Cambodian Police Honour Guard line the causeway to Angkor Wat Temple, 1993. Collection: Julian Tennant
In addition to the excellent Cambodia Landmine Museum, which I covered in an earlier post, there is another military museum close to Siem Reap town and the Angkor Temples.
Formerly known as the Siem Reap War Museum, the War Museum of Cambodia is located near National Highway 6 between Siem Reap and the international airport. It dates back to 2001 and was built in ‘partnership’ with the Ministry of National Defence. The museum’s stated purpose is to keep the memory of the civil war in the history of Cambodia alive and to preserve the unique collection for posterity. However, at the time it was widely believed to be little more than a business opportunity for local powerbrokers to dip into the pockets of the lucrative tourist market who were flocking to the nearby Angkor temples. There may well have been merit in this scuttlebutt as for many years the museum was little more than a collection of deteriorating rusted old vehicles and weapons with little attempt to preserve or contextualise their history.
Tail of a Chinese made Shenyang J-6 copy of the Soviet MiG-19 (Farmer) fighter aircraft featuring the distinctive three-turret Angkor symbol used by the Khmer Rouge. A Soviet Mil Mi-8 helicopter can be seen in the background. Photo: Julian Tennant
An old deteriorating Mil Mi-8 twin turbine transport helicopter on display at the War Museum Cambodia in Siem Reap. Photo: Julian Tennant
The wrecked and dilapidated interior of the Mil Mi-8 transport helicopter at the War Museum Cambodia. Until recently very little effort had been made to protect or conserve the exhibits fueling speculation that despite the museum’s stated aim of preserving the history and memory of Cambodia’s three decades of war, it was little more than a cash-cow for government officials seeking to extract money from visiting tourists. Photo: Julian Tennant
Khmer Rouge T-54 tank on display at the War Museum Cambodia, Siem Reap. Photo: Julian Tennant
Turret detail showing the three-turreted Khmer Rouge insignia of a KR T54 tank number 22 which was destroyed at Anglong Veng in 1994. Photo: Julian Tennant
Wrecked T-55 tank on display at the War Museum Cambodia, Siem Reap. Photo: Julian Tennant
Soviet BM-13 ‘Katyusha’ (Stalin Organ) multiple rocket launcher used in Cambodia after the Vietnamese invasion. Photo: Julian Tennant
In recent years, under the leadership of a new management team, things have begun to change and whilst many of the objects on display are still left exposed to the elements or without solid contextual information, attempts have been made to provide a better overview of the three decades of war represented in the museum. Parts of the museum are being rebuilt and the first of these, the ‘Landmine House’ which is a huge improvement opened to the public in 2018.
After paying the US$5 entry fee visitors are free to explore (and play with) most of the objects in the museum. Guides are available to accompany visitors and whilst they are described as ‘free’, tips are expected for their service. In the early days of the museum many of the guides had first-hand experience of the war, fighting for one side or the other but most have been replaced with younger guides. This new cadre have better English language skills and could be useful for tourist visitors who only require a cursory understanding of the conflict and the exhibits but could lack the depth of knowledge that somebody with a deeper interest in military affairs could be looking for in a ‘guided tour’. If time permits, an option is to use a guide to get their perspective and then spend time by yourself examining the objects in more depth.
Being largely outdoors and exposed to the elements, many exhibits are in very poor condition, rusting and in various states of disrepair. Textile items are particularly vulnerable when left outdoors in a tropical climate such as Cambodia and unsurprisingly there are few uniforms, flags or insignia on display. Most of the exhibits consist of vehicles, weapons, ordnance and some equipment.
A pile of deteriorating Soviet era ShM-41mu Gas Masks rotting in an unprotected display area at the War Museum Cambodia. Photo: Julian Tennant
Some of the small arms on display at the War Museum Cambodia in Siem Reap. Whilst most are still in relic condition, in recent years efforts have been made to clean and better present the weapons. Photo: Julian Tennant
Anti-aircraft gun and rusted armoured vehicles on display at the War Museum Cambodia, Siem Reap. Photo: Julian Tennant
Tattered mine-clearance team uniform and equipment on display at the War Museum Cambodia. Most of the displays are left exposed to the elements and are unlikely to last long in the tropical Cambodian climate. Photo: Julian Tennant
The new Landmine House display that was opened to the public in 2018.
Communist 82mm Mortar rounds on display at the War Museum Cambodia, Siem Reap. Photo: Julian Tennant
A tourist hams it up for the camera with a couple of rusted WW2 era Soviet PPSh-41 Submachine Guns. Photo: Julian Tennant
Exhibits on display at the War Museum Cambodia, Siem Reap. Photo: Julian Tennant
105mm American M101A1 howitzer and other artillery pieces on display at the War Museum Cambodia, Siem Reap. Photo: Julian Tennant
Russian ZPU-2 (or more likely a Chinese Type 58 variant) double-barreled 14.5mm anti-aircraft gun on display at the War Museum Cambodia, Siem Reap. Photo: Julian Tennant
If you choose not to use a guide and explore the grounds by yourself, signposts and captions accompany most of the items, identifying the object and in some instances, who used them, or where they were recovered from. All the information is in English and there does seem to be a lack of descriptive information in Khmer, which to my mind once again suggests that this may be less about preserving the knowledge and history for future generations, but a venture that is aimed directly at the tourist market. Maybe I am being overly cynical about the museum’s intended function, but for a museum that is run ‘in partnership’ with the Ministry of National Defence, until recently there did not appear to be much investment in actually preserving or presenting the exhibits in line with the museum’s stated aims. For many years the museum did look like a rusting junkyard that was being used as a cash-cow to line the pockets of some local military or government officials.
But thankfully the museum is undergoing some changes, with the aforementioned ‘Landmine House’ display being a good start, so hopefully this is the first of many improvements. And whilst I think that Aki Ra’s Cambodia Landmine Museum provides a better understanding of Cambodia’s recent past, the War Museum of Cambodia is also worth visiting to see the range of vehicles and weapons used during the conflict.
The museum is quite easy to reach being in Siem Reap town enroute to the airport. If you have time, I would suggest hiring a car and driver (for about US$50 per day) and heading out to the Cambodia Landmine Museum in the morning, possibly after visiting the nearby Banteay Srei Temple, (which is best early in the morning or late afternoon and much less crowded than other temples), then returning to Siem Reap for lunch. Then, after refreshing and avoiding the worst of the midday heat, the driver can take you to the War Museum of Cambodia for a couple of hours before returning to your hotel or heading out to Angkor Wat to watch the sun go down.
Tourists playing with some of the rusted weapons on display the War Museum Cambodia. Photo: Julian Tennant
Older 1993 era metal Cambodian Minefield Warning sign. Collection: Julian Tennant
A Cambodian (L) and two Vietnamese soldiers converse outside the Bayon temple in Angkor, Siam Reap, Cambodia, in 1982. Photo: Vietnam News Agency
War Museum Cambodia
Kaksekam Village
Sra Nge Commune
Siem Reap
Cambodia
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Army buddy and fellow militaria collector, Trevor ‘Spud’ Couch looking for a cold beer whilst visiting Angkor Wat in the late 1990’s. Photo: Julian Tennant
For most tourists visiting Cambodia, the ruined temples of Angkor near Siem Reap are the main, if not only, reason to visit the Kingdom. Listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1992, Angkor attracted 2.2 million visitors in 2019 and plays a vital part in the Cambodian economy where the tourism sector accounts for 12 percent of Cambodia’s GDP.
At its peak between the 10th and 13th centuries, the Khmer Empire which stretched across much of South East Asia, used Angkor as its capital before finally going into decline after it was sacked by the Kingdom of Ayutthaya in 1431. In 1863 Cambodia was placed under French protection and then became part of French Indochina in 1887. In 1953 the Kingdom gained independence from the French but by the latter half of the 1960’s it was becoming increasingly embroiled in the Vietnam War. Then, in April 1975, after a seven-year struggle, the communist Khmer Rouge forces captured Phnom Penh. During the three and a half years that followed at least 1.5 million Cambodians died during the genocidal reign of the Pol Pot regime. Repeated incursions into Vietnam by Khmer Rouge forces tested the patience of the Vietnamese and in December 1978 a Vietnamese invasion ousted the Khmer Rouge regime from power within weeks. However, the subsequent Vietnamese occupation caused a civil war that would last until the end of 1997 when the remaining Khmer Rouge finally accepted a government amnesty and laid down their arms.
Khmer Rouge at Angkor Wat. Photo: Collection of the Documentation Center of CambodiaA corrugated plastic core Unexploded Ordnance warning sign from Japanese Demining Action (JDA) which I bought at the Cambodian Landmine Museum in 2000. JDA had a small team undertaking EOD work near the Thai border at the time. Collection: Julian Tennant
After nearly three decades of conflict, Cambodia has been left as one of the poorest countries in Asia with the scars of its recent history still visible. For visitors to Siem Reap, there are a couple of military museums in the area that provide a welcome break from scrambling over the temple ruins.
The Cambodia Landmine Museum is located 25km north of Siem Reap, near the Banteay Srey Temple complex and whilst it is further away from the town, it is worth visiting. The museum was started by Aki Ra, a former child soldier who was taken from his family by the Khmer Rouge when he was just five and who fought for various factions, including the Khmer Rouge and the opposing Vietnamese army before UNTAC arrived in 1993. He then went on to help them with their EOD activities and then, when he finally returned to his village, he used this experience to defuse and clear the mines in his community using homemade tools.
Whilst clearing the ordnance, Aki Ra often encountered orphaned, wounded or abandoned children which he took into his care. To help pay for their upkeep, he displayed some of the mines which he had diffused at his home near the ticket booth for Angkor Wat Park and charged tourists a dollar to view them. I recall visiting this, the original, Landmine Museum around 1999 and listening to Aki Ra tell his story. It was a very humbling experience.
In 2006, the local authorities ordered it closed supposedly on safety grounds, however Siem Reap expatriates told me that the real reason was because local authorities felt that Aki Ra’s museum was attracting more tourists (and money) than the Siem Reap War Museum which had been started in 2001 as a ‘partnership’ with the Ministry of National Defence. This may well be little more than idle gossip, but given the high level of corruption that permeates Cambodian officialdom, this would not surprise me in the least and during one of my early visits to the Siem Reap War Museum, one of the guides did offer to sell me some of the exhibits that I expressed an interest in. Behaviour that I found strange for a museum supposedly existing to preserve the history of the conflict for future generations of Cambodians, so who knows… but I digress.
Vietnamese made fragmentation grenade/mine and anti-personnel mine on display at the Cambodia Landmine Museum. Photo: Julian Tennant
With the help of Canadian filmmaker, Richard Fitoussi, a charity the Cambodian Landmine Museum Relief Fund was started. Donors raised funds to buy a block of land and build a new museum which opened at its current location in 2007. In addition to the museum, the land also housed a Relief Centre for children including a small school. In 2008, with the help of the charity, Aki Ra established a formal de-mining NGO, Cambodian Self Help Demining, which is a separate NGO and apart from the Museum. They clear un-exploded ordnance throughout Cambodia, generally at sites deemed to be a low priority by the larger de-mining agencies, but where the presence of the UXO’s pose a real threat to the farmers who are attempting to work the surrounding land.
The Cambodia Landmine Museum gives visitors a good overview of the problems caused by this un-exploded ordnance and also some insights into Cambodia’s recent conflict. After paying the entrance fee, visitors are provided with a headset and audio player which provides some additional contextual information for the exhibits on display.
Exhibits include a variety defused ordnance, weapons, uniform items plus equipment such as de-mining tools and also artwork created by the children from the Relief Centre. There is also a small shop selling souvenirs including books, t-shirts and DVD’s.
1990’s period uniforms and weapons on display at the Cambodia Landmine Museum. Photo: Julian Tennant
Communist manufactured F1 and other grenades on display at the Cambodia Landmine Museum.
Gallery at the Cambodia Landmine Museum. Photo: Julian Tennant
Cambodia Landmine Museum gazebo display showing some of the unexploded ordnance encountered by Aki Ra and his demining teams. Photo: Julian Tennant
Cambodia Landmine Museum display of weapons, uniforms, ordnance and equipment used during the civil war.
Recovered communist manufactured artillery piece on display at the Cambodia Landmine Museum.
Demining gallery at the Cambodia Landmine Centre. Photo: Julian Tennant
As previously mentioned, the museum is some distance away from Siem Reap town and the best option to visit is to either grab a tuk-tuk, which will take around 30 minutes and cost about US$20 for a round trip, or hire a local driver and car for the day, which should cost up to US$50. This second option allows you to also visit the nearby Banteay Srei Temple which is much less crowded than the other temples closer to Siem Reap. You can then return to Siem Reap at your leisure and have the driver take you to visit the War Museum Cambodia (which will be the subject of next week’s post) after lunch.
Various EOD team patches from Cambodia in my collection. Top row left to right: Mines Advisory Group circa 1999, Cambodian Mine Action Centre, Mines Advisory Group type 2. Bottom row left to right: US Special Forces UXO Detachment Cambodia (2002), Cambodia Mine Action Centre variant, Australian Mine Clearance Training Team patch circa 1994. Collection: Julian Tennant
The Cambodia Landmine Museum
67 Phumi Khna
Siem Reap Province
Cambodia
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In January 1966, the 1st Battalion Royal Australian Regiment (1RAR), which had been attached to the US 173rd Airborne Brigade (Separate) after arriving in Vietnam the previous year, participated in Operation CRIMP. This was an operation involving over 8000 allied troops and is described in detail in Bob Breen’s book, First to Fight and in Blue Lanyard Red Bannerby Lex McAulay, whose customised Australian Army lighter that he carried during the operation was featured in a previous post. CRIMP was the battalion’s first major foray into an area which has become synonymous with the famous Củ Chi Tunnels and the pioneering ‘tunnel rat’ work carried out by its sappers.
For 1RAR, the objective of this operation, which involved over allied 8000 troops, was a series of underground bunkers believed to be in the Ho Bo Woods area of Củ Chi district. Intelligence indicated that these bunkers housed the headquarters for the Communist committee that controlled all Viet Cong activity in the Capital Military District and a large complex of tunnels was subsequently uncovered by the battalion. For the first time, engineers of 3 Field Troop, Royal Australian Engineers (3 Fd Tp RAE), under the command of Captain Alexander (Sandy) MacGregor breached the network recovering large quantities of weapons, food, equipment and documents.
Sandy MacGregor recounts the experiences of the sappers from 3 Fd Tp as they entered the tunnels for the first time in his book, No Need for Heroes.
We had three tasks. The first was to investigate the tunnels as fully as possible to discover what they were being used for. The second was to try and map the tunnel system so that we could work out its extent, and if need be, dig down to a soldier who might be trapped. The third, once we discovered what a treasure trove the tunnels were, was to recover everything we could – weapons, equipment and paper – all of which was invaluable for the intelligence boys.
Photograph by Captain Alex ‘Sandy’ MacGregor, OC of 3 Field Troop, who developed the ‘tunnel rat’ concept first used during Operation CRIMP. Here, soldiers are demonstrating a “Tunnel Exploration Kit”, which was developed as a result of the developments made by MacGregor’s soldiers. Note the ear plug in the soldier’s right ear, the throat microphone and the switch in his mouth used to operate the torch strapped to his forehead. He is armed with a Smith & Wesson 38 calibre revolver equipped with a silencer and pinpoint-light sight. Photograph: Alexander Hugh ‘Sandy’ MacGregor. Australian War Memorial Accession Number: P01595.021
It was not an easy mission to accomplish as this was a departure from the American policy of sealing and destroying any tunnels found. Captain MacGregor had previously recognised the inadequacies of the American approach and had begun training his engineers to enter and clear tunnels. The 3 Fd Tp sappers had built a mock tunnel at their base, experimented and developed clearance techniques but they were still entering somewhat untested territory when they commenced the operation. The “Tunnel Rats” as they would come to known, had their work cut out for them. As soon as 1RAR hit the LZ they came under fire from snipers hidden in underground firing positions, trenches and tunnels. Bob Breen describes the situation in First to Fight,
There were snipers and small groups of Viet Cong everywhere – in and behind trees, popping up from spider holes and tunnel entrances at ground level, and scrambling away after firing quick bursts. The area was seeded with numerous booby traps. Diggers (Australian soldiers) noticed the ominous wires and saw shells and bunches of grenades dangling from trees and clumps of bamboo.
American soldiers of the US 28th Infantry’s 1st Battalion scramble for cover as Viet Cong guerrillas open fire from concealed tunnels in an enemy stronghold 25 miles northwest of Saigon, Jan. 9, 1966. The unit, part of Operation Crimp, a massive allied assault, had just settled down for lunch when the Viet Cong attacked. (AP Photo/Horst Faas)
An Australian sapper from 3 Fd Tp looks into a Viet Cong tunnel in the Ho Bo Woods, north-west of Saigon, during Operation CRIMP. This operation marked the first time Allied (US and Australian) forces discovered and explored the VC’s extensive tunnel network. Photographer: Unknown
In an ambush on the first day of the operation, a Viet Cong firing position was discovered inside an anthill. When the sappers blew the anthill, a tunnel was discovered leading away from the position. Clearance teams from 3 Fd Tp began entering the network but breaching and securing the tunnels was no easy task.
We blew smoke into the tunnel and I divided the men into smaller sub-units of twos and threes and sent them off to investigate… Once we’d blown smoke, then tear gas, then fresh air down the tunnels, I sent a couple of men down to investigate. The entrance was so narrow it was hard to imagine it was intended for people at all. There was a straight drop then it doubled back up, like the U-bend under a sink. The tunnel turned again to go along under the surface and became a little wider, but there still wasn’t room enough to turn around. It was terrifying down there, armed only with a bayonet to probe for booby traps and a pistol to defend yourself.
Once you’d negotiated the tight entrance and the U-bend, you had to crawl along tiny passages, rubbing your shoulders on each side of the tunnel, on all fours, with no way of turning around if you got into trouble. Often, you’d find larger ‘rooms’, sections of tunnel that were big enough to crouch or kneel in, but you weren’t to know that when you first set out. The further the men went, the more complex the tunnel system was revealed to be. There were drops, twists and turns, corners around which the whole North Vietnamese Army could be waiting, for all they knew. The men burrowed away, ever further, ever deeper, until they discovered a hidden danger in the operation. Some of them began passing out in the tunnels due to lack of air. But, despite the fact that there was no room to turn they were all dragged back to the surface, usually after we’d blasted more fresh air down to them.
A Sapper of 3 Field Troop emerges from a Viet Cong (VC) tunnel by way of a trapdoor in the ground during Operation Crimp in the Ho Bo Woods with troops of 1 Battalion, The Royal Australian Regiment (1RAR). The trapdoor of concrete is covered with earth and grass and saplings are grown in it so that it carefully blends in with the rest of the vegetation, and is virtually impossible to detect. Photo: Peter Kelly. Australian War Memorial Collection Accession Number: KEL/66/0021/VN
Unfortunately, one of the sappers, Corporal Bob Bowtell, succumbed to the lack of air in one of the antechambers and had died of asphyxiation by the time his body could be brought back to the surface. The operation took its toll on many of the sappers as George Wilson recalls in Gary McKay’s book, Bullets, Beans & Bandages,
Those long periods spent underground, often in total darkness, where at times the only ‘light’ was the luminous face of your watch, were my most vivid memories of Viet Nam… Our troop casualty rate was particularly high on that operation with only 12 out of 35 men remaining until the end… of the operation.
During the six days that 3 Fd Tp spent on Operation CRIMP, the sappers had investigated tunnels for 700m in one direction and another 500m across that line, recovering truckloads of documents and equipment, including photographs of the Viet Cong’s foreign advisors. On the final day of the operation, the sappers found a trapdoor which led to a third level in the system, but before they could investigate it further the Americans decided to end the operation and pull out. The tunnels that had been discovered were lined with explosives and tear gas crystals in an attempt to either destroy or make them uninhabitable. Later, long after the end of the war Sandy MacGregor finally learned what lay beyond that final trapdoor. It led to the military headquarters of the Viet Cong’s Southern Command.
They had been that close.
However, Operation CRIMP had uncovered a massive amount of equipment and intelligence information and as a result, American units throughout Vietnam received orders to clear tunnels before destroying them. The tunnel system breached by 3 Fd Tp was later discovered to consist of over 200 kilometers of tunnels in multiple levels, and included living, working and storage areas, forming part of the much larger Củ Chi tunnel complex. For his contribution, Sandy MacGregor was awarded the Military Cross by the Australian government and the Bronze Star by the Americans. He recounts his experiences developing the ‘Tunnel Rats’ concept and service in Vietnam in an interview that was recorded for the Life on the Linepodcast series, which is worth listening to.
Viet Cong locally made canvas haversack captured by Sapper Peter Cachia of 3 Fd Tp RAE during Operation CRIMP. It consists of a central compartment made from light brown canvas with fold-in weather flaps. This compartment is closed by a large external flap secured by tying together lengths of synthetic cord. The flap has a large external pocket of green canvas with a plastic button closure. The straps are of light brown canvas 60 mm wide tapering to 12 mm wide. The narrow end of each strap is passed through a loop of synthetic cord sewn to the bottom of the haversack and knotted. This is how the length of the straps can be adjusted. Lengths of synthetic cord have been machine sewn to the both the straps and the haversack along the joins as a means of reinforcement. The haversack, which originally contained an aluminium lighter and a large quantity of documents and other printed matter. The printed matter was taken by army intelligence for analysis, and Cachia was allowed to keep the haversack and lighter. Australian War Memorial Collection Accession Number: REL43475
Corporal Lex McAulay, of 1st Battalion, The Royal Australian Regiment (1RAR), holds the hand of an old man as he leads him to safety after a village had been cleared of the Viet Cong. Photograph: Michael Shannon. Australian War Memorial Accession Number SHA/65/0220/VN
Truckloads of Viet Cong documents were captured by troops of 1st Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment (1RAR), when they unearthed a huge tunnel complex in the area known as Ho Bo Woods, north-west of Saigon, in Operation Crimp. Warrant Officer Second Class Jack Cramp (left) of Chester Hill, Sydney, NSW, and Major John Healy of Camberwell, Melbourne, Vic, sort some of the documents before despatching them to headquarters. Photo: Kenneth Ray Blanch. Australian War Memorial Collection Accession Number: BLA/66/0025/VN
Weapons captured by the Australians during Operation CRIMP. The machine gun in the foreground is a Soviet DShk 12.7mm Heavy Machine Gun. Photograph: Alexander ‘Sandy’ MacGregor. Australian War Memorial Collection Accession Number: P01595.071
The district of Củ Chi lies approximately 60 kilometers northwest of Saigon bordering an area known as the Iron Triangle, the heartland of the Viet Cong guerrillas operating in the region. The tunnel system took advantage of the hard, red, soil which was suitable for digging and did not become waterlogged during the monsoon season. It was first developed by the Viet Minh in their fight against the French and in 1947 only 47 kilometers of tunnels existed, but with the formation of the Viet Cong the system expanded. By the end of 1963 it was estimated that around 400km of arterial tunnels, trenches, connecting tunnels and bunkers existed in an area that covered 300 square kilometers. The Củ Chi Tunnel complex was big enough to conceal an entire regiment, some estimates put the figure at 5000 troops, enroute to its area of operations and proved to be an ongoing problem for the allied forces. Later, they were used as a staging area for the attack on Saigon during the 1968 Tet offensive and their utility was only somewhat restricted after a heavy bombing campaign by B-52’s in 1970.
During the course of the war it is estimated that at least 45,000 Vietnamese died defending the tunnels and after 1975, the Vietnamese government preserved sections of the tunnels and included them in a network of war memorial parks around the country. Today, visiting the Củ Chi tunnels are rated as one of the top five tourist destination activities in Vietnam, with some estimates placing the number of visitors as high as 1000 tourists per day.
There are two different tunnel display sites, Bến Đình and Bến Dược. The tunnels at Bến Dược are smaller attracting fewer visitors than the Bến Đình site which is closer to Ho Chi Minh City and is more popular with the multitude of tour groups offering the Củ Chi ‘experience’. Both tunnel sites offer a somewhat sanitised experience, allowing visitors to crawl around a ‘tourist friendly’ modified section of tunnel, check out displays depicting life for the occupants, boobytraps, weapons, equipment and be subjected to the usual pro-communist version of events. Personally, I think that the visitor parks are somewhat over-rated in terms of education or real historical value, but for a visitor with an interest in the military history of Vietnam they are worth visiting, just to check them out.
Australian visitor ‘Safaribob’ poses with some well dressed Viet Cong cadres on display at the Cu Chi Tunnels tourist park. Photo: Julian Tennant
Cu Chi Tunnels tourist park. Photo: Julian Tennant
Two Viet Cong cadres on display at the Cu Chi Tunnels tourist park. Photo: Julian Tennant
Tour guide demonstrating one of the booby traps at the Cu Chi Tunnels park. Photo: Julian Tennant
Booby trap display at the Cu Chi Tunnels theme park. Photo: Julian Tennant
Tour guide explaining the story of the Viet Cong cadres working on a recovered piece of un-exploded ordnance which they used to make booby traps and IEDs. Photo: Julian Tennant
Hulk of a M41 Walker Bulldog tank destroyed by a mine during the fighting in the Cu Chi area in 1970. Photo: Julian Tennant
M2 carbine and sewing machine in one of the workshop displays at the Cu Chi Tunnel theme park. Photo: Julian Tennant
Cu Chi Tunnel park workers making ‘Ho Chi Minh sandals’ in an open air workshop. These are then sold as souvenirs to visiting tourists. Photo: Julian Tennant
Ordnance recovered from the Cu Chi area on display at the Cu Chi Tunnels tourist park. Photo: Julian Tennant
Cu Chi tunnel shooting range prices. I took this picture during a 2012 visit, so I am not sure if the prices are still current. Photo: Julian Tennant
Explosives and IED display at the Cu Chi Tunnels complex. Photo: Julian Tennant
Guide demonstrating a tunnel entrance at the Cu Chi Tunnels tourist park. Photo: Julian Tennant
It is quite easy to reach the tunnels and there are lots of half-day or full day tours that include the Củ Chi Tunnels on their itineraries. Trip Advisor list several on their website which will give you an idea of what you can expect, however I think that it is best to visit them independently instead of an organised group tour. This can be done by bus or private taxi/driver, which is easily arranged and allows more flexibility with stops and timings.
Some of the organised full-day tours include a visit to the Cao Đài Holy See at Tây Ninh, approximately 96km northwest of HCMC as part of their package tour. Visiting this site is actually the main reason why I have made return visits to the tunnels at Củ Chi as its proximity makes for a good day trip and is worthy of consideration if you are organising your own visit.
Cao Đài bishop (denoted by the “Divine Eye” embroidered onto his headpiece) waiting for the midday service at the Holy See in Tây Ninh. Photo: Julian Tennant
Cao Đài lay people in their white robes at the Holy See in Tây Ninh. Photo: Julian Tennant
The Cao Đài Holy See at Tây Ninh. Photo: Julian Tennant
The Cao Đài is a Vietnamese religious sect that was founded by a French colonial bureaucrat named Ngô Văn Chiêu and based on a series of messages he received during seances in the early 1920’s. Its doctrine is a fusion of Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism, Christianity and occultism which deified an unusual mix of figures including Joan of Arc, Victor Hugo and Sun Yat Sen. Officially recognised as a religion in 1926, it adopted a clerical organisation structure similar to Roman Catholicism, established its headquarters at Tây Ninh.
In the years following its establishment, the Cao Đài became increasingly active in politics and at its peak, during the French period, had a militia of around 20,000 troops under its command. The French Indochina wars form a large part of my interest in Vietnam and the sect was a major player in the south during the French era.
An article about the Cao Dai from a 1951 edition of the Illustrated London News which talks about the support of their militia in battling the Viet Minh alongside the French.
In 1933, the Cao Đài commenced construction of its main cathedral, the Holy See, which is described in Graham Greene’s book, The Quiet American as “a Walt Disney fantasia of the East, dragons and snakes in technicolour.”
Midday prayer service at the Cao Đài Holy See in Tây Ninh. Photo: Julian Tennant
Midday prayer service at the Cao Đài Holy See in Tây Ninh. Photo: Julian Tennant
Clergy entering the Cao Đài Holy See at Tây Ninh. Photo: Julian Tennant
Tay Ninh, 96km northwest of Ho Chi Minh City is home to the “Holy See” of the once powerful Cao Dai religious sect. Founded in 1926 and based on messages revealed in séances to it’s founder, Ngo Minh Chieu, Cao Dai incorporates elements of Buddhism, Hinduism, Taoism, Confucianism and Spiritualism. It’s pantheon of deities includes Buddha, Confucius, Jesus Christ, Mohammed, Joan of Arc, Sun Yat Sen and Victor Hugo amongst others. The clergy is based on the Roman Catholic hierarchy and headed by a ‘pope’. In the 1930’s the sect became increasingly nationalistic and organised it’s own militias, running Tay Ninh province as an almost independent feudal state. They were involved in revolts against the French before and during WW2, co-operating with the Japanese and then allying themselves to the Viet Minh in the early years of the post war struggle against the French administration. A pragmatic group they switched sides, giving nominal allegiance to the Emperor Bao Dai and the French, whilst still retaining anti-French sentiment. The Cao Daists provided the basis for the ‘Third Force’ in Graham Greene’s classic novel, “The Quiet American” and by 1956 boasted an army of about 20 000 troops. During the second Indochina war (known to the Vietnamese as the ‘American war’) they were allied to the South Vietnamese government and refused to aid the Viet Cong, a point not lost to the Communists who redistributed their lands and executed a four of their leaders after taking power. It wasn’t until 1985 and the Cao Dai had been thoroughly pacified were they allowed to once again take control of their ‘Holy See’ and some 400 temples across Vietnam. Today it is estimated that there are some 2 – 3 million followers world wide. All Cao Dai temples hold religious ceremonies every six hours starting at midnight during which the clergy and lay people perform an elaborate, regimented ritual which includes offerings of incense, tea, alcohol, frui
Midday prayer service at the Cao Đài Holy See in Tây Ninh. Photo: Julian Tennant
Completed in 1955, the temple is a rococo extravaganza that mixes the architectural idiosyncrasies of a French church, Chinese pagoda, Madam Tussaud’s and the Tiger Balm Gardens in Hong Kong. Prayer services are held four times per day, when uniformed priests and laity enter the building to perform their rituals. Visitors are free to enter the balcony section of the temple during these prayers and it is a very colourful spectacle to watch the priests and dignitaries carry out their observances. The best time to visit is just before the midday prayers (held every day except during Tet) and then head on to the tunnels as the second stage of a full day trip.
An usher takes a nap during the midday prayer service at the Cao Đài Holy See in Tây Ninh. The yellow, blue and red stripes on his armband are the colours of the Cao Đài. Photo: Julian Tennant
In the next few weeks I’ll take a closer look at the Cao Đài’s political and military activities as I begin a series of posts devoted to some of the French Indochina period insignia that I have in my collection.
Items related to the initial deployment of 1RAR to South Vietnam from May 1965 until April 1966 when they were attached to the US 173rd Airborne Brigade (Separate). The WW2 era Australian Military Forces lighter in the middle of the picture has been modified with the addition of the enameled 173 Abn and Viet Cong badges. It was issued to Corporal Lex McAulay, who was with 1RAR during this period. The Viet Cong badge attached to the lighter was found in one of the tunnels when he was participating in Operation CRIMP in January 1966. Collection: Julian Tennant
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Royal Malaysian Navy Museum (Muzium Tentera Laut Diraja Malaysia) Melaka
During my first trip to Malaysia I did not leave Kuala Lumpur and whilst I did get to visit the Air Force and Police museums as well as some militaria shops, I did not make it to the two other places that I was keen to see, the Royal Malaysian Army and Royal Malaysian Navy museums, both of which are outside of KL. So, on a return from a trip to visit the battlefields of Central Vietnam, I arranged to extend the break between AirAsia flights to give me a couple more nights in Malaysia. Arriving at KLIA from Danang in the early evening, I took a taxi straight from the airport to the town of Melaka, about an hour and a half’s drive away. A one way trip cost me roughly the equivalent of US$45 and whilst it was not the cheapest option, it was the quickest for somebody who only had limited time.
Melaka (also referred to as Malacca) is the capital of the state of Malacca in the southwest of Malaysia and during the 15th century was one of South East Asia’s greatest trading ports, so as a result the town is steeped in maritime history. I came to visit the Malaysian Navy Museum, but first stop was the Maritime Museum of Malacca, situated just across the road and housed in a 36m long replica of the Flor De La Mar, a treasure-laden 16th century Portuguese galleon which sank during a storm in 1511 somewhere in the Straits of Malacca. The museum gives an overview of Malacca’s importance as a regional trading hub and its seafaring traditions from the time of the Malacca Sultanate through the Portuguese, Dutch and British periods. I quite enjoyed the museum, particularly the models and the cost of entry also included the Navy Museum, so this is definitely worth including on a visit to the Melaka.
The concrete and timber replica of the Portuguese ship, the Flor de la Mar which serves as the home for the Maritime Museum of Malacca
Portuguese era trading at the Maritime Museum of Malacca.
The maritime museum’s exhibition space below deck on the Flor de la Mar replica
One of the model ships on display below the decks of the Flor de La Mar at the Maritime Museum of Malacca.
Right next door to the Maritime Museum is the Royal Malaysian Customs Department Museum (Muzium Jabatan Kastam Diraja Malaysia) so I decided to check it out as well. This is a fascinating museum that is free to visit and has an abundance of items on display. Exhibits include uniforms, customs measuring devices and of course, various seized items of contraband ranging from pornography to weapons and narcotics.
Royal Malaysian Customs Department Museum (Muzium Jabatan Kastam Diraja Malaysia). Knives seized by Malaysian Customs. The brass handled dagger appears to have been influenced by some design and manufacture aspects of the Fairbairn Sykes commando stiletto.
Royal Malaysian Customs Department Museum. Uniforms worn by Customs Department officials.
Royal Malaysian Customs Department Museum. Rank and identifying insignia worn by Customs Department officials.
Royal Malaysian Customs Department Museum. Timber statue seized by Customs as it was considered to risque for Malaysian sensibilities.
Royal Malaysian Customs Department Museum. Toy guns seized by the Customs Department.
Royal Malaysian Customs Department Museum. Soft core pornographic magazines seized by Customs.
Across the road, the Royal Malaysian Navy Museum (Muzium Tentera Laut Diraja Malaysia) or Muzium TLDM to the locals, is dedicated specifically to the Malaysian Navy rather than a general naval history of Malaysia. Through a series of didactic panels, supported by various exhibits the museum outlines the development of the Royal Malaysian Navy and the role it plays in Malaysian society. The material being displayed is a mixture of equipment, uniforms, insignia, photographs and items related to the Royal Malaysian Navy’s interactions with other nations naval forces.
Royal Malaysian Navy Museum (Muzium Tentera Laut Diraja Malaysia). Sailor’s uniform featuring both the basic parachute and diving qualification badges.
Royal Malaysian Navy Museum (Muzium Tentera Laut Diraja Malaysia). Sailor’s uniform detail showing both the basic parachute and diving qualification badges. I am not sure which medal the ribbon represents.
Uniform worn by members of the Malaysian Naval Special Operations unit, Pasukan Khas Laut, more commonly known as PASKAL.
Royal Malaysian Navy Museum (Muzium Tentera Laut Diraja Malaysia). Anti-Aircraft gun on display in the museum atrium.
Royal Malaysian Navy Museum (Muzium Tentera Laut Diraja Malaysia). Mementos of two Royal Navy ships, HMS Malaya and HMS Sultan, both having historical links to Malaysia.
Royal Malaysian Navy Museum (Muzium Tentera Laut Diraja Malaysia). Chilean submariner’s presentation made to the Royal Malaysian Navy.
Royal Malaysian Navy Museum (Muzium Tentera Laut Diraja Malaysia). Westland-Wasp HAS Mk1 helicopter in the atrium of the museum
As a badge collector, I found the insignia exhibits particularly informative as it is often difficult to find good reference material identifying contemporary uniforms and badges. Most of the explanatory captions and panels also include English translations so it is quite easy to make sense of the displayed material. My specific interest in Airborne and Special Forces unit insignia was also well catered for with displays of uniforms and insignia relating to the Malaysian Naval Special Operations unit, Pasukan Khas Laut or more commonly known as PASKAL also being shown in the exhibits.
Insignia detail of a uniform worn by members of the Malaysian Naval Special Operations unit, Pasukan Khas Laut, more commonly known as PASKAL.
Royal Malaysian Navy Museum (Muzium Tentera Laut Diraja Malaysia). RMN trade badges.
Royal Malaysian Navy Museum (Muzium Tentera Laut Diraja Malaysia). RMN trade badges.
Royal Malaysian Navy Museum (Muzium Tentera Laut Diraja Malaysia). RMN trade badges.
Royal Malaysian Navy Museum (Muzium Tentera Laut Diraja Malaysia). RMN trade badges.
Royal Malaysian Navy Museum (Muzium Tentera Laut Diraja Malaysia). RMN bullion trade badges.
Royal Malaysian Navy Museum (Muzium Tentera Laut Diraja Malaysia). RMN bullion trade badges.
Royal Malaysian Navy Museum (Muzium Tentera Laut Diraja Malaysia). RMN bullion trade badges.
Royal Malaysian Navy Museum (Muzium Tentera Laut Diraja Malaysia). RMN bullion trade badges.
Royal Malaysian Navy Museum (Muzium Tentera Laut Diraja Malaysia). RMN bullion trade badges.
Royal Malaysian Navy Museum (Muzium Tentera Laut Diraja Malaysia). RMN bullion trade badges.
Royal Malaysian Navy Museum (Muzium Tentera Laut Diraja Malaysia). RMN bullion trade badges.
Royal Malaysian Navy Museum (Muzium Tentera Laut Diraja Malaysia). RMN bullion trade badges.
After spending the middle of the day checking out the Maritime and Naval Museums, I took a stroll back to my room via the touristy Jonker Street, checking out a couple of antique shops along the way. Nothing much to satisfy my needs and possibly over-priced to take advantage of gullible tourists such as myself, but worth a look anyway. In retrospect I should have headed to the Submarine Museum (Muzium Kapal Selam) but I had wanted to check out the shops around Jonker Street, so all good… next time. Then it was time for a quick bite and a beer before retiring for the night. In the morning I’d arranged for an early pick up to take me to back to KL International Airport via the Army Museum at Port Dickson… and I’ll save those pix for another post.
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One of the World War One galleries at the Army Museum Žižkov
Undoubtably one of the highlights of my trip to Prague in 2015 was visiting the Army Museum Žižkov (Armádní muzeum Žižkov). The museum, located at the foot of Vitkov hill, was about half an hour’s walk from the Old Town Square and a little off the beaten track, but it was a must-visit site for me and I planned my route to pass The Military Shop to see if I could find anything for my collection. Apart from a few contemporary Czech airborne patches, there was not much there for me that time as it is more of a surplus store than a military antiques dealer.
Entrance to the Military Shop – Hybernska, an army surplus type store which is located at Hybernská 40, 110 00 Praha 1.
Interior of the Military Shop – Hybernska.
Some of the headdress items for sale at the Military Shop – Hybernska.
Some of the patches for sale at the Military Shop – Hybernska.
A much better option for older militaria is Vojenské Starožitnosti, which is in the opposite direction and much closer to the Old Town (Staré Mesto námesti). But I digress…
T-34 tank at the entrance to the The Army Museum Žižkov
Walking up the hill to the museum visitors are confronted by an old Soviet T-34 tank outside a very austere looking building and, when I visited, not many people around. Entry to the museum was free and the rather unforgiving exterior belied a treasure trove of artifacts which I found fascinating. The museum exhibits covered the first World War, interwar Czechoslovakia, the second World War, persecution of members of the Czechoslovak army after the coup in 1948 and the anti-communist resistance. The museum was well laid out, with a range of very interesting uniforms and equipment exhibits accompanied by descriptions in Czech and English, it was easy to lose track of time as I encountered unusual wings and exhibits that fell directly into my own collecting areas. Of particular interest to me were the items belonging to Czech agents of the Special Operations Executive (SOE) who parachuted back into the country during the Nazi occupation and also some uniform items belonging to Czech expatriates who fled post war Communist rule and served with the US 77th Special Forces Group (Airborne).
US Special Forces green beret featuring US Army parachutist wings on the teal blue and yellow wing oval for the 77th Special Forces Group (Airborne). This is one of the items on display at the Army Museum Žižkov belonging to Josef and Cirad Masin, two Czech brothers who escaped the communist regime to West Germany and in 1954 joined the US Army. After completing basic training at Fort Dix, NJ they joined the US Special Forces, hoping to take part in the liberation of Europe from the Communists. Along with fellow Czech, Milan Paumer they served in the 77th Special Forces Group.
Items belonging to Josef and Cirad Masin, Czech brothers who escaped the communist regime to West Germany and in 1954 joined the US Army. After completing basic training at Fort Dix, NJ they joined the US Special Forces, hoping to take part in the liberation of Europe from the Communists. Along with fellow Czech, Milan Paumer they served in the 77th Special Forces Group.
Green beret featuring the unofficial distinctive insignia of the American 77th Special Forces Group. Part of the collection of items belonging to Josef and Cirad Masin, Czech brothers who escaped the communist regime to West Germany and in 1954 joined the US Army. After completing basic training at Fort Dix, NJ they joined the US Special Forces, hoping to take part in the liberation of Europe from the Communists. Along with fellow Czech, Milan Paumer they served in the 77th Special Forces Group.
US Special Forces uniform worn by anti-communist Czech national, Milan Paumer in the Czech Army Museum in Prague. Paumer escaped Czechoslovakia in 1954 and joined the US Army serving in the 77th Special Forces Group. Accompanying the uniform is a photograph of a much older Paumer wearing the uniform complete with the two US Army SF patches on each sleeve and I believe that they, along with the USSF patch and Special Forces tab were added long after his service.
Detail of the US Special Forces uniform worn by anti-communist Czech national, Milan Paumer in the Czech Army Museum in Prague. Paumer escaped Czechoslovakia in 1954 and joined the US Army serving in the 77th Special Forces Group. Accompanying the uniform is a photograph of a much older Paumer wearing the uniform complete with the two US Army SF patches on each sleeve and I believe that they, along with the USSF patch and Special Forces tab were added long after his service.
Two unusual examples of the British parachutist wings worn by Czech SOE agents who parachuted back into occupied Czechoslovakia to fight the occupying German forces during WW2. The wings on the lower badge may simply have faded over time, but the uppermost badge is definitely a unique variation that I had not encountered before.
German Luftwaffe Paratrooper in the WW2 display at the Army Museum Žižkov
Uniform of a Czech officer who had escaped to the UK and qualified as a parachutist before being reinserted back into German occupied Czechoslovakia during WW2.
British jumpsuit with safety cap and overboots (worn over civilian clothes during parachute insertion) as issued by the Special Operations Executive (SOE) to resistance agents for use during their insertion back into continental Europe. The parachute is the G.Q. type and this particular example was used by Czech resistance fighters of the the ANTIMONY paragroup which jumped on 24 October 1942.
Unfortunately the museum is now closed whilst a complete reconstruction takes place and I am told that it won’t reopen until at least 2020, but it will be interesting to see what changes are made. So, in the interim, here are some of the photos that I snapped on my iphone during my visit. Hopefully when the museum finally reopens these objects will be back on display because it really was a fascinating display of Czech military history.
Display in the First World War gallery at the the Army Museum Žižkov.
Machine-gunner and officer of the 21st Czechoslovak Rifle Regiment of the Czechoslovak Legions in France 1918. The machine-gunner is holding the French Light Machine Gun F.M. 1915 Model Calibre 8mm Lebel.
Display in the First World War gallery at the the Army Museum Žižkov.
Uniform of an Australian officer serving on the Western Front during The Great War.
Austro-Hungarian First Lieutenant, Field Pilot uniform on display in the First World War gallery at the the Army Museum Žižkov.
Display in the First World War gallery at the the Army Museum Žižkov.
French 75mm tank gun, 1916 Model, used in the first French Schneider CA-1 tanks.
Display in the First World War gallery at the the Army Museum Žižkov.
Display in the First World War gallery at the the Army Museum Žižkov.
Exhibition area showing the development of the Czech Armed Forces between the wars.
1930’s period Motor Transport officer wearing the ‘excellent driving of offensive vehicles for officer’ qualification award.
1930’s period Czech army display. I think that the magenta-red coloured collar tabs on the figure on the left indicate artillery. In the centre is a soldier from the Frontier Rifles, whilst the figure on the left is a gendarme sergeant of the 3rd Provincial Gendarmery Command in Bratislavia.
Inter-war years Czech Air Force display at the Army Museum Žižkov Prague.
Pre WW2 armoured qualification. Officially described as the badge for “excellent driving of offensive vehicles for officers + miniature.”
Inter-war period Czech Air Force insignia. Top Row: No.1. Unofficial badge of 5 Aviation Regiment in Brno. No.2. Moravian Aero Club badge. No.3. Republic of Czechoslovakia Aero Club badge. Bottom Row: No.1. Field Pilot qualification. No.2. Field Observer qualification. No.3. Field Air Gunner qualification. No.4. Field Air Observer of Arms.
Czechoslovak Armed Forces 1920-29 collar badges. Top row (no.21) left to right, Machine battalion, Bridge battalion, Survey company, Balloon (observation) company. No.25. Infantry and Artillery Mountain Regiments. No.26. Railway Regiment (also worn after 1930).
Armband of the Sudetendeutsche Partei, (SdP) Order Units. The SdP was a pro-Nazi party that existed in Czechoslovakia from 1933 until annexation in 1938.
Exhibit of items relating to the German occupation of Czechoslovakia in 1938 at the Czech Army Museum Žižkov
Waffen SS oberscharführer wearing a Close Combat Clasp, Wound Badge 3rd Class, Iron Cross 1st Class and the ribbon indicating that he was also awarded the Iron Cross 2nd Class.
World War 2 period armband of the Kuratorium for Youth Education (Kuratorium pro výchovu mládeže). Established in 1941, this was a ‘Hitler Youth’ type organisation formed in the Protectorate of Bohemia and Morovia to promote ‘Reich loyal’ Czech nationalism through the provision of cultural and athletic activities to youths between 10 and 18 years of age.
Waffen SS NCO’s visor cap and label from the kennel of the SS Security dogs at the Mauthausen Concentration Camp.Concentration Camp inmate uniform and identification patches. The inverted red triangle indicates that this was a political prisoner and the letter T identifies the prisoner’s nationality as Czech. “T” stands for Tscheche (Czech) in German.
Nazi Todt Organisation armband and identification badges worn by forced labourers working at the Junkers motor production workshops in Prague.
1933 pattern SS dagger and insignia recovered from the Buchenwald Concentration Camp.
Zyklon B canister from the Gas Chamber of the Mauthausen Concentration Camp.
Sleeve cuffs worn by inmates who were required to assist with self-administration of Mauthausen Concentration Camp and part of a hammer used to smash stone in the camp’s quarry.
Diorama of Soviet troops advancing through Prague, 1945.
Royal Air Force pilot and engineer’s brevets with sleeve eagle and Czechoslovakia title worn by exiled Czech pilots serving with the RAF.
German Luftwaffe airman wearing tropical dress including the visor cap with neck-flap
Soviet Red Army soldier in winter dress.
Red Army command post 1945.
Czech resistance fighters, including a policeman in the foreground, during the Prague uprising in 1945.
‘White Russian’ SS volunteer of the POA armed with a StG 44 rifle.
Army Museum Žižkov /Armádní muzeum Žižkov U Památníku 2, Praha 3 – Žižkov,
“Bash on Recce!” – Ambush in Wolfheze is a great account of the clash between elements of Freddie Gough’s Recce Squadron and Sturmbannführer Sepp Krafft who commanded the SS Panzer Grenadier Depot and Reserve Battalion 16 in the vicinity of Wolfheze shortly after the landing of the 1st Airborne Division on 17 September 1944. Jonathan, who authors the blog “Nine Days in September: Despatches from the Market Garden Battlefields” is also a battlefield tour guide and presents an account of the ambush that includes his own photographs from visits to the site of the action. Check out his blog and other posts for some interesting insights into this famous battle.
1st Airborne Recce Squadron jeep as used during Market Garden in September 1944.
Albany, located 418km south-east of Perth, is the oldest colonial settlement in Western Australia. Established in 1826 it was originally settled as a military outpost for the colony of New South Wales as part of their plan to halt French ambitions in the region. In 1893 the first Federal fort, the Princess Royal Fortress, was built on Mt Adelaide and the town was the last port of call for Australian troops departing for service in the First World War. During the Second World War it was home to an auxiliary submarine base for the US Navy’s 7th Fleet in the event that the primary base at Fremantle was lost to the Japanese. So, with a long weekend giving me some spare time, I decided to take a drive down to Albany to check out the Princess Royal Fortress and the National Anzac Centre.
Albany Barracks Museum at the Princess Royal Fortress
Albany overlooks King George Sound, one of the world’s finest natural harbours and during the 19th century the Australian states realised that the loss of this strategic port could be disastrous not only to Western Australia but to all the colonies. As a result, all the states agreed to pay for the construction of a fort and the British Government would supply the guns. The Princess Royal Fortress was dug into the hillside of Mount Adelaide with two gun batteries – Fort Princess Royal (2 x 6 inch guns) and Fort Plantagenet (1 x 6 inch gun) at nearby Point King. Neither battery fired a shot in anger and in 1956 the Princess Royal Fortress was decommissioned; the buildings initially being used as a hostel and holiday camp before being redeveloped in the late 1980’s as a heritage site. The fortress is now home to a number of interesting military sites including the Albany Barracks and Princess Royal Battery, the National Anzac Centre, HMAS Perth Museum Interpretive Centre, Navy Heritage trail, the South East Asia Memorial, US Submariners Memorial and the Merchant Navy Memorial.
6 inch gun at the Princess Royal FortArtillery uniforms, circa 1890’sCap and jacket detail of an artillery officer of the Fortress Princess Royal battery circa 1890’sAlbany Barracks Museum6 inch gun at the Princess Royal FortPrincess Royal Fortress Command Centre built in 1942.HMAS Perth Museum & Interpretive CentreHMAS Perth Museum
Royal Australian Navy (DPCU) uniform worn by CMDR Michael Manfield who had previously commanded the submarine HMAS Waller. HMAS Waller was the third Collins Class submarine to enter service. It was named after Captain Hector “Hec” Waller, DSO and Bar of the HMAS Perth I which was lost during WW2. HMAS Waller’s patch, seen on the right shoulder (and actually upside down on the uniform), features the Stuart rose which references Captain Waller’s service on HMAS Stuart whilst the Oak Leaves represent Captain Waller’s three Mention In Despatches during his career. The field of black and blue signifies the night battles at sea during WW2 in which his flotilla was engaged. I am not sure why the curators decided to add the Chief Petty Officer’s rank slides to the uniform or why the HMAS Waller patch is upside down… Curator must have been on the rum. Bofors anti-aircraft gun and other artillery pieces on the Navy Discovery trailUSN Submariners Memorial commemorating the WW2 submariners who remain on eternal patrol
Entry to all the museums and sites, with the exception of the National Anzac Centre is free and are definitely worth a visit presenting some interesting pieces of memorabilia at the various buildings and displays.
The National Anzac Centre was opened on the 1st of November 2014, a century after the first convoy of Australian and New Zealand troops departed from King George Sound, bound for the Great War. Visitors assume the identity of one of 32 servicemen who served in the war and follow their experience of the conflict from recruitment through active service to their return (for some). Their stories unfold through interactive displays, artefacts, photos, film and audio recordings. The content, curated from the Australian War Memorial and the Western Australian Museum, is interesting and engaging. A visit to the centre is definitely worth the Au$25 entry fee.
The National Anzac Centre with the USN Submariners Memorial in the foreground.National Anzac CentreNew Zealand and Australian uniforms at the National Anzac CentreOttoman identity disc, 1915. Official historian Charles Bean recovered three examples of these identity discs in the Lone Pine trench system in 1919. This example has been cut into a heart shape, possibly by its owner. Unfortunately the low light made it difficult to get a really clear image with my iphone. Foreign service helmet, Pattern 1902. Often referred to as the Wolsley or sun helmet, this example was worn on Gallipoli by Ballarat farmer Sergeant Cuthbert Stanley-Lowe of the 9th Light Horse. Stanley-Lowe was hospitalised on 15 June 1915 with ‘rheumatism and headaches’ caused by ‘exposure and strain in the trenches.’ He was evacuated to Lemnos and Egypt before being returned to Australia as medically unfit in early 1916.This British 1916 Mk 1 helmet was worn by Major General (later Lieutenant General) Sir Joseph Talbot Hobbs throughout his service on the Western Front. He has fixed an Australian rising sun badge to the front of his helmet. Major General Hobbs, commander of the 5th Australian Division, is best known for orchestrating the night attack on Villers-Bretonneaux on 24-25 April 1918, which recaptured the town.German helmet, gas-mask, wire cutters and pistol on display at the National Anzac CentreAustralian trench raiders clubs and revolver at the National Anzac CentreInteractive display relating the stories of individual participants in the Great War at the National Anzac Centre
Princess Royal Fortress
Forts Road, Albany, Western Australia 6330, Australia Ph: +61 8 9841 9369
Open 0900 – 1700 every day except Christmas Day.
Admission is free to all areas and buildings except the National ANZAC Centre which costs Au$25 for adults, Au$21 concession, Au$11 for first child (5- 15 years old) and $Au6 for every child thereafter.
Opened in March 1996, the Liberation War Museum (Muktijuddho Jadughor) is located in Bangladesh’s capital, Dhaka. The museum commemorates the Bangladesh Liberation War, which took place from 26 March to 16 December 1971 and resulted in East Pakistan becoming the independent nation of Bangladesh.
The Liberation War Museum at 5 Segun Bagicha Rd, Dhaka. Photo: Julian Tennant
Currently housed in a colonial era white-washed building, near the National Institute of Neurosciences Hospital, the Liberation War Museum is best reached by one of the cage-like, gas powered, CNG taxis as it is some distance from most of the tourist hotels and guesthouses used by international visitors. There are plans to relocate the museum but this has been delayed and in its present location it has six galleries plus a small bookshop and tea stall in the back courtyard. The first room documents the customs, culture and traditions of Bengal and the country’s struggle against colonial control.
Panoramic view of the galleries in the War Liberation Museum, Dhaka. Photo: Julian TennantWeapons display at the War Liberation Museum, Dhaka. Photo: Julian Tennant
The second gallery focuses on the period of Pakistani rule from 1947 until 1971, highlighting the plight of the Bengalis and their growing resistance to the economic, political and cultural oppression from the government in Pakistan. The third gallery documents the genocide of 1971, as well as the resistance and declaration of independence.
Hand sewn flag from 1971 made around the time Bangabondhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman called for resistance to the Pakistanis on the 7th of March. The Bangladesh Liberation War began 18 days later and these flags were produced as a symbol of opposition to the Pakistani forces and to identify the liberation fighters. Photo: Julian TennantLiberation fighter propaganda poster on display at the Liberation War Museum, Dhaka. Photo: Julian TennantDusty display cabinets showing bones, ammunition boxes and other artifacts relating to the atrocities carried out by the Pakistani troops. Photo: Julian TennantHuman skulls gathered from one of the two ‘Killing fields’ in Dhaka. Photo: Julian TennantDocumentation detail from the War Crimes Fact Finding Committee. Photo: Julian Tennant
Galleries four to six document various aspects of the military struggle against the Pakistanis including weapons, cameras and swimming fins used by a Bangladeshi ‘commando’ diver when planting limpet mines on Pakistani shipping. There is also a selection of human remains recovered from one of the two ‘Killing fields’ that existed in Dhaka during the struggle.
Graffiti left behind by Pakistani troops and described as being extremely offensive to Islamic teaching by some Bangladeshi’s. Photo: Julian TennantBooks and camera used by Sector-2 commander Major Khaled Mosharr. Photo: Julian Tennant
Photography is forbidden within the museum and I had to leave my camera at the desk. The staff were not to concerned about my phone though and I was able to sneak some pictures of the artifacts. Unfortunately the quality of these images is quite poor due to the low light, dust covered display cases and the need to photograph quickly and discretely. However the pictures will give you some idea of what is on display.
Fins used by Zainal Abedin a ‘commando diver’ who planted limpet mines on Pakistani ships. Photo: Julian TennantCap and photograph of Major M.A. Khaleque, a Bengali officer commissioned into the Pakistani Army and later executed by them on suspicion of aiding the resistance struggle. The caption states that he was an Intelligence officer however the cap badge indicates Artillery corps. Photo: Julian Tennant
Like some of the other museums that I have visited in the region, budget constraints, climatic conditions and a lack of properly trained conservation staff mean that it an ongoing uphill battle to preserve the artifacts that they exhibit. Cabinets are covered in a thin film of dust and the artifacts, particularly the paper and textile items are showing the effects of poor display conditions despite the best efforts of the staff. The majority of the military related objects are documents, plus a selection of weapons and some equipment items. Captions are in English and provide some interesting insights into the experiences of the resistance movement and the struggle. A new museum site in Agargaon (Dhaka) was acquired in 2009 but construction of the new facilities has fallen behind schedule and the move has not yet been completed.
Some of the various rusting and antiquated WW2 period weapons on display at the War Liberation Museum, Dhaka. Photo: Julian Tennant
The Liberation War Museum (Bengali: মুক্তিযুদ্ধ যাদুঘর Muktijuddho Jadughôr) is located at
The Liberation War Museum (Bengali: মুক্তিযুদ্ধ যাদুঘর Muktijuddho Jadughôr). 5 Segun Bagicha, Shahbagh, Dhaka.
Entry is 100Tk (US$1.20 approx)
The Museum is open everyday except Sunday between
10:00 AM to 6:00 PM.
In winter it is open between
10:00 AM to 5:00 PM.
Ramadan Time (রমজান সময়সূচি)
10:00 AM to 3:30 PM.
Mukti Bahini liberation fighters pull their rickshaw to the side of the road as an Indian Army Engineer unit passes by. Photographer unknown.
1 Commando Regiment beret belonging to Private Greg Sher, KIA during a rocket attack in Uruzgan Province, Afghanistan 04 January 2009.
I’ve just returned from a weekend trip to Melbourne and on Sunday afternoon, just before heading to the airport I found that I had a couple of hours to kill whilst ‘she who must be obeyed’ spent some time with her sister. I was at Flinders street station so decided to take a walk down St Kilda Road to the Shrine of Remembrance. The walk takes about 10 to 15 minutes and is quite a pleasant stroll, but in retrospect I should have taken the 5 minute tram ride (‘Stop 19 – Shrine of Remembrance’) as it would have given me more time to explore the new Galleries of Remembrance which were still under development last time I visited, back in mid 2014. But, it was a spur of the moment decision and whilst I regret not having more time to look at the exhibits it gave me a taster for my next visit.
The Eternal Flame near the footsteps of Victoria’s Shrine of Remembrance.
Built in 1934, the Shrine is the Victorian state war memorial. It was built to help a grieving Victorian community which lost 19,000 of it’s 114,000 enlistees killed in the First World War. They were buried in distant graves at a time when most Australians did not travel abroad. The Shrine provided a place where Victorians could share their individual and collective grief for the lives that they had lost. Designed by architects Phillip Hudson and James Wardrop, both World War 1 veterans, it is located in Kings Domain on St Kilda Road and was opened on the 11th of November 1934.
The Galleries of Remembrance were opened to the public on 11 November 2014. It utilizes 1600 square meters in a cathedral-like chamber beneath the Shrine and exhibits over 800 items illustrating the Australian experience of war from the 1850’s until the present day. Because of the time limitations I had, I did not go into the Shrine itself this time, but instead opted to check out these displays. Unfortunately the picture quality isn’t the greatest as they were just snapped on my iphone, but they will give you an idea of what is on the display.
Ballarat Rangers Helmet c.1880 in the Pre-Federation Gallery. This helmet is a rare example of the type worn with the distinctive green uniform of the Ballarat Rangers. Formed on 26th July 1858, the unit was originally known as the Ballarat Volunteer Rifle Regiment but changed its name a month later.Gallipoli landing lifeboat in the First World War Gallery. Lifeboat No. 5 landed on Gallipoli on 25 April 1915 at around 4.10 am. The lifeboat carried men of the 12th Battalion, the 3rd Field Ambulance and the 3rd Infantry Brigade HeadquartersAustralian Flying Corps pilot’s brevet with officers pips and farriers trade badge in the AFC and 4th Light Horse display in the First World War Gallery.WW1 Aviators helmet, goggles and jacket in the First World War Gallery.Australian uniform as worn on the Western Front circa 1917.First Word War Gallery display.Italian, German and French uniforms in the Second World War GalleryAustralian Kokoda / New Guinea display in the Second World War Gallery.Shirt worn by Alf Argent (3RAR) as part of the 28th Commonwealth Infantry Brigade, Malaya c. 1960.Viet Cong embroidered propaganda pendant of Ho Chi Minh in the “1966 The year that changed the world” temporary exhibition.‘Khats’ by George Gittoes (March 1993). Australian artist George Gittoes spent time in Somalia with the 1st Battalion, The Royal Australian Regiment (1RAR). He accompanied soldiers from 1RAR on night patrols in Baidoa and was fascinated by their electronic night vision goggles. He observed that; “People through their goggles lose their humanity… it is like playing a virtual reality game…” Meanwhile a local man experiences his own state of altered reality by chewing the stimulant plant, khat.Plaque from Rwanda c. 1995 presented to WO2 Robert Burgess (UNAMIR II) and UNTAC (Cambodia) patches collected by Private David Jess in 1993.Australian patches related to the Iraq deployments 2003 – 2008.Afghanistan & Iraq gallery.Disruptive Pattern Desert Uniform (DPDU) shirt worn by Sgt Ricky Morris whilst serving as an engineer in Afghanistan from 2008 to 2009.
The Shrine of Remembrance is located on Birdwood Avenue and St Kilda Road, 1.3km from Flinders Street Railway Station. It can be reached by a nice 10 minute walk or by any St Kilda road south bound tram except route number 1. Disembark at tram stop 19 or the Domain Road interchange. If you are using the Melbourne Visitor Shuttle bus, disembark at Stop 13.
Admission is free and it is open from 10:00 until 17:00 (last entry 16:30) everyday except Good Friday and Christmas Day. For more information visit the Shrine of Remembrance website here.
Anzac Day 2016 marked 100 years since the first service, which was held one year after the Gallipoli landings. For the Australian and New Zealand troops serving in Iraq a special commemorative patch was made.
An Australian helmet featuring the Taji ANZAC Day Iraq 2016 patch at the dawn service held at the Taji Military Complex, Iraq. 25 April 2016. Picture by Cpl Jake Sims (ADF)
On 25 April 2016, Australian and New Zealand Defence Force personnel deployed to Iraq with Task Group Taji commemorated the Task Group’s first Anzac Day at the Taji Military Complex, Iraq. The dawn service marked the 100th anniversary since the first Anzac Day service in 1916. To commemorate the day, a special one-off patch was produced by a Sydney based company for the troops serving with Task Group Taji.
ANZAC Day Iraq 2016 patch produced for the first ANZAC Day commemoration service at the Taji Military Complex in Iraq.
Australian Army soldier Private Andrew Lawrence from Task Group Taji commemorates Anzac Day at the Taji Military Complex, Iraq. The ANZAC Day Iraq 2016 patch can be seen on the helmet and the issue Task Group Taji patch is visible on his right shoulder. Picture by Cpl Jake Sims (ADF)
Personnel from Australia and New Zealand based at the Taji Military Complex in Iraq are part of the broader international Building Partner Capacity (BPC) mission training members of the Iraqi security forces. The training includes weapon handling, building clearances and obstacle breaching techniques; as well as training in the Tactics, Techniques and Procedures for squad through to company-level operations to use in their fight against Daesh.
General issue, Australian manufactured, Task Group Taji patch worn by Australian & New Zealand personnel serving with the Task Group as part of the mission designated Operation OKRA by the Australian Defence Force.
Task Group Taji’s BPC contribution is part of Australia’s broader Defence contribution to Iraq, codenamed Operation OKRA, which includes a Special Operations Task Group and an Air Task Group.
Australian Army soldier Private Andrew Lawrence from Task Group Taji commemorates Anzac Day at the Taji Military Complex, Iraq. 25 April 2016. Picture by Cpl Jake Sims (ADF)
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