develop the content for the page. And of course, feel free to contact me here, via email or by visiting my Facebook or Instagram pages

The Dutch Armed Forces Nationaal Militair Museum

 

The Dutch Armed Forces National Museum, known locally as the  Nationaal Militair Museum is located at the former Soesterberg airbase, approximately 50km southeast of Amsterdam. It combines the collections from the former Military Aviation Museum located at the same site with the Army Museum in Delft and the result has to be one of the best national military collections that I have visited.

The exhibits of the museum are organized thematically and although the museum represents all four services, the emphasis is on the land and air forces. The top floor tells the story of the armed forces through a combination of physical objects and interactive displays, which are broken down into sections leading the visitor through the story of the armed forces, the soldiers, conflicts, the relationship with civil society and the future.

The ‘Treasury’ room.

Dress jacket of a high ranking Pilot-Observer qualified Air Force officer in the ‘Treasury’ room. Photo: Julian Tennant

Air Force uniform detail showing the military pilot’s qualification and various decorations. Photo: Julian Tennant

Interactive display at the Nationaal Militair Museum which allows visitors to identify the insignia and qualifications worn by members of the Dutch Armed Forces. Photos: Julian Tennant

Royal Netherlands Air Force 313 Squadron Pilot’s jacket. Photo: Julian Tennant

German parachutists uniform, 1940. On 10 May 1940, German airborne troops captured three airfields around The Hague. Their objective being to capture the Queen, Cabinet and Dutch military leadership. Around the same time other German airborne troops captured the bridges at Moerdijk, Dordrecht and Rotterdam. Photo: Julian Tennant

Dutch troops engaging German aircraft during the invasion of Holland in WW2. Photo: Julian Tennant

Parachutist uniform, Australian Owen gun and insigina from the ‘Police Actions’ which were two short but major offensives against guerillas in Indonesia in 1947 and 1948. Several guerilla leaders were captured but the successes failed to bring about the end of the insurgency and under intense international pressure, the Netherlands finally accepted Indonesian independence in December 1949. Photo: Julian Tennant

Commemorative Batik cloth of the two parachute companies belonging to the Korps Special Troops of the KNIL on display in the museum. They played an important role in the 2nd Police Action against Indonesian separatists in 1948/9. The 1st Para company consisted of Europeans (Dutch and Dutch East Indies soldiers), and the 2nd company of locally recruited Ambonese soldiers.

Beret of the Netherlands East Indies Army (KNIL) 1st Parachute Company. During the Second Police Action (19 December 1948 – 5 January 1949) para commando units executed 3 successful parachute operations. Photo: Julian Tennant

Enamelled metal sleeve badge of the Dutch East Indies (KNIL) Parachute School (School Opleiding Parachutisten), 1945-50. Photo: Julian Tennant

Dutch Special Forces Afghanistan display. The chest-rig shown in the photo on the right was worn by Commando Captain Björn Peterse during operations in 2005. Photo: Julian Tennant

Afghanistan display. Photo: Julian Tennant

Improvised Explosive Device, Afghanistan. Photo: Julian Tennant

Dutch Special Forces vehicle mounted patrol in Afghanistan. Photo: Julian Tennant

 

Mercedes-Benz 250GD soft top (11kN). This Mercedes was used in between 2004-2006 by Dutch Special Forces of the Korps Commandotroepen in Afghanistan. It was originally an ordinary military Mercedes soft top, but has been adapted to the demands of the commandos. In order to be able to carry out extended patrols, the loading capacity was increased from 750 Kilo (7,5kN) to 1,100 Kilo (11kN). The vehicle is armed with a .50 machine gun on the ring gun, whilst the commander / co-driver operates a MAG machine gun. In addition the vehicles sometimes carried a 60mm mortar plus AT4 or LAW anti-tank weapons and radio systems that permitted communications between the crew, other vehicles and additional assets. Photograph: The Nationaal Militair Museum

 

Dutch Police Dienst Speciale Interventies (D.S.I.) sniper display. Formed in 2006, is the Dutch elite police anti-terrorist force that combines the SWAT units of the police and marines. It has a unit of specialized water operators (Unit Interventie Mariniers), an assault/intervention unit, comprised of a mix of police and military personnel (Unit Interventie) and police marksmen unit (Unit Expertise & Operationele Ondersteuning). The snipers of the Unit Expertise & Operationele Ondersteuning are armed with Heckler & Koch PSG1 and Mauser SR93 sniper rifles. Photos: Julian Tennant

 

A Brigade Speciale Beveiligingsopdrachten (BSB) assaulter of the Koninklijke Marechaussee (KMar) Gendarmerie. Photo: Julian Tennant

1971 Pacifist Socialist Party (PSP) Disarming poster. The PSP was a left-wing political party with liberal ideas about sexuality that also conducted provocative campaigns against the Vietnam War and nuclear weapons. Photo: Julian Tennant

 

The lower level, known as the Arsenaal, concentrates on weapons and the equipment used, from uniforms and field gear through to tanks, artillery and aircraft. The mix between objects and interaction is just right and there are lots… and I mean lots, of things to keep kids or, otherwise bored, spouses entertained. In the middle of the Arsenaal is Xplore which is filled with games activities including an F16 flight simulator, sniping and driving a tank.

Displays in the Arsenaal section of the museum cover 3000 years of weapons and equipment. Here, part of the medieval display. Photo: Julian Tennant

Cutaway model of a Steyr Mannlicher Rifle, Model 1892. Photo: Julian Tennant

 

Dogtag of Corporal Boortman excavated from the battlefield at Waterloo. Photo: Julian Tennant

 

Infantryman’s uniform from the Royal Netherlands East Indies Army, 1900. Photo: Julian Tennant

The Order of the Netherlands Lion (De Orde van de Nederlandse Leeuw) is a civilian decoration used to recognise merit in the arts, science, sport and literature. Photo: Julian Tennant

Military variant of the Dutch Eysink Motorcycle which has been adapted to transport a Schwarlose machine gun. Photo: Julian Tennant

BSA G14 with sidecar and M20 Lewis gun which could be fired whilst the bike was moving. Photo: Julian Tennant

Experimental insect-sized UAV camera device on display at the Nationaal Militair Museum. Photo: Julian Tennant

I visited the Nationaal Militair Museum towards the end of a month-long trip dragging the missus through the battlefields of Normandy, the Western Front and Arnhem. I figured that if I was lucky, I’d have a few hours to explore the museum by myself, but when she saw some of the displays decided to hang around and we ended up spending the best part of the day exploring the exhibits. Unfortunately, I did not take as many photos as I should have and snapped most on my old cell-phone, so the images really do not do the museum justice. This museum should definitely be on your itinerary if you are visiting the Netherlands and is easy to reach if you have a car, but is also quite accessible by public transport from Amsterdam and worth a day trip to fully experience what it offers.

The Nationaal Militair Museum
Verlengde Paltzerweg 1
3768 MX Soest
The Netherlands

Phone: +31  85 003 6000
Email: info@nmm.nl
Website: https://www.nmm.nl/en/

Open: Tuesday to Sunday from 10:00 to 17:00 excluding Christmas Day, New Year’s Day and Koningsdag (27 April) 

Entry Fees:
Adults: €15,00
Children aged 4 – 12: €7,50
Children under 4: Free
Museumkaart: Free

For Dutch citizens, if you have a Defensiepas (Ministry of Defence card), Veteranenpas (Veteran’s Card) or an ICOM card or if you are a Friend of the Museum or member of Vereniging Rembrandt, you can collect a ticket from the cash desk upon presentation of your card. This gives you free access to the museum.

If you are relying on public transport, you can plan your trip online using the Dutch National Travel Planner at 9292.nl

 

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If you like what you see here, please FOLLOW this page via email or by using either the buttons below or in the column on the right.  I try to post NEW content as often as possible and knowing that somebody is looking at this gives me the encouragement I need to set aside time to go through my archives and collection in order to develop the content for the page. And of course, feel free to contact me here, via email or by visiting my Facebook or Instagram pages

The Goldfields War Museum – Boulder, Western Australia

The discovery of gold in the Coolgardie and Kalgoorlie region, approximately 550km east of Perth in the early 1890’s led to an influx of fortune seekers, some of whom had military training. However early efforts to raise a volunteer force in Coolgardie in 1896 and Kalgoorlie in 1897 were unsuccessful and it was not until the outbreak of the Boer War in 1899 that military matters were taken more seriously in the area. By June 1900 the Western Australian Colonial Government had approved the creations of a Goldfields militia, known as the Goldfields Battalion of Infantry. Members of the battalion volunteered to serve in the Boer War and in 1903 the Battalion was re-designated the Goldfields Infantry Regiment, then in 1912, the 84th Infantry. From these origins, members of the Goldfields community have contributed to every conflict that Australia has fought in since Federation.

Lieutenant Mordaunt Reid of the Goldifields Infantry Regiment prior to the outbreak of the First World War. When the war broke out he enlisted and was posted to the 11th Battalion and was killed on the first day of the landings at Galipolli, 25 April 1915.

Cabinet featuring to pre WW1 trophies. The trophy on the right, in the foreground, is the Matheson Challenge Cup (1901-1914) which was presented by Alec P. Matheson MLC to the Goldfields Volunteers Battalion in January 1901 and subsequently awarded during the annual sports day for team target shooting competitions. In the bottom left, just visible, is the Chamber of Mines of W.A. Challenge Cup 1902 – 1913 which was awarded annually to the 84th Senior Cadet Battalion company displaying the most prowess in “field firing, inspection, company drill, skirmishing physical drill and march past”. Photo: Julian Tennant

Outdoor portrait of Bugler Ernest Walter Welsman, a carpenter from Kalgoorlie, WA, taken while he was serving in the militia in the West Australian Goldfields Regiment. Welsman later served in the First World War as a private, service number 731, in C Company, 11th Battalion, AIF. He embarked on HMAT Ascanius on 2 November 1914. He was killed in action on 13 July 1915 on the Gallipoli peninsula. Australian War Memorial Accession Number: P08618.002

German 75mm Minenwerfer (Trench mortar). After the First World War, the Australian Government distributed captured war ‘trophies’, including German artillery, minenwerfers and machine guns to localities all over the country. This is one of two 75mm minenwerfers which were captured by the 16th Battalion and assigned to the Goldfields. Photo: Julian Tennant

First World War Roll of Honour boards for the South Boulder School. Photo: Julian Tennant

Detail of the honour boards commemoratiing the local soldiers who perished during the First World War. Photo: Julian Tennant

The Goldfields War Museum was established in 1989 to showcase the involvement of the community in Australia’s wars, but in April 2010 the museum was devastated by a 5.0 magnitude earthquake. Part of the museum was relocated to the Kalgoorlie Town Hall, however the vehicles and larger parts of the collection were placed into storage, where they still remain until a suitable venue for their display can be constructed. On 7 January 2019, the museum was reopened in the Boulder Town Hall.

Considering the community’s involvement and sacrifices it made in all of Australia’s wars I was quite surprised at how small the museum is. However, during my visit I had a brief chat to City of Kalgoorlie-Boulder heritage officer Tim Cudini, who told me that there are several other items held in storage which will go on display when funding is finally released to facilitate the expansion of the museum to include the larger vehicles and other pieces that have been out of view since the earthquake.

Display at the Goldfields War Museum, Boulder, Western Australia. Photo: Julian Tennant

Harrington & Richardson pistol given to Private Matthew Radisich of Boulder by an American airman in Darwin at the end of the Second World War. Photo: Julian Tennant

Bar Mirror ‘Roll of Honour’ and New Guinea dagger. The bar mirror was ‘souvenired’ (i.e. stolen) and signed on the back by members of the 2/11th Battalion in the Middle East, 1941-2. The dagger was ‘souvenired’ at Salamua by Sergeant Barton Lamb of Coolgardie. Photo: Julian Tennant

Display detail at the Goldfields War Museum. Photo: Julian Tennant

Australian Army issue boots worn by Gunner Albert Skane of Boulder while garrisoned at Rottnest Island and Swanbourne, 1941 – 1945. Photo: Julian Tennant

Tobacco Tin Diary written by Archibald Holman of East Kalgoorlie while stationed in New Guinea, September 1944-January 1946. Photo: Julian Tennant

The current display area takes up six rooms, which were previously used as a doctor’s surgery, on the ground floor of the town hall. Most of the space is used for didactic panels and photographs outlining the experiences of locals in the wars.  I was a little disappointed by the small number of objects shown on display, although the stories that accompany the displays do make for interesting reading as they give very personal accounts of the conflicts and also clues to the prevalent attitudes of the time.

One of these features medals and documentation belonging to James Brennan who served and an infantryman with the 2/28^th Battalion as a ‘Rat of Tobruk’ and taken prisoner of war at El Alamein. James ‘Jim’ Brennan was an indigenous soldier, born in Laverton, Western Australia in 1917. While still a child, James was taken from his family and sent to the Moore River Settlement, north of Perth. In his teens he worked as a stockman mustering cattle before enlisting in the Army in August 1940.

On 26 July 1942 he was captured during the 2/28^th Battalion’s disastrous attack on Ruin Ridge as part of what is known as the first battle of Alamein. The battalion lost 65 men killed and 490 captured by the Axis forces.  Sent to Italy, James endured harsh treatment as a POW before being transferred to work in the rice fields between Turin and Milan. When the Italians capitulated, Brennan escaped and fought with the Partisans until being recaptured and sent to Stalag 7 in Germany, before being repatriated to Australia at the end of the war.

Items belonging to WX7218, Private James Brennan, an indigenous soldier who served with the 2/28th Battalion and was captured at Alamein on 26 July 1942. Photo: Julian Tennant

Returning to the Western Australian Goldfields, James Brennan found that being of indigenous heritage and despite having fought for Australia, he was still not regarded as an Australian citizen. He had to apply for citizenship rights just to go into a pub for a drink and when granted citizenship he and his wife Myrtle were able to go into towns, but this same access was not granted to their relatives. In 1965 James formed the Eastern Goldfields Aboriginal Advancement Council to advocate for social change on behalf of Aboriginal people. His service to the indigenous community was formally recognised in 1984 when James was awarded the Order of Australia Medal. His story was a sobering reminder of some of the attitudes regarding indigenous Australians that still persist in some sections of the community even today.

Australian Army Plate Carrier used by Private Brian Enad whilst serving with 6RAR in Afghanistan in 2010. Photo: Julian Tennant

Brian Enad (centre) with fellow soldiers from 6RAR in Afghanistan. Photo courtesy of Brian Enad.

Other exhibits, such as the plate carrier of Private Brian Enad, who served with the 6^th Battalion Royal Australian Regiment (6RAR) reflect Australia’s more recent conflicts. Brian Enad deployed to Afghanistan as a member of 6RAR’s Combat Team Charlie, training members of the Afghan National Police and National Army in 2010. The deployment was among the bloodiest for the battalion which formed part of Mentoring Task Force 1, conducting more than 1700 patrols and nearly 100 contacts where the enemy was directly engaged, including the Battle of Derapet, for which Corporal Daniel Keighran, another Kalgoorlie resident, was awarded the Victoria Cross for valour.

Australian Military Forces Leave Pass granting five days leave in Vung Tau from 29 August until 3 September 1967 to 5411678, Victor Churchill Dale who served with the 7th Battalion Royal Australian Regiment during their first tour in Vietnam in 1967/8. Photo: Julian Tennant

Viet Cong Flag captured by Private Ray Robinson of 11 Platoon, Delta Company, 4 Battalion RAR/NZ. . During Operation MERINO in July 1968 Ray’s platoon uncovered a bunker system estimated to accomodate 15 people. After securing the bunker, Ray discovered a flag left behind by the retreating Viet Cong, a sewing needle mid-stitch still piercing the fabric. At the end of his tour of duty, Ray brought the flag home to the Goldfields where it lay forgotten in the bottom of a suitcase until it was found during a clean out and donated to the Goldfields War Museum. Photo: Julian Tennant

Uniform of Kalgoorlie local, 5411678, Victor Churchill Dale, who served with the 7th Battalion Royal Australian Regiment during their first tour in Vietnam in 1967/8. Photo: Julian Tennant

The museum, whilst small is worth setting aside an hour or two for a visit and I am looking forward to returning one day when they finally do receive the funding to make all the larger exhibits available for viewing to the public. Currently, the museum is open on weekdays from 09:00 thru 16:00 and for a couple of hours every third Sunday of the month. Entry is free although gold coin donations are appreciated.

Entrance to the Goldfields War Museum. Photo: Julian Tennant

16th Battalion hat badge (top). This was a militia unit that has been based in the region since 1900. A Company, 16th Battalion (Cameron Highlanders of Western Australia) operated locally from 1952-1960. Below is the 84th Infantry hat badge. This badge was worn by members of the Goldfields Infantry Regiment c1903-21. Below is the . Photo: Julian Tennant

Goldfields War Museum
116 Burt Street
Boulder
Western Australia, 6432

Phone: +61  (0)8 9021 9817
Email: mailbag@ckb.wa.gov.au
Website: www.ckb.wa.gov.au/GoldfieldsWarMuseum

Open: Monday to Friday from 09:00 to 16:00 (excluding public holidays) and on Boulder Market Days (third Sunday of each month) from 10:00 to 12:00

Entry Fees: By donation. Guided tours are available every Thursday at 13.30 and costs $5 per person

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If you like what you see here, please FOLLOW this page via email or by using either the buttons below or in the column on the right.  I try to post NEW content every second Sunday (at least) and knowing that somebody is looking at this gives me the encouragement I need to set aside time to go through my archives and collection in order to develop the content for the page. And of course, feel free to contact me here, via email or by visiting my Facebook or Instagram pages

Nungarin Heritage Machinery & Army Museum, Western Australia

With the fall of Singapore on 15 February 1942, and the bombing of Darwin four days later, fears of a Japanese invasion of Australia began to reach fever pitch. The air raid on Broome in Western Australia on 3 March exacerbated concerns about the vulnerability of the state to Japanese invasion and led to the formation of III Corps and a bolstering of Western Australia’s military preparedness. One armoured and two infantry were deployed to the state and a rapid expansion of Western Australia’s defences commenced.

Nungarin, a small wheatbelt town situated approximately  278 km (173 mi) east of Perth became an important part of the supply network and at its peak was the third largest Army camp in Western Australia with around 1200 service personnel stationed there at any one time. The region was an integral part of the defence network as it was considered sufficiently inland to be outside the range of Japanese carrier-based aircraft. The town of Nungarin was selected for development, due to its location as a road and rail junction, had electricity and a good water supply.

In September 1942, the army acquired 1720 acres of land in and around the townsite and began construction of the Nungarin camp which was home to No.5 Base Ordnance Depot (5BOD), which at the time was the largest army ordnance storage facility in Western Australia and continued to operate there until its closure in 1960. The depot facilities included a vehicle workshop housed in a massive timber clad building which was sold to the Nungarin Shire.  It is now home to Nungarin Heritage Machinery and Army Museum, which officially opened on the 8^th of October 1994.

Nungarin Heritage Machinery and Army Museum. Photo: Julian Tennant

As its name implies, the museum is more than just a military museum and also includes displays of farm machinery and other cultural artifacts related to the local community. However, it was the military aspects that interested me and after paying another visit to the Merredin Military Museum on the Saturday, I made the 30 minute drive to Nungarin early Sunday morning, just in time to arrive for one of the museums renowned Sunday Breakfasts ($10), which was a great way to begin the visit.

Mechanical workshop pits in the Nungarin Heritage Machinery and Army Museum. Photo: Julian Tennant

Sunday Breakfast at the Nungarin Heritage Machinery and Army Museum. Photo: Julian Tennant

Toy and home-ware display at the Nungarin Heritage Machinery and Army Museum. Photo: Julian Tennant

American Studebaker US6 2½-ton 6×6 truck and Willys Jeep (currently undergoing repair). Photo: Julian Tennant

Unsurprisingly, the bulk of the exhibits are the vehicles and equipment of the type that were stored or repaired at the depot during its operation. Run by a small team of volunteer staff, the shed is filled with an assortment of military equipment, some complete and some still under restoration. Surrounding the shed are dozens more vehicles at different stages of disrepair, ‘projects’ is how Phil the caretaker/curator described them to me.

Restored Australian Dingo Scout Car 1942. The chassis and wheels were donated by Anthony Thomson and Kodj Kodjin whilst the armour was found on Bruce Watson’s Nungarin farm. Photo: Julian Tennant

Ferret Scoutcar used by the Australian Army and first produced in 1952. Photo: Julian Tennant

1941 Chevrolet Mobile Field Workshop on loan to the museum from Mr. J. Sewell. Photo: Julian Tennant

Bofors 40mm anti-aircraft gun. Photo: Julian Tennant

Two Pounder anti-tank gun. Photo: Julian Tennant

True luxury! Double bunk bed and army issue mattress used by troops stationed in Nungarin during WW2. Photo: Julian Tennant

Fully working WW2 period searchlight and generator, which has occasionally been dragged out to illuminate the night sky around Nungarin. Photo: Julian Tennant

Unrestored M3 Stuart tank which was acquired by the museum in 1988 after it had been used for farm clearing at Nukarni after the war. Photo: Julian Tennant

Nungarin Heritage Machinery and Army Museum. Photo: Julian Tennant

Ordnance 3 inch mortar circa 1937. Photo: Julian Tennant

WW2 GMC 6×6 truck. Photo: Julian Tennant

Fully restored Bren Gun Carrier owned by Eddie Woodfield and on display at the Nungarin Heritage Machinery and Army Museum. Photo: Julian Tennant

In one corner of the shed there are a couple of rooms holding smaller artifacts including communications equipment, uniforms and personal effects. As a former communicator, of particular interest to me were a couple of Vietnam era patrol radio sets used by Australian Special Forces.

Delco AN/PRC-64 and 64A radio sets used by Australian Special Forces in Vietnam and during the 1970’s. Photo: Julian Tennant

The lunchbox sized AN/PRC-64 was a spy radio set developed by Delco in the USA in the early 1960’s as a radio intended for Special Forces use and for espionage activities. Most of the original AN/PRC-64 sets were upgraded to the PRC-64A variant which included provision for the AN/GRA-71 Electro-mechanical Burst Encoder to allow for faster morse transmissions. These radios were used by the Australian Special Air Service Regiment in Vietnam and also by 1 Commando Regiment. SASR soldier, John Trist recounts his experiences using the 64 set as a patrol sig in the early 1970’s on the Crypto Museum website  and was one of many ex sigs (myself included) who bought one when the Department of Defence disposed of stocks in 1995. These days, on the rare occasion when they do turn up in the marketplace, they sell for quite a bit more than the Au$50 asking price at the time.

Display cabinet at the Nungarin Heritage Machinery and Army Museum. Photo: Julian Tennant

Radio and communications display room at the Nungarin Heritage Machinery and Army Museum. Photo: Julian Tennant

An old Vietnam era AN/PRC-77 radio set and harness. Fully restored working WW2 period searchlight and generator, which has occasionally been dragged out to illuminate the night sky around Nungarin. Photo: Julian Tennant

The building housing the collection is an important part of the museum’s story, but unfortunately, a largely timber structure out in the middle of a dry and dusty wheatbelt town does not create an ideal conservation environment for textile artifacts. And although the staff have made considerable effort to try and protect the handful of uniforms and insignia on display in their cabinets, these are not the museum’s strong point. The uniforms that are on display represent a small selection of (mostly) Royal Australian Ordnance Corps uniforms, most of which are post war and reflect more recent connections with the Australian Army.

Selection of military badges, buttons and a watch strap on display at the Nungarin Heritage Machinery and Army Museum. Fully restored working WW2 period searchlight and generator, which has occasionally been dragged out to illuminate the night sky around Nungarin. Photo: Julian Tennant

Australian Women’s Army Services (AWAS) uniform donated to the museum by Linda Robertson (nee Lynch) who served at 5BOD Nungarin, No.2 Depot-Gun & Ack Ack for a period of approximately 18 months during WW2. Linda’s job was to issue 25 pounder gun parts and search-light components. Photo: Julian Tennant

Western Australia based Regional Force Surveillance Unit, the Pilbara Regiment, slouch hat featuring the unit colour patch (UCP) and cap badge. Photo: Julian Tennant

Detail of a 10th Light Horse Regiment trooper on display at the Nungarin Heritage Machinery and Army Museum. Photo: Julian Tennant

Various old military water bottles on display at the Nungarin Heritage Machinery and Army Museum. Photo: Julian Tennant

Saddle blanket detail for a 10 Light Horse equestrian display. Photo: Julian Tennant

The main attraction is really the vehicles, and this is very much a hands-on type of museum where visitors can clamber around most of the displays to check out important details.  One of the vehicles that I found quite interesting was the Austin Champ, which was developed  to meet the British Army’s requirement for an off-road light vehicle in the early 1950’s. The Australian Army ordered 400 new Champs, plus a similar number of ex-British Army vehicles, but they were not popular due to their unsuitability for Australian conditions and were replaced by the Land Rover which was much better suited to requirements and significantly cheaper.

4 Cylinder Series B Austin Champ used by the Australian Army in the 1950’s. Photo: Julian Tennant

Staghound Armoured Car. Photo: Julian Tennant

Ford F-60L truck awaiting restoration. Photo: Julian Tennant

Rusted shells of armoured cars awaiting salvage on the grounds of the Nungarin Heritage Machinery and Army Museum. Photo: Julian Tennant

Trucks awaiting restoration at the Nungarin Heritage Machinery and Army Museum. Photo: Julian Tennant

Memorial stone commemorating the 100th anniversary of the armistice which ended the First World War. Photo: Julian Tennant

Nungarin Heritage Machinery and Army Museum. Photo: Julian Tennant

For visitors a trip to the Nungarin Heritage Machinery and Army Museum can be done as a day-trip from Perth, although if you have time I would recommend staying overnight (possibly in nearby Merredin), which will give you time to check out the Merredin Military Museum as well as the Nungarin museum, plus explore the old military buildings that are spread around the area. These are well documented on the Central Wheatbelt Visitor Centre website  or you can use Jane Hammond’s When war came to the wheatbelt piece for the Royal Automobile Club of WA (Inc.) as your guide for the trip east from Perth.

Ammunition bunker near Nokaning East Road, between Nungarin and Merredin. This is one of 46 concrete bunkers scattered around the area which were used to store various munitions during the war. Photo: Julian Tennant

Nungarin Heritage Machinery & Army Museum
26 Second Avenue
Nungarin
Western Australia, 6490

Phone: +61 (0)8 9046 5040
Email: nungarinheritage@bigpond.com
Website: www.nungarinmuseum.com.au

Open: Every day from 09:00 to 16:00.

Entry Fees: $5 per person

You may also be interested in this review of the nearby Merredin Military Museum

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If you like what you see here, please FOLLOW this page via email or by using either the buttons below or in the column on the right.  I try to post NEW content every second Sunday (at least) and knowing that somebody is looking at this gives me the encouragement I need to set aside time to go through my archives and collection in order to develop the content for the page. And of course, feel free to contact me here, via email or by visiting my Facebook or Instagram pages

USS Cobia SS-245. An AirBnB with a difference

Launch of the Gato Class Submarine, USS Cobia, 28 November 1943. Official Electric Boat Co. press photograph.

Original WW2 period handmade USS Cobia SS-245 patch.

The US Navy Gato class submarine, USS Cobia SS-245 was ordered on 9 September 1940, laid down 17 March 1943 and launched on 28 November 1943. She was commissioned on 29 March 1944. She commenced her first war patrol from Pearl Harbour under the command of Lt. Cdr. Albert Lilly Becker on 26 June 1944.

USS Cobia SS-245. Photographer unknown.

Heading towards the Bonin Islands area, the USS Cobia had her first victory when she sank the Japanese guard boat Takamiya Maru (138 GRT) with gunfire east of Ogasawara-Gunto on 6 July and a week later on the 13^th she sank the Japanese army cargo ship, Taishi Maru (2813 GRT) about 190 nautical miles north-west of Chichi Jima. Then, on 18 July 1944 USS Cobia torpedoed and sank the Japanese auxiliary gunboat Unkai Maru No.10 (851 GRT) north-west of Chichi Jima and west of Chichi Jima, the Japanese army cargo ship Nisshu Maru (7785 GRT), which was carrying a Japanese tank regiment to Iwo Jima, causing the loss of 28 tanks. The US Marine Corps considered this sinking critical to their success in capturing Iwo Jima six months later. Two days later, on 20 July, the submarine sank the Japanese auxiliary submarine chasers Yusen Maru No.3 (193 GRT) and Kaio Maru No.2 (62 GRT) north-west of Ogasawara-Gunto. Then on 5 August 1944 she sank Japanese transport ship Yayoi Maru (495 GRT) before ending her very successful first war patrol at Majuro in the Marshall Islands on 14 August 1944.

Crew on deck at Majuro prior to second war patrol, September, 1944. Photo courtesy of James P. Marion, III

Officers of USS Cobia on deck with their battle just prior to their second war patrol in September 1944. The flag shows the insignia of the ship at center, with flags and stripes indicating sunk Japanese transports and warships. Notes on back of photo: Left to Right Top Row: Lt. Cdr. Joseph J. Sibley, USNR Lt. (JG) William S.C. Henry, USNR Lt. (JG) Lester Davis, USN Lt. Cdr. Montrose G. McCormick, USN Cdr. Albert L. Becker, USN Lieut. James P. Marion, USN Lt. (JG) Daniel C. Pelton, USNR Kneeling: Lt. (JG) Sidney E. Henderson, USNR Lieut. John M. Tufts, USNR Stamp: Official Naval Photo NOT FOR PUBLICATION Stamp: Processed by Naval Censor

After refitting at Majuro from 14 August to 6 September 1944, Cobia sailed into the Luzon Strait for her second war patrol, which was punctuated by Japanese aircraft attacks, but did not result in any successful encounters with enemy shipping and she ended her patrol at Fremantle in Western Australia on 5 November 1944.

USS Cobia departed on her third war patrol, this time to the South China Sea on 30 November 1944. On 14 January 1945 she torpedoed and sank the Japanese minelayer Yurijima off the east coast of Malaya some 70 miles east of Kota Bharu and then returned to Fremantle on 24 January.

Her fourth war patrol commenced on 18 February when she was ordered into the Java Sea. On 26 February the Cobia engaged and sank two small Japanese vessels with gunfire in the Java Sea, but was damaged by return gunfire from one of the Japanese craft, which killed one crewman and damaged the radar equipment forcing the submarine to return to Fremantle to make repairs before recommencing the patrol and finally ending it at Subic Bay on 15 April 1945.

Burial of Ralph Clark Huston Jr. who was wounded in action on 26 February 1945 during a surface attack with 2 Japanese vessels. He died the following morning, and was then buried at sea. USN photo courtesy of ussubvetsofwwii.org

Cobia began her fifth war patrol on 9 May 1945, heading for the Gulf of Siam. On 8 June she torpedoed and sank the Japanese survey ship Hakusa (6799 tons) and the Japanese tanker Nanshin Maru No.22 (834 GRT) off southern French Indochina. On 18 June she returned to Fremantle to end her patrol. A month later on 18 July 1945, the USS Cobia began her sixth and final patrol, first inserting intelligence teams along the coast of Java, she sailed to Formosa before docking at Saipan on 22 August 1945, concluding her final war patrol.

Personnel transfer from Boarfish (SS-325) to Cobia (SS-245) during fifth patrol. Photo courtesy of James P. Marion, III.

Of Cobia’s six war patrols, the first, third, fourth, and fifth were designated as “successful” war patrols, for which she received four battle stars. She was credited with having sunk 13 ships, a total of 16,835 tons of shipping, as well as rescuing 7 downed airmen.

After the war she was decommissioned and placed on reserve on 22 May 1946. Recommissioned 6 July 1951, the submarine was used to train reservists and Submarine School students at New London until placed in commission in reserve at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard 29 October 1953. After overhaul, she was towed to New London, where she was again decommissioned and laid up in the Atlantic Reserve Fleet on 19 March 1954.

Line up of decommissioned subs at Groton, CT., circa 1947. From left to right:Archerfish (SS-311), Flasher (SS-249), Cobia (SS-245), Croaker (SS-246), Drum (SS-228) & what looks like the Cavalla (SS-244).

By 1959, the Navy considered Cobia obsolete as a deployable warship and transferred her to the Milwaukee, Wisconsin Naval Reserve Center. There she served as a training platform for the next eleven years. She was redesignated an Auxiliary Submarine, AGSS-245, 1 December 1962.

On 1 July 1970, the Navy struck Cobia from the Naval Register, and on 17 August she was towed to Manitowoc, Wisconsin to serve as an international memorial to submariners. In 1986, Cobia was incorporated as a part of the Wisconsin Maritime Museum, which had evolved out of the submariner’s memorial to become the state’s maritime museum. USS Cobia was then declared a National Historic Landmark, and placed on the National Register of Historic Places.

USS Cobia SS-245 being towed to Manitowoc, by the tug Lauren Castle on 17 August 1970. The 75 mile trip from Milwaukee to Manitowac took 9 hours. Photo courtesy: John Krupka

The Wisconsin Maritime Museum

The museum is one of the largest maritime museums in the region, preserving the heritage of the 28 submarines built there, by the Manitowoc Shipbuilding Company during WW2 and also the general maritime history of Wisconsin plus Great Lakes region. The museum covers 60,000 square feet of space which is home to over 85,000 artifacts including a collection of model boats, an operating steam engine as well as a display of over 50 historic vessels. It also acts as an official repository for retrieved shipwreck materials. But for the submarine enthusiasts, the highlight of the collection must be the USS Cobia, which is the most historically intact WW2 submarine in the USA. Visitors can go aboard for tours every hour during the museum’s opening times, which run from Wednesday thru Sunday.

But, if you’re really keen, go to Airbnb and book it as your overnight accommodation, then stay aboard and use it as your home base to explore the area.

According to their listing,

Sub Bnb sleeps up to 65 people in sailors’ bunks throughout the boat. The listed price includes the first five guests. Additional guests are $30 each.

The space
Your stay will be as unique as the submarine. No two visits are exactly alike. With more than 65 different places to sleep, you get to choose your own adventure on USS Cobia.

USS Cobia is the best preserved submarine in the country. It has been meticulously restored with amenities added like heat and air conditioning, making it perfect for year-round overnight visits.

During your stay, you’re welcome to explore the submarine with a dedicated staff member. They will be your point of contact and on-site all evening. A personalized tour through the boat is available if desired.

USS Cobia is only accessible via stairs and there are seven bulkhead doors to climb through. The only access to get out onto the boat is through the museum.

USS Cobia’s Crew’s Quarters. This room sleeps more than 30 people.Photo: Courtesy of the Wisconsin Maritime Museum

The Forward Torpedo Room, which has several bunks are ready for overnight guests. Photo: Courtesy of the Wisconsin Maritime Museum

The view through the first of the bulkheads in USS Cobia. Photo: Courtesy The Wisconsin Maritime Museum

The USS Cobia’s Officer’s Mess. Photo: Courtesy of the Wisconsin Maritime Museum

Bunks above the torpedoes in the Aft Torpedo Room. Photo: Courtesy of the Wisconsin Maritime Museum

The Cobia’s galley. Photo: Courtesy of the Wisconsin Maritime Museum

Torpedo tubes. Photo: Courtesy of the Wisconsin Maritime Museum

We provide bedding, toiletries, a private tour of the submarine as well as coffee from a veteran-owned company in the morning. We also have WWII movies in the museum and board games for your use in the sub. Your stay includes admission to the museum during business hours.

Because we are an operational museum, our policies are a little different. You’re welcome to stay several nights, but we will pack up and secure your items during the day as the museum and sub are open for tours.

The restrooms on Cobia are 76 years old. They’re lovely, but they’re not functional. The Museum will be accessible for your usage at all times, with restrooms and showers available.

We’re happy to store your food in our catering kitchen inside the museum. You’re welcome to use the fridge, freezer and microwave in that kitchen. The kitchen is stocked with coffee, tea and light snacks for you to enjoy during your visit.