10th June 2025
I sleep well and wake just before 0900. I've decided to spend a couple more days in Ottawa, but unfortunately, this hotel is sold out tonight, so I've booked a room in a Days Inn a few kilometres away. I'm abluted, suited and booted in no time, and wheel my luggage to the lift down to the garage.
Sacha is enjoying breakfast with his family…
I come back up to fill my water bottle with chilled water, and my travel mug with fresh coffee — nothing else on offer piques my interest…
I do, however, snaffle one of their 'to-go' lunches…
As I approach the car, it starts a little light show and shines a 'puddle' light in the shape of a horse on the floor by the door…
Today, by way of a little light relief, we are visiting the
Canadian War Museum…
After parking and catching the lift to the entrance, I pay my (seniors) fee off about $20 and set off following the arrows…
It covers the entire history of warfare in Canada, from colonisation to the present day…
It's beautifully presented and — despite being apparently dimly lit — my iPhone's camera manages to cope with it…
South African wars — imagine having to fight in woollen tunics in the heat…
The Canadian Army received their first machine gun — a Gatling gun — in 1885…
A reminder of how far the British Empire spread in Victorian times…
Of course, we had to keep the locals onside, using tools like this 12-pounder field gun…
The Great War introduced conscription for the first time in Canada. Lots of these exhibits are designed with education in mind, and this one allows kids to test whether they would be fit enough for call-up…
U-boats weren't a new menace in WWII — the Kaiser's navy used them to great effect against transatlantic convoys during WWI…
There are good exhibits of all the equipment — including these rifles — used in the trenches in WWI…
These gas masks…
…along with a gas rattle (bottom centre), which you would sound when a gas attack was suspected. A foul method of warfare…
A porthole from the liner
RMS Lusitania, sunk by a U-boat, with the loss of nearly 1200 lives. This event started a wave of anger towards the Germans from the USA, although it would still be a further two years before they joined the war…
Excellent dioramas of trench warfare…
…and some full-scale replicas. I'm too tall for trench warfare…
How close does combat get, that you have to mount a bayonet on your revolver?
This quote says it all…
At last — an aeroplane
A
Nieuport 17, flown by Canadian Lt (later Air Marshall)
Billy Bishop VC…
As the war continued in its terrible stalemate of attrition, machinery got more efficient…
…and air-burst shrapnel was an efficient killer of those not sheltering in bunkers…
Away from the mud and shrapnel, perhaps, but the aviators had little to defend themselves with and their life-expectancy wasn't high…
This German field gun was about to be overrun, so the crew detonated a shell in it…
This machine gun was captured by the Germans on the Russian front — then captured again on Vimy Ridge by the Canadians…
Hitler's car! No points for make/model/year…
A new set of audiovisual cues drag us towards WWII…
Another bloody Link Trainer…
The Battle of the Atlantic — probably the most important of the war. It was apparently the one Churchill was most concerned about…
If you've seen — or read —
The Cruel Sea (and if you haven't — why not?), then you'll recognise this model as being that of a Flower class Corvette, which formed the backbone of convoy escorts across the Atlantic — many manned by Canadian crews…
This is what they were trying to avoid taking delivery of. Anti-submarine warfare was in its infancy at the start of the war, but, by the end, U-boat crews were effectively going on a suicide mission whenever they left their home port. If you're interested in this part of WWII, I can recommend
The Battle for The Atlantic by Jonathan Dimbleby — I have it as an audiobook.
The models in the museum are really top-notch…
Amongst other wartime ephemera, they have an
Enigma machine…
The 88 mm flak (anti-aircraft) gun was a much-feared weapon — as it was when it was used against troops and light armour…
A later model Spitfire — not sure which, but it has cannons in the wings and bulges in the underside of the wing to accommodate the ammunition…
Very unwell looking STUG III, taken out during a battle on the
Gothic Line…
Slightly happier looking Sherman. This tank — Forceful III — was one of 69 tanks deployed — and the
only one of those to have remained in action until VE Day, although it was struck by enemy shells during combat…
Several captured pieces of hardware, like this
PAK 38, and the splendidly named
Nebelwurfer multi-barrelled rocket launcher…
…known to the allies as Moaning Minnie…
Plenty of iconic WWII German weaponry — the
Schmeisser MP40;
The
Luger pistol…
…and the
Walther P-38.
To round off the WWII part, there's a balcony overlooking a display of tanks of all eras…
As well as a CF-101 Voodoo…
Re-entering the halls, there's what I first take to be a Bren-gun carrier. In fact, it is based on one, but carries a flamethrower…
…and is designate the Wasp…
There's a display commemorating the Holocaust — with a quote saying “This is why we went to war”…
There's one of those folding paratroop bikes again…
Our journey continues into the Cold War…
As well as being a founding NATO member, Canada has also taken part in several UN Peacekeeping operations...
Notably in Rwanda…
Croatia…
…and Cyprus, where they man the border between Greek and Turkish Cyprus…
Enough. I've seen as much of people killing others as I need today…
I wander down to the café, where I have a rather good 'Smashed Cheeseburger Combo'…
I pay my parking fee, then steer the car about five klicks to the Days Inn, where, despite being too early, the desk staff check me in
.
I use a trolley to get my luggage up to my fifth-floor room…
Turn the ac to Ceres, and start uploading pics…
) and buy some ice-cold tea, with strawberries and lemons - delicious.
www.canadianautomotivemuseum.com
