If you know what any of this stuff is, post in the comments and tell me. I'm curious! You can click on the pics to make them bigger.
Like this, which reminds me of my grandpa's pipe stand:
What's this stuff? Particularly the thing that looks like a sushi tray and those metallic things on the far left back corner:
What are these:
And what does the last marking here mean? The first ones are pretty obvious, but I have no idea what the last is:
I liked all the tank stuff, the jeeps, and the amphibians:
I hope this was a "close call" instead of the alternative:
This too:
Check out the manufacturer's label. Go Hoosiers!
Now here's the part where I got really stoopid, but to my credit...I caught myself!
I took a picture of this Omaha Beach exhibit with my flash turned on:
Then I realized that the flash popped the reflector, and I actually got halfway through my stupid statement of the year before I caught myself. I actually started to say, "Do you think that reflector was added after? Or else no wonder they knew where we were..." DERRRR
Anyhow, here are some neat old bike pics:
Hey Sophia! Didn't you drive one of these??
There was also an area for old media venues...radios, televisions, two-way radio:
All in all, most of the vehicles, firepower, and displays in the Normandy area really reminded me of Band of Brothers. It just made something so far removed from me (except in imagination) very real and tangible.
Here are some of the things that brought that home for me:
And this amazed me...I've seen pics similar to it before, but it never dawned on me that in relation to the planes and other parachutes and their proximity, this photo had to be taken by one of the airborne jumpers:
Among other things, here are some models used in the movies:
And finally on a lighter note, some fun stuff.
I give you...the BATMOBILE! (And Robin's bike)
The A-Team Van!
The General Lee from the Dukes of Hazzard (complete with cast autographs)!
11 comments:
Outstanding photos. I donated some old radio brochures and tech manuals to a museum a few years ago. I wonder if that was the one. I have the curator's name around here somewhere.
I love museums.
Thanks for sharing your trip with us.Those photos are great.
Nice post! Very interesting museum to visit.
I'm interested in the sprockets on the front wheels of the first 2 motorcycles. Were they set up to have the front wheels chain-driven as well?
Went back and took another look at the German helmet. Doesn't look like it had a happy ending for the fella wearing it.
The marking in question seems to be a claim for artillery pieces destroyed.
OK I will take a shot at some of this stuff.
The first thing that looks like the pipe stand to me looks like a piece of old folk art - maybe a set of shot glasses.
The metal things in the back of the second photo look to me like oilers. I wonder if there are any inscriptions on them.
Those rifles should be very easy to identify by anyone with a computer - LIKE YOU - there should be markings all over the rifles that can be looked up. But I know a lot about WW2 era guns so here are some WAGs for you. The first gun is almost certainly an M1918 BAR (Browning Automatic Rifle), classic.
The second gun down looks to be a .50 caliber gun off of something (tank? airplane? troop carrier?), might even be an M2. Since there is a guy with an aviator suit on next to it, I would guess the gun was from an airplane and that it is .50 caliber, although it may be a .30. My best guess is .50 though.
The next case of rifles should be easy for you to ID once you volunteer at the museum and get the markings.
Just below them is almost certainly an anti-aircraft type gun, probably 20mm. You can see the little seat attached to the rear of the gun where the guy firing would sit. Looks like the aiming mechanism is gone. This gun could be from a ship, or could have been a stand alone for a ground campaign, hard to tell.
Below that, the picture of the first three things destroyed is, indeed easy - planes, trucks, tracked vehicles. The last thing is an artillery piece/cannon. Think of what an old style cannon used to look like, with the base, a large wheel to roll it on, and the barrel.
Great post!
Thanks, Dan! Volunteering at the museum is a great idea!
I actually just got a book from Barnes & Noble about identifying some of this firepower... but the things you think look like "oilers" are water pipes!
Yep...I found out they are WWII bongs, my friend! :p
Bongs! Wow, interesting. Strangest bongs I have ever seen. Not that I know anything about bongs from my collej days ;)
Yep!
Look Here.
I'm pretty sure that last marking is for field artillery.
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