It's about 4 weeks since I went on a week and 2600 km tour with my motorcycle visiting air force museums, tank museums, heritage railways and exhibited model railways in Finland and Sweden. If you didn't follow the blogger posts from my trip, I'll add some links to them here:
It would be nice to finish off and visit the Norwegian equivalents to them all, but in Norway there is no own Tank or Armored Vehicles Museum. The Norwegian Defence Museum just stock it's collection of vehicles in a store not open to the public. So when there was arranged a military vehicles exhibition in the old camp of the Tank Corps last weekend, I decided to go. Last time this was arranged in 2019, The Norwegian Armed Forces Museum opened their stores and exhibited their hughe vehicle collection. It was sunny and a nice day for a ride again....
Tankfest '24
When I arrived Trandum camp I was very disappointed. The Armed Forces Museum had just brought out and exhibit some very few of their own vehicles. The rest of the 'exhibition' was just various military associations displaying thei private military vehicles...
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| A 'found' reunion with an old acquaintance from my own service |
This is a modelling blog, so here is a couple of models too:
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| A 1:6 scale (RC) Leopard 2 tank in the livery of it's service with the Norwegian Army |
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| A drive able 'model' of a Tiger 1, based upon half a chassis of BV206 tracked vehicle. This is not a model for the 'Rivet Counters' |
Not too impressive this time, so I'll ad some photos from the Tankfest '19 instead, as this was far more interesting:
Luckily the Norwegian Air Force Museum is located just right by this camp, so I decided to go there instead.
The Air Force Museum at Gardermoen
The Norwegian Air Force Museum did not start off in very impressive premises nor collection:
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| A 1:72 scale model of the original Air force Museum from 'back in the days' |
Today they're located in a brand new building and have a large collection of aircrafts and models related to Norway. They have recently started to display some few vehicles from the Museum of the Armed Force's collection too.
Let's take a look at some of their models too:
Several German aircrafts was left behind after WW2 and entered service in the Royal Norwegian Air Force
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| A larger diorama of the base of the Norwegian squadron based on Iceland during WW2 for maritime operations. One of their missions was allied Convoy protection |
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| Norwegian pilots did not only serve in Norwegian squadrons, but also served in British squadrons during WW2 |
They also have an own re-make of a old larger diorama that used to be exhibited on the Norwegian Armed Forces Museum in Oslo, which was kind of inspiring me to go into model making when I was a kid. The diorama shows a lot of different scenes from a WW2 forwarded airfield on the continent:
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| These markings were based upon Norwegian pre-war markings, but were not approved during WW2. |
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| Ground forces on the firing range... |
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| ...and during basic training. |
This is a model of 'Little Norway' which was training facilities in Canada for the Norwegian Air Force during WW2.
Too bad I forgot to take photos from the Museum Shop this time as they have several kits there, mostly of aircrafts, but some Cobi armored vehicles as well. I bought a couple of 'pencil sharpeners', as they looked about appropriate for wargaming with my miniatures. The figure is for reference only:
So this is how far it's possible to find the Norwegian equivalents to those museums I visited in Finland and Sweden, and I'll guess this concludes my travelling reports this summer. I hope other military modellers, railway modellers and perhaps also wargamers found something interesting in them, or wanting to go seeing some of these places.
Let's take a look at some of their models too:
Hello Roger. Presently, I have three cannon, two gatlings, and a mortar for my 19th century armies that are converted sharpeners. And also one more in my Medieval army. You may have seen in my recent Schleswig wargame, the Danish battery were rebuilt sharpeners. They are very useful! And look correct for the 1848-50 period. Could not help but notice your photo of the white UN armoured personnel carrier. Instantly reminded me of the Airfix toy made in soft plastic, 20mm scale....... now that brought back some 1970s memories, for sure. Well, I think my British and America WW2 armies have enough jeeps, lol. Regards, Michael
ReplyDeletePS. Roger, I noted your comment on the 1st Schleswig War, that your sympathies lay with the Danish. I believe 130 Norwegians volunteered to serve with the Danes, and another 100 enlisted in the 2nd Schleswig War. The British found themselves in a very difficult position, we were old allies of the Northern Germans, but we had also extended our foreign policy, no major European power should control Holland, Belgium, or Portugal.... to now include Denmark or Norway. (British people usually like Norwegians and Danes, attractive nations, if slightly somber, who are typically honest, and speak excellent English....... what is there to dislike. I did smile when I read your politician Halvard Lange said " We do not regard Englishmen as foreigners. We only look upon them as rather mad Norwegians" . I think that is meant to be a compliment, lol.) Cheers, Michael
ReplyDeleteThank you for commenting. During the 70ies one of my friends used to bring his soft plastic Airfix Troop Carrier when we were playing with our 1/32 Airfix soldiers outside. If I remember it right I think it was on the larger side for the 20mm and on the smaller side for the 54mm. I'm not sure of it's origin either. For a long time I thought it was based upon the M113 (like the UN APC in the photo), but I've also read somewhere that is based on a British APC?
DeleteThe Howitzer pencilsharpner however seems to be on the smaller end though. But I don't mind and I think it will work well.
Norway has been close to Britain and Denmark through the history. Since Denmark was allied with Napoleon, Norway was 'lost' to Sweden in the aftermath. Now we're finally all allied again.
Roger, Airfix listed it as HO-OO but I do agree, I seem to remember it was quite tall. That is assuming it was meant to represent the British FV432, designed in the 1960s. But I am no expert on armour. Michael
DeleteThe FV432 is slightly longer and wider, but lower than it's American equivalent M113. But in shape I think Airfix model looks more like a M113 .
DeleteComparison between the two:
https://armedforces.eu/compare/armored_M113_vs_FV432
Hi Roger, when I looked at the two, I drifted towards an early FV432 because the toy includes a very large round hatch towards the rear of the top, as did the FV432. So the designer must have thought it important in his mould. But I recognise your point.
DeleteAnd to make it even more confusing the M113 also have a large hatch towards the top rear. -and on M113 equipped with Mortars this hatch was circular too...
DeleteI liked the Airfix soft plastic models, but based on what they cost now second hand, they would have had a high increase in value.
hahaha....... best I say no more on this APC. Yes, the poly range seems to have become collectable in their own right. The poly APC sells in the UK for about £12 plus £4 postage. But some traders seek near double that price, if boxed.
Delete