Fascinating Finds in a Guadalcanal Relic Museum
Forgotten Weapons
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Today I'm visiting the Solomon Islands War Memorial Museum in Honiara (the capital city on Guadalcanal). This is a private museum run by two brothers on the island, and it is filled to the brim with artifacts recovered from the jungles and battlefields, both American and Japanese. From Coke bottles to 20mm cannons, everything conceivable off a battlefield is represented here, including some really interesting items you might not expect. A few things that stuck out to me include:
- WW1 V-B type rifle grenades used by the US Marines
- Dutch small arms, including KNIL Madsen LMGs used by the Japanese
- Field-modified M1918 American trench knives
My trip to Guadalcanal was made possible by War Historian Battlefield Expeditions. If you are interested in seeing sights like these in person yourself, check out their upcoming schedule:
https://battlefield-expeditions.war-historian.com/
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