Cold War Firepower

 The M109A4 self propelled howitzer looks like a tank, but is in fact a Howitzer cannon mounted onto the body of a tank- much bigger than a tank's normal weaponry.

More vehicles over this way.

The BRM-1K was a reconnaissance vehicle used by the Soviet Union throughout the Cold War.

Beside it, the Chieftain, the main battle tank for the British into the 1990s.

Side by side, two Leopard tanks, mainstays of the Canadian military from the 1970s into the current day, and used in Afghanistan. I've been in one once. As big as they are, they're confined within. If you have a problem with claustrophobia, this would be problematic.

These two are throwbacks to the Second World War.

Fighter-Interceptor

 A reminder to members of City Daily Photo that the theme for April 1st is Entertainment. 

This is an emergency van, used as a mobile canteen in Britain, both for civilians affected by air raids and for Allied servicemen during World War Two.

The Voodoo fighter-interceptor jet is mounted above Lebreton Gallery. A standard for the Canadian military during the Cold War, it dominates the space.

Kurt is the name of a weather station that was installed in northern Labrador during World War Two, dropped off by Germans from a u-boat. It functioned for a short time before going offline, and was forgotten for decades until a German researcher going through naval records found mention of it. It was recovered and now resides here.

These memorial plaques are from the flagship location of the old Eaton's retail store chain. They commemorate staff members who died in both World Wars.

Two dioramas of the same general location are found close by. Passchendaele was the name of a ferocious battle of the First World War, won by Canadians at great cost. This depicts a German bunker cutaway; at right, a Canadian soldier is about to throw a grenade at the doorway. Sergeant Tommy Holmes is the man who won the Victoria Cross on the 26th of October, 1917, for what he did at Passchendaele.

The other diorama shows a much larger section of the battlefield, and thus the soldiers are much smaller. But they are seen on either side of the river flowing down off the ridge through the ruined landscape. Arthur Currie, the commanding general, set forth a methodical plan to take the ridge section by section. Against all odds, Canadian soldiers did it.

The Voodoo looms overhead. It is an impressive jet.

Heavy Weapons

 Continuing on with more of what we've been looking at in the Lebreton Gallery, with military vehicles.

The Lynx was a standard reconnaissance vehicle for Canadians during the Second World War.

Motorbikes were also in use during that period.

The Mobile Tactical Vehicle Engineer is more recent, specialized for engineers but based on the standard M113 armoured personnel carrier.

Across the way, a contemporary tank with an addition. The Leopard saw service during the Afghan War. This one is fitted at the front with a mine clearing roller system.

This is the ADATS- the Air Defense Anti-Tank System, which started being used during the Cold War.

We leave off here today.

In The Gallery

 I begin where I left off yesterday, with one more look at Walter Allward's extraordinary plaster cast versions for his work on the Vimy Memorial.

The next space is the Lebreton Gallery, home to a multitude of military vehicles and equipment from around the world and multiple eras. We begin with the Nyala Armoured Personnel Carrier, used in the Afghan War

Here we have the F15A Wireless Truck, a mobile communication center of the Second World War.

Side by side, two Canadian vehicles. The AA7 Cargo Carrier was designed for winter conditions and Arctic travel. The Water Weasel at right originates from the Second World War.

This is the M113 Combat Engineering Vehicle.

A mobile office in a trailer- this particular one was used by Canadian Lieutenant-General Harry Crerar during the Second World War.

And here we have the staff car of Field Marshal Sir Harold Alexander during campaigns in North Africa and Italy. After the war, he would be the governor-general of Canada.