WesWorld

As noted in the D K Brown thread, I was there yesterday.

The new Museum has been open about a year now, having previously been housed in a much smaller facility a bit northeast of Parliament in downtown Ottawa. The new musuem is located in an empty area west of the downtown called the Lebreton Flats. Ironically, this is where a neighbourhood was torn down in the fifties to build a Canadian "Pentagon" - but in true Canadian fashion, the command centre was never started.

The museum has apparently been designed to give a claustrophobic, bunker-like feel - concrete walls that resemble dirty planks, etc. It's an interesting idea that sometimes works. I know one long corridor with angled walls kept causing me to drift to the right as I walked.

Admissions are about $10, unless (like me) you're with an active or retired member of the military such as my stepfather - in which case the admission is free. As it should be.

The four main displays are broken up chronologically: pre-Boer War, Boer War + WW1, WW2, and post-WW2. The displays provide a simple but accurate summary of events and Canada's involvement. They seem to do a good job of presenting acts of heroism and sacrifice without getting jingoistic. They also present questionable acts (such as interning Japanese-Canadians in WW2) by explaining the context for what we'd consider bad decisions now but seemed to be reasonable decisions at the time. This worked for me; I felt I was being given facts without being emotionally manipulated.

The displays are all new and generally well done, a stand-out for me being a simulation of the Passchendaele battlefield. Lots of tech on display, including small arms, artillery pieces, a Spitfire, an F-5 Tiger, and several tanks including a T-72. I was also introduced to "puttees", cloth wrappings that functioned as high socks for troops; my stepfather told me that they were issued to defend against snakebites when overseas, and is convinced they're responsible for his varicose veins.

There's a lot of multi-media stuff, though I didn't check a lot of it out. Some of the WW1 stuff was interesting though - there's a good chance my eyesight would've kept me from going to Europe. That, however, assumes I even had permission from Valerie to enlist, which was mandatory until mid-1915. I can also now thank WW1 for the dually despised ideas of Daylight Savings Time and income tax.

There's also a "gallery" of big items. About fifty vehicles, mostly post-WW1 to present Canadian models, but also a smattering of international stuff including a BMP-1, T-34, and Panzer-II. Naval gun mountings ranging from old 24 pounder cannons to 20mm, 40mm, and a twin 10.2 cm mount, plus several mines and ASW weapons. Not so many aircraft - an F-101 Voodoo, a Huey, and a replica Nuieport in addition to what I mentioned - but that's why there's an aviation museum east of the downtown.

The gift store was pretty good - about ~150-200 feet of shelf space for books, including some fairly obscure or technical titles. Prices seemed reasonable too - the DK Brown book on the Grand Fleet cost me $32.05, which seemed cheap given that the flap of the book itself noted thirty-five pounds.

There's also an art gallery, which we skipped, and a historical research centre, which I'm intrigued by but did not have time to peruse. It'd be interesting to see what lurks within it. Maybe some bizarre military ideas to send to Shinra.

Overall: highly recommended for anybody, especially Canadians, stopping in Ottawa. Interesting, educational, and sobering, all at the same time.

Imperial War Museum London.

Its been a few years since I last went there so I can't give a definitive list of what is there. Its a real treasure trove of information with lots of static displays and aircraft hanging from the ceiling. HMS Belfast is moored on the Thames by Tower Bridge which is 20minutes walk or so. Haven't got around to going there yet. There is also IWM North, Manchester way. I didn't think that was as good but it had only just opened when I went and didn't have all the exhibits. IWM Duxford is on a airfield north of London near Stanstead. Its definitely worth a visit. There are loads and loads of aircraft there. Cost of admission - fairly negligible.

I haven't been in IWM North but have been aboard the HMS Belfast, went to the Imperial War Museum, RAF museum Hendon, IWM Duxford, Bovington Tank Museum and the Cabinet War Rooms.
On Saturday I will be going to the War and Resistance Museum at Overloon. I haven't been there in a few years and during that time a large indoor display section has been added.

Quoted

Its been a few years since I last went there so I can't give a definitive list of what is there.

Me neither. A few are given here but that is not everything they have. Of course there are the two 15 inch guns outside as well, the first things you see when approaching the museum.
For those who haven't been there, you might want to take a peek with the "Virtual Tour" option in that link.
BTW, you have some of them Italian 'human torpedoes' RA? :-)

I'd say that there are a few SLCs hanging around in various places in Italy. Just need a willing victim/volunteer to test them on.

And I assume a willing victim/volunteer to operate it as well.

Found myself off work early on Friday, so made my way back to investigate the Military History Research Centre at the museum.

Turns out this is basically a library of military-themed books and publications (two periodicals on fortifications alone - who knew?) plus an archive of other stuff. Lots of tomes I'd heard of but never actually seen - Mahan, Morrison, etc. I'll have to look authors like Breyer and see if they're present.

The fact that this facility is an easy twenty minute walk from work is most convenient...

Sounds like you can easily spend a few days in that section...