Monday, July 18, 2016

Air War

When I stopped in at the War Museum for Canada Day, I went through the permanent exhibits, which I've featured before, but also stopped in at the temporary exhibit currently being displayed. It covers the air war during the First World War, with models, artifacts, art, and panels on personalities done in what's basically a graphic novel format. The exhibit also includes a rebuilt Sopwith Pup plane of the era. The battle in the air during that war constituted a completely new form of warfare, where young pilots were inventing tactics literally at the spur of the moment.

One of the panels, which I didn't photograph, featured Manfred von Richthofen, remembered by history as the Red Baron. It was a Canadian pilot, Roy Brown, involved in the Baron's final duel; there is controversy to this day as to who actually downed the Baron- was it Brown or Australian infantry firing from the ground? Another panel mentioned the Baron landing to see if a downed Canadian pilot he'd just bested was all right. However his death, it was probably for the best- had von Richthofen survived the war, he surely would have been a propaganda tool for the Nazis in the Second World War. This way his legacy, honour, and reputation were never tarnished- and his long feud with Snoopy The World War I Flying Ace could proceed unhindered.

28 comments:

  1. mankind and their wars... territorial, political, social. we expend so much and gain so little, it seems.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I have always thought Snoopy downed the Bloody Red Baron ... ;-)

    ReplyDelete
  3. The War Memorial has a fine collection of WW1 mementos William.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Wartime history is always fascinating, esp when done well as in this exhibit. I agree that the violence of way is never good to memorialise, but knowing the history is also important.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Excellent selection of WWI memorabilia.

    ReplyDelete
  6. @Tex: true.

    @Jan: that's what Snoopy wanted to do!

    @Grace: this exhibit really caught my eye.

    @Kate: I agree.

    @Bill: indeed.

    ReplyDelete
  7. I have the impression that the War Memorial is one of your favorite places, William....

    ReplyDelete
  8. This is quite a place and I think a helpful place. WW1 has faded from memory and I'll get 90% of the folks in North America couldn't tell you two facts about that war. Love those model planes.

    ReplyDelete
  9. They did some amazing things with very basic and simple airplanes. It's surprising how much detail they have on WW I details.

    ReplyDelete
  10. So much history. Love to get insight into these times.

    ReplyDelete
  11. You can learn a lot from exhibits like this.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Great exhibits. Would love to visit there and learn more.

    ReplyDelete
  13. @Norma: it's a wonderful museum.

    @Lowell: the section here on the First World War in the permanent exhibits is quite extensive.

    @Red: and the lucky ones managed to live.

    @Halcyon: I found the exhibit interesting.

    @Sharon: you certainly can, yes.

    @Tamago: it's quite an impressive museum.

    ReplyDelete
  14. So much to learn here! Thanks so much for sharing, William.

    ReplyDelete
  15. what a great museum...my husband would love it!

    ReplyDelete
  16. An intriguing exhibition. The first photo seems to highlight just how fragile those planes were. Guess they needed to be for war manoeuvres.

    ReplyDelete
  17. That was a terrible war...but then, aren't they all?

    ReplyDelete
  18. @Beth: I love history too.

    @Linda: you're welcome.

    @Tanya: it is a wonderful museum.

    @RedPat: I thought so.

    @Marleen: they certainly were.

    @Gemma: it's astonishing- the technology of airplanes were a decade old, and they were being put to the test in ways no one could have foreseen. You were lucky to get out of that war alive.

    @Kay: that's true.

    ReplyDelete
  19. Too bad it didn't end all Wars. May Snoopy and the Red Baron continue to duel somewhere.

    ReplyDelete
  20. Well, he certainly lived on in pop culture! Do you know the song? Seen the movie?

    ReplyDelete
  21. Wonderful flying machine in that next to last photo!

    ReplyDelete
  22. I hate war but love this early equipment

    ReplyDelete
  23. Wartime Interest. My dad was in war world Two.

    ReplyDelete
  24. I'm glad you mentioned the controversy! Too many believe everything others say!

    ReplyDelete
  25. @Mari: forever and ever.

    @Linda: he did. I know there's been a movie, but I haven't seen it.

    @Revrunner: that's true.

    @Cloudia: so do I.

    @Carolann: thanks!

    @Jennifer: it was more than likely Brown, but there's some evidence for the other side of the argument.

    ReplyDelete