Thursday, December 3, 2020

Storms Of Steel And Duels In The Skies

The path comes out into an extensive area covering the Battle of Vimy Ridge. Among the artifacts here is this field artillery.


Here we have a cutaway of an artillery shell. The two irregular pieces above it are pieces of shrapnel removed from Canadian soldiers.


This illustration shows in a graphic way just how much more devastating shrapnel could be compared to a bullet.


Vimy Ridge is examined with panels and video displays, with a biplane mounted above everything. The battle was a watershed victory for Canadian soldiers, doing what others had failed to do.


Among the photographs and artifacts here, it's the illustration of a duel of a plane and zeppelin that caught my eye.


Look at the right of the gauge that is displayed here. The bone in question is still embedded where the damage happened.


As is the case throughout the Museum, individuals are profiled across the services in panels or artifacts. 


This last one here, Captain Roy Brown, was serving with the Royal Air Force and dueled Manfred von Richthofen, the legendary Red Baron, credited with shooting him down, though there's some dispute as to if Australian ground troops might have been responsible too. Regardless, the Baron's death preserved his legacy; if he had survived the war, he surely would have ended up a propaganda tool for the Nazis years later.


This colourized photograph shows Canadian soldiers following the victory at Vimy Ridge.

21 comments:

  1. I don't think I have ever been to a war museum.

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  2. One will never forget the the awful wars with these exhibits and museums.
    Take care, have a happy day!

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  3. I’ve never seen a shell that way. Fascinating. Thank you for sharing.

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  4. Hubby read an interesting book, the ways in which technology changed wars, the inventions that have led us where we are.

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  5. ...war waged from the air changed everything.

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  6. That graphic of the leg with a bullet or shrapnel tells the awful story. War is terrible in every way.

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  7. So many ways to destroy each other.

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  8. Quite the display and reminder of fragility of life ^_^

    Live each moment with love,

    A ShutterBug Explores,
    aka (A Creative Harbor)

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  9. @Stefan: I get in here a couple of times a year.

    @Jan: very much so.

    @Eileen: quite true.

    @Agnieszka: thank you.

    @Marie: you're welcome.

    @Jennifer: in many ways.

    @Tom: it did.

    @DJan: I agree.

    @RedPat: indeed.

    @Sharon: definitely.

    @Carol: thank you.

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  10. Interesting displays of some horrible weapons.

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  11. William - the "gruesome" aspects of the exhibit caught me a bit off guard, but if this helps us prevent future wars and the loss of family members, I think it is an important aspect to be featured in the museum!

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  12. It's when you see details like this you realise just how horrific it was ✨

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  13. @Bill: I think so.

    @Magiceye: quite true.

    @Revrunner: definitely.

    @Angie: I think so too.

    @Grace: very much so.

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  14. The thought of how devastating the implements of war can be is completely overwhelming.

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