The Juno Beach Centre Today we arrive at Courseulles-sur-Mer and Juno Beach, and what I regard as the single best museum on all the beaches -- the Juno Beach Centre. A tank with a difference Arriving under a grey sky (if you don't like the weather in Normandy, wait an hour), a tank caught my eye. Now, there are lots of tanks on display up and down the beaches, but this one is different. Land or sea drive This was one of the few surviving amphibious tanks from the landing. The idea was to add in a propeller propulsion system, an inflatable skirt, and have the tanks sail in to the landing on their own. Once they hit sand, the propellers could be disengaged, and the skirts cast off as they moved forward. It was a great idea -- on paper. In practice, the sad truth is that many (if not most) sank on the way in. A 2-inch anti-tank gun Many of those that did make it ashore found guns like this waiting for them in what were called "Tobruks" armored turrets that could swing and fire 360. You've seen photos of the basic mounts for them in previous posts. The guns ultimately lost the duel In fact, this gun (mounted close to where it stood on D-Day) was one of about ten guns in a linked position designed to protect the harbor. In front of the centre The Juno Beach Centre catches your eye from a ways off, not merely for all the flags out front, but because the exterior is made of titanium scales and glass. When the sun is out, there is no way to miss it. Even when cloudy, it does tend to stand out a bit. A memorial to the troops, coming out of the waves I've done a study of the statue in front, which will go up at Laughing Wolf one day soon. I'm trying to keep all the "art" photos there. The statue is enigmatic, and one of the better ones out there in my opinion, at least for the non-realistic ones. Once inside... Walking inside plunges you into warm woods and a very friendly staff. Given my experiences the day before with the Bunker museum, it was a true delight to be greeted with warmth to match the tones. In fact, I want to commend both Kelly and Emily for the wonderful experience. They made me welcome, arranged for me to talk with some senior staff, and provided service I had not experienced to date in any museum. Images of war time While waiting to enter the museum proper, I spent time in a temporary exhibit detailing bits of wartime life, at home and overseas. To get into the museum, you enter through a chamber that provides screens on all sides, where you hear recordings, see photos and movies, and go through some of what may have been going through the heads of the Canadians coming ashore at Juno. Once the door opens Once the door opens at the end of the surround-experience, you enter to find out what Canada was like in the early 1930s and on up to wartime. The progression as you go is to move through the years up to and through wartime, and in the end up to modern Canada. Moving towards the war While every museum I visited used dioramas, this museum was designed to be interactive and make use of the latest in sound, video/movies, and images. In fact, the figure you see in the front right of the photo indicates to children that they can use sets given at the ticket counter to do interactive activities and learn more. Movies and more relating to the war years In fact, the use of multi-media was almost overwhelming at one point. One thing done by the Centre and those behind it was an effort to interview what seems to have been as many survivors of Juno as possible, and to present a variety of stories about life. Where video wasn't possible, audio was done. Where there was no audio, there were opportunities to hear letters being read by others, to share as much as possible. Modern Canada, looking out to the future One thing I truly loved to see was a continuous scroll of those lost to the war as one moved out into modern Canada. They took the time to set up an area that provided a quiet contemplation of the losses experienced. Emily conducting a guided tour I had signed up to be part of a guided tour, and Emily did a very good job. Sadly, I don't think much of the video I shot will be usable thanks to strong winds making a hash of the audio. Here, you see her explaining the anti-ship obstacles, and how they were also designed not to provide cover to infantry. A nasty surprise On the bunker we toured, Emily also showed us a nasty trick designed to protect the bunker. What looks like a standard ventilation hole up top in fact loops down to the opening below. When/if someone drops a grenade into the ventilation hole to try to kill those inside, it comes right back out at their feet, and the trench was designed to maximize the effect as much as possible. The cut to the beach The cut to the beach uses artwork to protect and remind. There are several nice touches, and I urge you to check them out. So the Inuit who fell can find their way home For those interested, the museum was the idea of a veteran of Juno who came back to visit, and was not happy with the lack of a Canadian memorial and information on Canada's participation. So, he and others worked to create this non-profit non-governmental centre to fill that void. So, what can I say. A museum that makes full use of multi-media and immersion; that makes things as interactive as possible, especially...
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Jun 18 2013, 01:46 AM
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