Remembrance Day is a time to reflect upon those who fought for freedom. Wartime museums have become popular for travelers who want to learn more about history in certain locations. Like the Bastogne War Museum in Belgium.
There were many famous battles during World War II. But one of the most significant was not so well-known as some of the others. The ‘Battle of the Bulge’ was named as such to describe the way the Allied front line bulged when depicted on wartime news maps.
The nearly six-week-long battle started December 16, 1944, and continued right over Christmas. It ended up becoming a major turning point, as the last major German offensive on the Western Front.
Surprising stronghold in Belgium
The forested Ardennes region of eastern Belgium became a surprising stronghold. The German army ended up with severely depleted armored forces which they were never able to replenish. This triggered the beginning of the end of Hitler’s relentless advancement westward across the European continent.
The battle came with high cost to the Allies though, who mounted fierce resistance. US forces bore the brunt of the attack, suffering their highest casualties in any Second World War operation. But they succeeded at severely depleting Germany’s armoured forces on the western front, and inflicting heavy losses on German personnel.
To honour the nearly 80,000 American soldiers that were killed or wounded, The Mardasson Memorial was erected in 1950. This moving and massive monument is in the shape of a five-pointed star that ensures this hard-fought battle, or the lives it took, will never be forgotten.
Museum takes you back to 1944
The Bastogne War Museum brings the Second World War in Belgium to life using intricate displays, multi-sensory exhibits, and three-dimensional scenes that offer glimpses of what it must have been like on those front lines.
In one theatre-like setting, you’re a soldier immersed in a fox hole in the forest as fighting rages around you. In the next, you’re a civilian hiding out in a dark and overcrowded cellar while enemy troops pass through your town. The sensory-surround experience is as real as some of us will ever get to fighting in a real war. And that, is a very good thing.
On Remembrance Day – and every day – lest we forget.
