Tuesday, January 10, 2023

Inside The Lebreton Gallery

 This may look like a tank, but it's not. This is the M-109 Self Propelled Howitzer. Technical specifications on most vehicles here can be found on display boards.


One of my favourite artifacts in the Museum is this collection of bins and antennae called Kurt. And it's because of the story behind it. During the Second World War a German u-boat crew installed this weather station in the furthest northern stretches of Labrador, marking it as if it was a Canadian government installation. It went offline after a brief time, and went forgotten, what with the general remoteness of the location. A German researcher decades later found references to it in German navy records, and brought it to the attention of Canadian officials. Now its home is here.


Another view of the Voodoo. In the foreground is the Leopard, the contemporary tank used by the Canadian military. I've been in one.


Older tanks are here.


Another relic of the Second World War- a mobile canteen, used for the military as well as civilians in Britain during the war.

44 comments:

  1. A self propelled tank! Wow! The day is not far when all wars will be fought remotely! Hopefully saving precious lives.

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    1. Well, we don't really want to see autonomous weapons.

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  2. The canteen-job must´ve been a tough one...

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  3. You are lucky you have to go into a museum or to the Ukraine to see tanks, I saw them life when I was a little girl.

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  4. And I thought self-propelled golf carts were an innovation!

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    1. In this case, not quite. It's driven, as opposed to towed, which is usually the case with a Howitzer.

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  5. These tanks and weaponry are life size I suppose? This museum is huge

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  6. Desempeñaron una buena misión en esa gran guerra mundial.

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  7. Great museum, I would not want to see one of those tanks rolling down my street.
    Have a great day!

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    1. It's quite a different experience seeing them in the street.

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  8. Fascinating, as ever, William. Tanks are terrifying things, but somehow compelling. I think you mentioned Kurt before - anyway, I had heard of it and it is a really interesting tale that I had forgotten!

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    1. The tanks are the typical war machines in my eyes.

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    2. Yes, I've generally featured Kurt on museum visits.

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    3. And yes, they are quintessential military machines

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  9. ...a mobile canteen then and food trucks now.

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    1. Yes, one wonders if this is an origin of the food truck.

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  10. The big equipment is located here. Really big!

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  11. It is sobering to see those tanks and to think of them rolling through a city.

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  12. So a howitzer may look like a tank but can’t move about freely like one?

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    1. It's less maneuverable than a tank, because of the sheer size of the Howitzer, and is really meant more for the protection of the crew, but it does move around. It's just more stationary, relatively speaking, than a tank.

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  13. major power weapon ~ quite the display ~

    Wishing you good health, laughter and love in your days,
    A ShutterBug Explores,
    aka (A Creative Harbor)

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  14. The story about the "Kurt" is fascinating! and not a little bit scary to think about.

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  15. oops -- I don't know where that "not" came from.

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  16. War museums can be fascinating indeed. Greetings to you!

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  17. This museum looks huge!

    All the best Jan
    https://thelowcarbdiabetic.blogspot.com/

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  18. interesting about the German weather station. Bet there are more things like that dotted around the world, all forgotten about.

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  19. That first tank is a scary beast!

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  20. Don't just rush past the headline. William! Tell us about your tank experience. If it's not to triggering

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    1. No, just went into one on display at an Army Run several years ago.

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