Virtual museum tour

Part a: The Battle of the Bulge 1944-1945

It should be highlighted that the museum's key objective is to depict the American, German, and civilian aspect of the military conflict in the Ardennes (1944/45) in a balanced,impartial and factual way. Careful planning of each diorama resulted in an objective and detailed tri-dimensional description of typical scenes that may have occurred during that period. All dioramas are based on original still photographs, combat records, and after all on a wealth of oral history gleaned from individual recollections and narratives by veterans from both sides of the conflict and by civilians. We would also like to emphasize that the museum collections consist exclusively of original 1940-1945 artifacts and that no replicas have been used for the displays.

Right at the entrance, visitors are greeted by a crudely made and ill-proportioned U.S. flag.

This historical piece, that was made by local women and girls to welcome and cheer to their U.S.GI liberators on September 11. 1944, was only recently rediscovered in Diekirch, where it had been forgotten for decades behind the screen of a former movie theater. The red stripes of the flag were cut out and "recycled" from a former Nazi Swastika banner. During the 50^th anniversary of the liberation of Luxembourg in 1994, additional similar flags re-emerged from long-forgotten storage boxes and some were donated by interested fellow citizens to the museum to ensure their preservation as a permanent token of Luxembourg' unwaned gratitude towards the GI liberators for future generations.

The entrance hall also features remains of German and American aircraft, such as the unfortunate B-17G "Blonde Bombshell" that crashed in the surroundings of Diekirch in addition to some typical equipment (parachutes, pilot flying suit, different bombs, oxygen tanks, aluminum screening chaff and pictures of several U.S. units and aircraft that were engaged in the Bulge sector.

Additional aircraft parts and a large range of artifacts that were dug up in the 1980s and 1990s in Luxembourg are put on display in NMMH's partner museum, the "General Patton Memorial Museum" in the neighboring town of Ettelbruck.

Dec 16-18, 1944: The German surprise attack: Shown here is a German anti-tank gun crew in action on the outskirts of Diekirch. The actual gun of Pak 40 (cal.7,5 cm) type was left behind by the retreating Germans in Diekirch (in 1945) and has been repainted in its original tan/sand color camouflage paint. Gun crew normally consisted of 5 members. Of special interest are the different types of winter clothing worn by the crew (reversible camouflage smocks, overcoats), in addition to a variety of personal gear and weapons such as the MP 44 assault rifle, as well as the Mauser K98k and the self-loading rifle G 43. The three main types of ammunition that could be fired from the Pak 40 are also displayed along with their wooden crates or airtight metal containers. The gun had a hard-hitting armor-piercing capability at ranges up to 1.500 meters. This diorama was built to match the recollections of an anti-tank gunner (the soldier loading the shell into the breech in this display), who was 19 years at that time and who was eventually wounded on December 19, 1944 during an encounter with a Sherman tank, that was subsequently knocked out by the crew on the Diekirch-Longsdorf road junction.

The 48-star U.S. Quartermaster-issue custom made flag came from the nearby Vianden castle, where U.S. troops had put it up around September 14, 1944 to give evidence to German troops across the Our river in their "Westwall" bunkers" that the town was under U.S. control. As of mid September 1944, the castle itself served as an American observation post, enabling a wide-angle scanning and view on the German border area and the "Westwall" or sometimes known as the "Siegfried" line . The flag was donated by a member of the "Veiner Miliz", the local resistance fighter group of Vianden, who supported the American Reconnaissance units prior to the German surprise attack ("Bulge") on December 16, 1944. As a "souvenir hunter", he had kept the flag as a priced memory of those "tough, but exciting" times and his experience supporting the Americans.

Remains of German tanks (tracks, armor plates, bogie wheels) were retrieved for recycling by civilians from abandoned or destroyed fighting vehicles in 1945 and served until recently in farming. Tanker's dress uniform and decorations were donated to the museum by a German veteran of the "Panzer Lehr" division. Of special interest is certainly a tool box from a German Tiger I tank, covered with "Zimmerit" anti-magnetic paste, as well as the large bogies and track segment of a German Panther tank Pz.Kw.V.

The German standard army issue bicycle was actually used during the "Bulge" by an NCO of the "276^th German Volksgrenadierdivision" to carry out messenger missions as a result of lack of sufficient radio equipment. Displayed are also some of his personal belongings, which he was able to hide during subsequent captivity. Bicycle is in original condition as used during the "Bulge".

A German sniper in his distinctive camouflage smock with built-in face veil is taking aim from an electricity post. His weapon is the scope (ZF 41) - fitted model K-98k bolt action rifle, enabling accurate firing up to 300 meters.

A German "Grenadier" in his white winter camouflage smoke is taking a break with his heavily-packed bicycle to which he has strapped his personal gear: haversack, canteen, mess kit, gas mask container, entrenching tool, shelter tent quarter. Fixed to the tie rod are two "Panzerfaust," a very effective close range individual anti-tank weapon that could knock out any allied tank at that time. The three grenadier regiments of the 276^th German "Volksgrenadierdivision" engaged on the southern shoulder of the "Bulge" had each one company entirely equipped with similar bicycles to increase mobility of its advance elements. Identical bicycles that were abandoned by the Germans in late December 1944, were used in the World War II aftermath for several years by Luxembourg state police as service bikes.

An American cargo parachute along with its heavy canvas aerial delivery package got caught in a tree. Different colors were used for identifying the contents, once the parachute opened; blue: medical supplies; yellow: food: red: ammunition. This particular piece that was found on the Belgian-Luxembourg border, is probably from the first supply dropping on besieged Bastogne. It is of 1943 manufacture. Matching the parachute display are a German and American eye witness' report on the dropping. It is interesting to know that due to shortage of fabric, numerous abandoned U.S. colored parachutes were often tailored by skilled Luxembourg women's hands into skirts, blouses, curtains, underwear, and so on ......, the fashion of the immediate WWII aftermath.

Diorama "Thanksgiving Day 1944." A pressurized gasoline-operated U.S. field stove is used by troops of the 109th U.S. Inf. Regiment (28th Infantry Division "Red Diamond") to prepare a delicious and crisp genuine "American style" Thanksgiving turkey dinner no American GI would like to have missed, despite being thousands of miles away from home. Some soldiers have already enjoyed an "appetizer" meal of fresh fried eggs, which they had previously swapped against U.S. Army-type dehydrated powdered eggs with the local farmers, who had never sampled those before. While an assistant is cleaning mess kits, a medic presents a "Hershey" bar and chewing gum to the farmer's son. As of early November 1944, liberated Diekirch, like so many other towns and villages in Luxembourg, had been assigned a rest&recreation area for battle-weary troops. Here GIs could enjoy hot showers, good food, USO shows (Marlene Dietrich and Mikey Rooney entertained the troops in this area just a few days prior to the "Bulge"), and above all the warm hospitality of the civilian population, just liberated from 4 years of Nazi occupation. In turn, the civilians cherished numerous U.S. food products they did not know before: peanut butter, dehydrated powdered eggs, corned beef, hash, spam, lemon juice powder, corn bread , and so on. Again this diorama was carefully built with the assistance of numerous GI veterans and civilian eyewitnesses focusing on their oral history and personal recollections centered around Thanksgiving Day 1944 and numerous "turkey dinner" stories.

The still photographs (all captioned in English) on display throughout the museum are either from the WW II photographic library of the National Archives in Washington, D.C., the German "Bundesarchiv," Coblence, from the Imperial War museum, London, or from numerous other private collections or archives. They tell thousand stories by themselves ......

A U.S. signal man is working his way up a wooden electricity post to repair a torn field telephone line. The soldier is from the 17th Airborne Division that fought north of Diekirch in late January 1945. In addition to the special climbing equipment: leather harness, spikes and his personal gear, he has slung a cal. 45 Thompson M1A1 submachine gun on his back, often popularly referred to as the "Chicago typewriter" in GI slang.

A variety of wood & canvas frame packboards and special packs for carrying heavy loads of supplies or ammunition are also shown in this room in addition to a thematic display of uniforms, memorabilia, photos, documents and personal belongings of GIs of the 26th and 35th U.S. Infantry divisions, who fought in late December 44 - mid January 1945 in the "Schumann crossroads" sector around Wiltz.

Of special interest is the U.S. Corps of Engineers plywood assault boat M2 that was turnedby the museum volunteer team into a display case to create exhibition space for some typical U.S. and German engineer- and explosive ordnance equipment, such as TNT charges, anti-tank ("Teller"-) mines, blasting machines, saws, mine-detectors, and so on.

Other explosives such as anti-personal mines, non-metallic German booby traps, flares, improvised charges and grenades, in addition to a selection of technical-and soldier's manuals are displayed in the glass case at the entrance. Don't forget to take a look at the selection of recently-dug up artifacts ranging from personal equipment to heavily-rusted life ammunition. Almost 60 years after the "Bulge" the museum still keeps finding "relics" in some quantity. The "General Patton Memorial Museum" in Ettelbruck, NMMH's partner museum, is specialized in military archeology and has an extensive collection of preserved excavated militaria of all kind.

Several bogies, idler wheels, track parts are of destroyed U.S. and German tanks that were found in the area, are also featured here. Two opposite display cases show a close-up of a German and an American tanker and enable a striking comparison of typical clothing and equipment. Of special interest may be the two different types of throat microphones used for communications inside and outside of the tank. Whereas the KWK 43 8,8 cm high explosive shell- manipulating German tanker displays all of his decorations (Iron cross 2nd and 1st class, close combat badge, 6 single handed tank "kills"), his American counterpart of a Tank Destroyer unit (recognizable by his cloth slevve badge) is well wrapped up against cold weather in his tanker suit with distinctive crash liner helmet with built-in earphones and throat mike, worn here in "moustache" microphone style. His personal weapons are a .45 cal. Colt M1911A1 automatic pistol as well as the short M3 sub machinegun with skeletonized butt in the same caliber, an automatic weapon cherished especially by tank crews and often nicknamed the "grease gun".

A German mortar crew fires an infantry support mission from a hastily set up position. Gun crew in this case consists of 3 soldiers . As the German infantry was very poorly equipped with vehicles, the basic parts of the mortar (baseplate, bipod, and tube) had to be strapped to the backs of the crews, who in addition to their personal gear and weapon, also had to pull an infantry trolley ( Infanteriekarren ) holding up to 200 kilos of base load ammunition when fully loaded. The mortar shown here (of 8 cm Gr.W. 34) type is a smooth-bore weapon that could fire high-explosive- (dull red paint) and smoke shells (dark green, stenciled "Nb") up to 2.500 meters by use of ring-shaped increment propelling charges that were attached to the shell tail fin unit. Diorama gives also striking view of different types of reversible camouflage pattern winter uniforms. These excellent garments were, however no longer standard issue with the German army in 1944/45, due to supplying shortages. Several typical mortar shell crates are also displayed in the infantry trolley, commonly referred to as "leichter I-Karren". Due to extreme shortage in radio and other communication equipment to connect the mortar to a fire direction center and/or forward observer and due to often inexperienced mortar crews because of lack of training, so-called "friendly fire" (rounds falling to short while adjusting overhead fire) sometimes killed or wounded the own troops, as was the case on December 18, 1944 near Bastendorf-Longsdorf.

Matching the large-scale picture on left side of stairs(actually taken in early February 1945 on the heights overlooking the town of Echternach), is a 40 mm Bofors anti-aircraft gun position, manned by a crew of 5. The gun, nicknamed "Hitler's Headache" was very effective against medium altitude aircraft, as well as in ground use against light armored vehicles. The gun was loaded with 4-round shell clips; its crew and ammunition was protected by walls of sandbags against aircraft cannon fire and shell splinters. The particular piece on display here is of 1943 vintage and belonged to the 447th AAA Bn (Anti aircraft artillery battalion), attached to the 5th U.S. Infantry Division "Red Diamond". The gun crew displayed here is readying the gun for action, while the soldier in the background is just taking a distance measurement with a range-finder. Please also note the SCR-300 radio set strapped to a packboard used for communication within the individual batteries composing a "triple A" battalion.

At the entrance, your attention is drawn immediately to an oversized German power chain saw, used by the 5th Parachute Engineer Bn to cut lumberduring the December 16 - 18, 1944 time frame for the construction of a makeshift bridge to cross the Our River near Roth a.d. Our. The bridge had to be capable of bearing the weight of light tanks. Two German paratroopers as representatives of the same unit in their distinctive jump smock, nicknamed "bone bag" and their paratroop helmets are on display next to the NSU saw. They are equipped with the G-43 self-loading rifle and the distinctive 9mm "Schmeisser" MP 40 submachine gun, referred to by the GIs, as the "burp gun." Please note that the entire 5^th German "Fallschirmjägerdivision"(paratroop division) and its various sub-units fought exclusively as "ground troops" during the "Bulge."

Individual standard German leather infantry equipment is also displayed on the walls of this showroom.

Four additional display cases enable a close-up view on a selection of front-line type emergency medical supplies (both American and German), small every-day soldier's personal equipment and belongings, as well as some selected "war souvenirs", often taken from captured German prisoners or donated in 1944-45 by grateful Luxembourg citizens to GI "souvenir hunters" who mailed them home. Especially in 1994 and 1995 during the 50^th anniversary of the "Bulge" quite a number of such items, were donated to the museum by returning veterans. One display case has 2 originals of Gen. Patton's Christmas greeting card/prayer, that were printed in Luxembourg in December 1944 and distributed to every soldier of his famous Third Army.

Show window 1 has amongst numerous other memorabilia a rusty German helmet that was recovered in 1980 from a field grave of 2 German soldiers. The remains of the 2 unfortunate soldiers - after identification by the German war Grave service - were buried in the German military cemetery at Sandweiler near Luxembourg. Shown with the helmet are other small items as well as documents pertaining to those two German soldiers, who died on January 19, 1945 some 3 Kilometers north of Diekirch.

Additional display cases on both sides of the room show striking comparisons between German and American food rations, small personal belongings, ranging from shaving cream to cigarettes, and medical equipment. Of special interest are the doubtlessly the following items: GI can opener, Coleman stove, the detailed contents of K and C rations, (showroom 3) "Hershey bar or D ration , German "Schoka-Kola" chocolate, artificial honey surrogate, black army bread, morphine shot, and sulfonamide powder. Don't forget to compare the different types of German steel helmets with the U.S. ones, some of which have painted-on divisional insignia.

A BAR (Browning Automatic Rifle)-carrying GI of the 5th U.S. Infantry division "Red Diamond" has pulled a civilian white bed sheet as makeshift snow camouflage over his winter combat dress to blend with the terrain. Often, Luxembourg women and girls would sew "snow capes" from sheets, long underwear, white curtains, table cloths... to give to the GIs leaving for front line duty in the snow-covered and very cold terrain of the Luxembourg Ardennes. As a protection against frostbite and "trenchfoot" the soldier has put on a pair of rubber/leather shoepacks, nicknamed "Mickey Mouse" boots. Units of the "Red Diamond" liberated Diekirch on January 18-21, 1945 under the most adverse weather conditions.

The white jungle -- a foxhole for a .30 cal 1919 A4 Browning machine gun crew in snowbound terrain, reconstructed exactly to match the original U.S. Army Signal Corps' picture, also on display here. One of the soldiers shown in both diorama and picture is still alive and autographed the picture. Together with his 2 buddies (one of whom was taking some rest in an improvised shelter underneath the blankets in the background, the moment the picture was taken in January 1945 near the village of Harlange in the 35th U.S. Infantry Division sector), he stayed 6 days in this static defensive position at sub-zero F temperatures with no hot food. All three troopers of the 35^th U.S. Infantry Division survived the white jungle of the "Battle of the Bulge." To them is was probably the first real snow in their young lives, as they were all three from Southern California.

Another highlight and focal point of interest is doubtlessly the comparative special exhibit featuring German and American medical equipment Red cross supplies, emergency field surgery outfit. By this special exhibit, the museum would like to honor and give credit to the countless brave men and women of military medical units, such as field surgeons, doctors, nurses, medics, stretcher bearers, who often under the most adverse conditions and in unselfish dedication to their task and regardless of exposure to combat dangers, ensured that lives were saved. Please take a close look at the field equipment of a German and an American "foxhole surgeon" (as the front-line medics were often referred to), as well as the service dress of an American Lieutenant nurse. It is just as worth and interesting to compare the variety of American combat - and survival rations and military canned food and beverage goods with German army-type food also displayed in a striking and comparative way in the various showcases of this room's special thematic exhibit.

This large segmented showroom is constantly undergoing transformations, modifications and changes, so that some vehicles, artillery pieces and other equipment may temporarily be removed from the exhibit, while others not currently listed, may be added. Altogether, NNMH's total collection of wheeled-, tracked vehicles and artillery pieces consists of the following items: ( "vehicles and artillery" ). Some selected "jewels" on permanent display, are:

"Calamity Jane" U.S. M2 Howitzer, cal 105 mm. This workhorse of the WW II (and later on Korean conflict) U.S. artillery is a donation from the U.S. army. It is of split-trail type to be usually towed by a deuce/half GMC track. Its 105 mm ammunition was of semi-fixed type: fuzed projectile and propelling charge holding brass case were assembled shortly prior to firing. The howitzer, which is displayed here with all its accessories in original ammunition boxes, had a maximum range of 12.500 meters. Gun crew normally consisted of 5 soldiers.

The large caliber shell on its loading tray is an 8 inch (210 mm) howitzer "Persuader", displayed outside the museum (temporarily removed due to construction works) . This 108 kilogram heavy shell could be hurled up to 28.000 meters with the maximum propelling charge. The matching gun, that was used until recently by the Belgian artillery, is again a gift from the U.S. Government, who had leased the piece to Belgium in the 1960s. Of special interest is of course the 18-ton M4 High Speed Tractor , built by Allis&Chalmers with its complete kit of accessories and mounting a .50 calibre heavy machine gun on its circular mount. The M4 was donated by the U.S. Army and came from obsolete Belgian army stocks. It took over a year of intense work to refurbish the vehicle to WWII standards.

Sherman tank model M4A1E8 the so-called "Easy 8", wide track tank, cast hull, high velocity 76 mm gun, displayed outside the museum, is a gift from the Dutch army. Its nickname "Blockbuster 3rd" gives credit to Capt. James Leach, then commander of B Co, 37th Tk Bn of 4th Armored division, who fought in Northern Luxembourg in January 1945. The tank is also equipped with a 50 cal machine gun, a 30 cal coaxial, and a 30 cal bow machine gun in addition to shovel, axe, pickd crow bar, and heavy steel towing cable.

"Joe's meatgrinder," a quadruple 50 cal machine gun anti-aircraft gun mount of the 449th AAA Bn, often referred to as the "Maxon turret". "Swastikas displayed on the armor plate are for 4 confirmed aircraft "kills". Very effective in its use against low-flying aircraft, it was even deadlier when fired against soft-skinned and living ground targets, hence its nickname. Gun mount, which is fitted on its M-55 trailer and displayed with itsfour 200-round ammunition drums, is a gift from the U.S. army. It was usually towed by a 4x4 Dodge weapons' carrier truck, also shown here.

"Firecall," an M3 Half track (1943 vintage) built by the White motor company. Designed to carry a mechanized squad over rough terrain, this armored personnel carrier was equipped with a 50 cal. machine gun in the front as well as 2 flexible 30 cal. Browning machine guns in the rear fighting compartment. The vehicle shown here is marked as Lt. Col. George Ruhlen, Commander of the 3rd Field Artillery Bn, 9th Armored Division's command vehicle. "Firecall" is the name of the horse, Ruhlen rode as a cadet at West Point. The vehicle on display, in driveable condition, is a donation from the French Army, which used U.S. WWII half tracks until the 1970s.

A legend by itself, the Willys "Jeep," the small sturdy vehicle that won the war. Officially known as General Purpose (GP) truck utility, 1/4 ton, it performed numerous tasks, often far beyond the theoretical capacities it had been designed for. The jeep was four-wheel driven, which made it a very strong and reliable light all purpose vehicle. The specimen displayed here, is the reconnaissance version with a powerful radio and a 50 cal. machine gun. Attached is a standard trailer with all kinds of supplies as personal field equipment. The vehicle depicted here is stenciled as a vehicle of the 5th Reconnaissance Bn.of the 5th U.S. Infantry division. Armored division personnel referred to their "Jeeps" as "Peeps".

The German counterpart of the Jeep, is customarily known as the VW 82 or "Kübelwagen," the military version of the popular Volkswagen beetle. Again, as in the previous case, there were several existing varieties, but none of them four-wheel driven. Total weight is only 750 kilograms, which made it an easy vehicle to be "saved" by its own crew, once it got stuck. It has an amazingly high ground clearance, which was very useful for cross-country missions. Color scheme applied here is the late 1944 pattern, consisting of tan, rust brown and dark green shades. The pinup "Kohlenklau" was a very popular cartoon with German troops. The vehicle is shown as the command car of the second Bn of the 916th Grenadier Regiment. It is of 1941 vintage and was imported from Poland in 1988.

A true collector's highlight is the 18 ton German tank destroyer type 38 (t), referred to as the Jagdpanzer 38 (t)"Hetzer" (baiter or chaser). Its very successful chassis of Czech manufacture, its high speed, close radius, and hard hitting high velocity 7,5 cm gun in addition to its low and projectile deflecting- silhouette, made it one of the best light tank destroyers designed during WW II. Crew normally consisted of 4 tankers. It is in superb condition and could still be driven. Although a WW II veteran, this particular vehicle on display here, never saw combat action. When the war ended it was found along with some additional 156 "colleagues" in an assembling hall in a Skoda plant in Pilzen/Czechoslovakia, where production had started in early 1944. Switzerland acquired all those tanks and used them within its armored forces' units until 1972. Most of the vehicles were put thereafter on reserve duty. Some, as this one, went to foreign military museums as donations. Please note the remote-control MG 34 machine gun, that could be fired from inside the fighting compartment. The "Hetzer" has the characteristic 1944 classical 3-color camouflage scheme applied.

The "Schwimmwagen" is the amphibious version of the VW 82 "Kübelwagen." Equipped with a more powerful engine, a watertight hull, a water propeller, it also differed from its non-amphibious cousin by being four-wheel driven, which considerably increased its capabilities. The Schwimmwagen was mostly used by reconnaissance troops, and was designed for 4 men. In case of need, the propeller could be lowered to be powered directly by the engine for stream crossings. Only few survived WW II, which made the Schwimmwagen a much-sought collector's item. The sturdy canvas top was rarely used, to allow better in and out of the vehicle. NB: The museum's Schwimmwagen has been temporarily removed from the exhibit for additional restoration works.

Even rarer is the NSU-built Kettenkrad (tracked motorcycle), of which the museum has even two specimen. This extremely sturdy and reliable vehicle, that performed amazingly well in deep mud or snow, was designed to bring supplies to the most remote areas by means of a small trailer that could hold up to 500 kilos of cargo. The Kettenkrad, that saw already action in 1941, was only built in limited quantities. It has a water cooled 1.200 ccm Opel engine and a 4 speed gearbox. The gray color is the pre 1943 standard paint, that was kept until the end of the war.

A more recent acquisition is featured by the rare late wartime production German RSO/03 "Raupenschlepper Ost" , built in 1944 by the "Kloecker-Humbold-Deutz Werke". Although outfitted with the bare minumum of parts, it usually had a good all-terrain capability despite its limited speed: 17 KMs/h as a maximum. The core of the restored vehicle shown here was found in poor condition in Germany. Additional mechanical parts were located in Luxembourg. The apprentice unit of the German Bundeswehr mechanical repair and maintenance shop in St. Wendel refurbished this interesting "veteran" during countless hours of dedicated volunteer work. RSOs were usually used as towing vehicles for light artillery pieces, such as the model displayed along: a l.FH 18 (10,5 cm).

Side by side are two different models of U.S. "Staff" or "Command" cars. The WC 24 and the WC 51, both built by Dodge. The early WC 24 type was too heavy a vehicle for the purpose it had been designed for, and was soon replaced by the successful WC 51, the specimen of which on display is a donation by the Luxembourg army. Both vehicles normally had powerful radios installed and often served for reconnaissance and inspection missions by higher staff.

NB: Please click on "Vehicles" to see complete list of vehicles and artillery pieces currently on display at the museum

The vehicule section also features the following additional exhibits:

• A special thematic display enables a close-up view on the history of the town of Echternach during the "Bulge". The amount of destruction and the toll in human lives the battle of Echternach took in December 44 February 45, can only be guessed by the selection of photographs. In addition to a large selection of memorabilia pertaining to Echternach (such as a fragment of the heavy church bell, recovered in 1945 from the debris of what was left of the "Basilika" cathedral or unexploded German engineer primacord (detonating) found in its ruins, the following personal items are worth highlighted and deserve a closer look:
• Uniform jacket, leather accoutrements and shoes used and worn during the "Bulge" by Hauptmann Lüttich (+), then commander of an assault gun (StuG III) unit of the 212^th German Volksgrenadier-Division, that shelled Echternach and took the town in a combined assault-gun/infantry attack.
• Post WWII U.S. cavalry-style officer's dress blue uniform of LtCol, then Capt. Paul Dupuis (+)of "Easy" company, 12^th Rgt, 4^th U.S. Inf. Div, who got captured with a handful of his men defending the town. In 1985, the museum brought Dupuis and Lüttich together in a unique "former opponents meet as friends" project, where a wealth of additional personal information and oral history was gathered.
• A silk scarf "tailored" from a piece of white U.S. parachute silk, retracing the tourstops of a GI "Jesse" in Europe. It was meant to be shent home to "Mother and Dad", but never made it to the U.S.. It was found in the 1980s on an attic in Vianden.
• Please also note the leather carrying case and Kodak camera, a personal belonging of Col. Frank Frazer, the Chief of U.S. Army Civil Affairs in Luxembourg in 1944-1945.
• German General's officer's cap, leather belt and map case all personal belongings of Major-General Kurt Moehring, Commander of the 276^th Volksgrenadierdivision, killed on the outskirts of Beaufort on December 18, 1944. The displayed items were recovered by Gen. Moehring's Adjutant and donated to the museum by the son of the late general officer in 1994.

The 2000 LBS. U.S. General purpose bomb is one of the two unexploded bombs, found in 1992 near Consdorf. According to an 1944 eye witness report they were jettisoned with the rest of the payload by a damaged B-17 bomber, probably hit by anti-aircraft fire in the border area on its way to bomb targets in Germany. In an attempt to negotiate its way back to its base in Southern England, the damaged aircraft dropped its unarmed cargo (bombs were usally only armed shortly before target pattern was reached) to gain height. The bombs penetrated deep into the ground, where they were found in 1992 during excavation works. Thanks to the efforts of the Luxembourg army E.O.D. (Explosive Ordnance Disposal) service they were safely disarmed, restored by the museum's volunteer working team and re-stenciled with a special "greetings message" to give credit to the 457^th U.S. Bomb Group that flew missions over the Ardennes.

To recognize the tremendous efforts mechanics, supply troops, water purification units and combat logistics staff had to make to ensure that everything was running, firing, that every soldier had safe drinking water, food, ammunition, medical supplies, and so on, another thematic exhibit gives a detailed view on a range of mechanical equipment. It should be remembered that mechanics, often nicknamed "Grease Monkey"s often had to work at sub-zero temperatures in combat conditions to make sure that engines, wheels and tracks kept running.

Of special interest are doubtlessly the two M2 assault boats loaded with medical supplies. Similar boats were used during the Sauer river crossing in January 1945 by units of the 4th and 5th U.S. Infantry divisions to bring badly-needed supplies to medical clearing stations and emergency field surgical units, also on display here next to a completely-equipped U.S. Army ambulance.

Diorama of a U.S. and German field grave (side by side).

as found in the Ardennes in summer 1945, prior to recovery by U.S. war grave authorities and military mortician units.

According to statistics gleaned from various sources, the Battle of the Bulge in the Luxembourg and Belgian Ardennes during the period of December 16, 1944 - January 31, 1945, resulted in the following average casualties.

American losses (total) : 75.552 out of which : 8.477 killed (**)

• 46.170 wounded (**)
• 20.905 captured and missing in action (**)

British losses (total) : 1.408 out of which : 200 killed (**)

• 239 wounded (**)
• 969 captured and missing in action (**)

German losses (total) : 86.675 out of which : 19.749 killed (**)

• 34.439 wounded (**)
• 32.487 captured and missing in action (**)

Belgian and Luxembourg Civilian losses

• (killed and wounded) approximately : 3800 (**)

(**) : The above figures reflect an average gleaned from various American and German sources.

The two soldiers' field graves - American and German - located side by side shown here, are typical battlefield burials, as found in early 1945 in the Luxembourg and Belgian Ardennes. Due to combat action and, above all, due to subzero climatic conditions with deep-frozen ground in December 44 - January 45, those field graves the woods were only very crudely dug by fellow soldiers for their fallen comrades on the battlefield. Often, a planted rifle with helmet on top indicated a field grave. American and German dead were frequently buried side by side. During the latter course of 1945 and later, American war grave registration units recovered and reburied the remains of fallen American and German soldiers in two provisional cemeteries located in two neighboring Luxembourg communities: Hamm and Sandweiler. These two large-scale temporary burial sites were later consolidated into the Luxembourg American Military Cemetery (5.076 war graves) in Hamm and the German Military Cemetery (10.913 war graves) in Sandweiler

To really understand the history, range and outcome of the "Battle of the Bulge", a visit of both military cemeteries and memorials in Hamm and Sandweiler to pause and reflect and remember the dead, is hereby recommended.

Free pamphlets with more detailed information on both military cemeteries are available at the museum front desk.

A special display showing field wire and radio communication operators in action is featured on a platform overlooking the vehicle hall. Of special interest is doubtlessly the "wire-stringer" team, responsible for the laying of field telephone communication wire and/or the finding and repairing of disrupted or disturbed lines. The usual field telephone nerve center was the 20-line switchboard, which is also shown here together with its operator.

Please also note the two display cases with typical American and German combat uniforms, gear and weapons. The U.S. soldiers featured are of the 5^th U.S. armored division (September 1944), as well as two GIs of the 4^th and 5^th U.S. Infantry divisions in either improvised, civilian-made or British-army issued snowsuits. The three German soldiers of 352^nd, 276^th, and 79^th Volksgrenadier-Divisions have a variety of reversible- and non-reversible padded combat suits. One of them has a captured Soviet PPSH 41 sub machine gun as a personal weapon. Please also note the variety of rifle grenades and flare pistols with illuminating, signaling- and high explosive ammunition projectiles.

German V3 (high pressure pump) 15 cm projectile

To commemorate the tragic 55^th anniversary of shelling of Luxembourg city by the German V3 long range gun (high pressure pump) in early January - mid February 1945, a special exhibit inside the museum's vehicle hall gives a striking overview of the development, history and action of this most unusual « reprisal weapon »

The exhibited V3 15 cm HDP shell is a restored specimen from an unfinished original, found at Hillersleben Proving Ground, Germany).

The 1/12 scale model of the V3 HDP system with inclined secondary chamber cross pieces was made for the museum by French military model enthusiast Philippe Candé. The gun represented was the one at Mimoyecques, France.

Please click on "Museum Specials" for complete detailed narrative of this "exotic" weapon.

Diorama shows the civilians of Diekirch abandoning the threatened town during the night to December 20, 1944 under American supervision. A team of U.S. engineers is preparing to blow up a tree lining the road to create a roadblock. This is done by means of TNT charges stuffed into the notch hacked with an axe. Similar charges on neighboring trees are primed and connected for series firing by means of detonating or "prima" coard. During the same time a U.S. soldier, assisted by a Luxembourg state policemen (blue coat and helmet), as well as by a local resistance fighter are guiding the civilians in the right direction. The soldier is in contact with his unit by means of an SCR 300 radio set. Please note the heavily packed Willys jeep with the "wire cutter" welded to the front bumper. Of special interest is also the equipment of the resistance fighter with his only "regular" piece of uniform being the red-white-blue armband, identifying him also as an auxiliary policeman, hired by the U.S. military government. The original evacuation order, signed by Capt.  Harry  M.  Kemp, Exec. Officer of 3^rd Bn, 109^th Inf. Div. (28^th U.S. Inf. Div) is displayed along with his uniform near diorama 10A. The same display case has also the uniform of Lt.Col. James Rosborough "Jungle Jim", who was awarded the DSC (Distinguished Service cross") for extraordinary heroism near Diekirch in his capacity of the commander of the 107th Field Artillery Bn.

This room features an almost complete collection of American and German weapons, infantry and artillery ammunition, explosives, and anti-tank ordnance used during the Bulge. Most of the artifacts were found in the area, some of them were acquired from or traded with other military museums. Rare items are: German "Nebelwerfer" artillery rocket "Screaming Meamie" (in different calibers), 12 cm German mortar, German airborne assault rifle FG 42, American water-cooled Browning machine gun 1917 A1, U.S. "Pozit" artillery fuze, machine gun ammunition belt filling machine and numerous other artifacts. In addition, there is an extensive display of close combat and other edged weapons from both sides. Also, a superb example of German camouflage is the complete reversible autumn/winter mottled pattern combat dress of a Waffen-SS soldier. A collection of pictures showing the various types of weapons in action adds to this room.

A special showcase at the entrance of the "weapons room" features a selection of both U.S. and German psychological "psyops" warfare - or propaganda leaflets, extensively used during the "Bulge" in an effort to make the opponents run over and surrender. Three types of propaganda were often used: white propaganda (the enemy is told the truth that he has been withheld on purpose by his own side); black propaganda (lies or distorted truth that sounds credible); grey propaganda (a mixture of black and white). On the U.S. side, sometimes 105 mm artillery smoke rounds emptied of their colored smoke pots were used to fire propaganda leaflets into German lines, whereas the "Wehrmacht" had a special "propaganda" rocket round, the "Raketenpropagandageschoss 41" specifically designed for this purpose. Please take the time for a closer look to compare the texts and realize how well sometimes both opposing sides were informed about each other.

A small display is dedicated to the local resistance fighters of Vianden, the "Veiner Miliz" (showroom 1) from September 1944 on until the end of the war were of great help and invaluable assistance to the American troops, especially to the "I&R" (Intelligence and Reconnaissance) units by escorting patrols, guarding bridges, fighting infiltrating German patrols, and providing valuable combat intelligence. Their equipment was extremely diversified, reaching from the WWI French rifle to the light Czech machine gun. Both American and German "modified" uniforms and pieces of equipment were used. Their total number (including three woman) amounted to 34. They entered the history books for "the gathering and forwarding clues of intelligence that ..... something is cooking on the German side" just prior to the "Bulge".

Tambow is the name of a POW camp in the USSR, where numerous Luxembourgers, who had deserted the German army where they had been forced to serve in (at the risk of their families being sent to labor camps if they did not comply), were kept by the Russians. They lived in miserable conditions in logpole huts that were partially dug into the ground because of the extreme cold in winter. It took months after the war ended for them to return home. The display cases featured in this room have articles and personal belongings of those unfortunate Luxembourgers. A total of 183 out of 968 died at the camp of disease, malnutrition and desperation.

The following history has been compiled by the association of survivors of the Tambow POW camp.

To many a visitors the word "Tambow" does not mean anything. The following narrative will try somehow to explain the particular signification of this name.

It will also provide an opportunity to the Luxembourg association of the former "Tambow POW camp" internees to document their history and explain selected artifacts exhibited in a special show-room of the National Museum of Military History in Diekirch.

TAMBOW is a town in the ex-Soviet Union with about 350.000 inhabitants. You will find it on a map, approximately 450 kilometers south-east from Moscow, half-way on a supposed diagonal between Moscow and Volgograd (formerly Stalingrad).

Because of the neighborhood of the town of Tambow, the same name was given to a Russian prisoner-of-war camp, about thirty kilometers away. It was the military camp No 188 of the NKVD, gulag for Alsacians, Lorraine people (France) and Luxembourgers, criminally enlisted by force by the nazis.

Indeed, in the Grand-Duchy of Luxembourg, a neutral nation, which was invaded on May 10, 1940 by the German troops, the perfidious "Gauleiter Simon" (top nazi leader), head of the German civil administration, proclaimed the enlistment by force in the German Army for all young Luxembourgers on August 30, 1942. In this manner he intended to crush all resistance of the Luxembourg people. Initially, this criminal act addressed the contingents 1920 to 1924, but it was later extended to the contingents 1925 to 1927.

The Luxembourg people reacted spontaneously by a general strike all over the country. This resistance was incontinently put down with bloody violence by the nazis They did not hesitate to declare the state of emergency, proceeded to executions by court-martial, imprisonment, transfer of whole families to the east, internment in concentration camps and so on.

To save their parents and their family from persecution and deportation, many young Luxembourgers did not dare scaping from forced conscription. Many of them were sent to the Russian front. As they did not want to die for a cause which was not theirs, they deserted to the Soviet Red Army at the first opportunity, as also suggested by our Government in exile in London. Alas ! it was not so easy to follow this recommendation that was aired at regular intervals by the BBC. So, many young Luxembourgers died, often perfidiously shot down for deserting from the Germans, others-having the rare chance- were admitted temporarily to the columns of the Soviet Red Army. Finally all found themselves in the prisoner-of-war camps in Russia.

The camp No 188, which we called later Camp of Tambow, was one of many prisoner-of-war camps in Russia, where 8.000 Alsace-Lorrainers and some 1.000 Luxembourgers enlisted by force in addition to about 12- to 14.000 German soldiers and approximately 6.000 Italians spent months and even years in captivity.

The camp of Tambow, located close to a small railway station named Rada, amidst a forest, was surrounded by an enclosure of fourfold barbed wire. All around were multiple watch towers, manned day and night by Russian soldiers day and night -- their PPHSH 41 sub-machine gun always ready for use, and by fierce wolf-dogs.

The shanties were hidden two meters in the ground, covered by split trees, topped and covered with barks, sand and grass. The inside, with little air, and even less light, was generally over-populated by prisoners in rags, piled up and packed like herrings. These pitiful men, deprived of bare necessities, were subdued - in spite of so called quarantining - to all kinds of illness : especially typhus, tuberculosis, dysentery, dystrophy, malaria, recurrent fever and so on. The different shanties could contain 150 to 400 men, who lay on two-storied planks. Some did not even have straw bedding nor any pillow or blanket and all were constantly harassed by rats, lice, fleas and by bugs. Indeed, the prisoners led a miserable life.

The camp of Tambow was not a model of the interned persons. This is pertinently proved by the great number of deaths: Close to 5.000 Alsace-Lorrainers, 167 Luxembourg young men from 1.000 interned and forced conscripts have found their last resting place in the nearby forest in simple graves.

Those, who were sick to death and were suspected being infectious, were transported in open lorries, even in winter, to the hospital of Kirsanow, a small town about 100 kilometers from Tambow, from which very few did return. The exhibit shows selected photos of the cemetery of Kirsanow with 35 tombs of young Luxembourgers who died there. These graves which have a small name plaque, were communicated to the association of the survivors of the Tambow camp by Soviet authorities in the year 1986. The graves are taken care of by local authorities.

There is also an urn with earth from those grave sites at the entrance of the exhibit room and a copy of the commemorative tablet.

Alas! Not any trace neither of the camp No 188 nor of the graves of so many others who died there could be found until today.

Those of the prisoners, who in spite of deprivation and in winter in spite of frosty cold - 20 to 30 degrees under zero - were admitted fit, were affected to forced hard labor, either in the camp or in the "commandos" in forest, in turf-moors, in mills, in warehouses and silos, in kolkholzes and sovkholzes.

The exhibit also shows pictures with different scenes of the miserable lives in the prisoner-of-war camps in Russia. There is also a diorama of the inside of a shanty. Several show-cases exhibit artifacts created by the prisoners by single means when waiting for soup or gruel. Remaining clothes blend with all sorts of souvenirs from a period of persecution, of distress, of affliction and of certain death.

A map shows the many prisoner-of-war camps in Russia from where the ways were leading to the camp of Tambow, also called camp of assembling.

Newspaper clippings from local papers in the Grand-Duchy of Luxembourg also mention the existence of that camp and the story of so many unfortunate young Luxembourgers who were interned as prisoners-of-war and had to wait impatiently for many long months even after the end of the war to return to their native country, a sort of repatriation to which obstruction was practiced by any politicians for unknown reasons.

Lt. Lois Gates, a U.S. nurse with an Evacuation Hospital is shown here taking a foot-bath in her medic's helmet in October 1944 inside a tent of the 53^rd Evacuation Hospital, then based in Wiltz. The diorama is a mock up of the original Signal Corps photograph taken in Wiltz (see adjacent photo panel), after a visitor (a young U.S. captain) had recognized his mother. Please note the distinctive U.S. Army women's field uniform (trousers buttons on the side) and boots.

The scene displayed here as a diorama actually took place in the basement of the museum (former brewery), which in December 1944 and January 45 was considered shellproof by the Germans, who used it as a command post. Diorama of a regimental command post of the 916^th German Grenadierregiment shows a messenger (in white camouflage), escorted by a sentry in a heavy skin coat ,bringing in a note for the switchboard operator. A medical NCO and an infantry officer are heaving a meager lunch next to a stove. The inscription on the wall in German "Sütterlin" handwriting reads "Trotzdem siegen wir" (Victory will be ours, nonetheless). This diorama was built with German veterans, who actually stayed in the building during prementioned time frame, acting as advisers. Please note the variety of weapons, the 10-line field telephone switchboard, and the drinking water and food containers next to the stove. A selection of German emergency field lamps and lanterns are also shown nearby.

January 18, 1945. At 3 a.m. units of the 5th U.S. Infantry division "Red Diamond" jumped off to cross the icebound Sauer river to retake Diekirch and secure the Sauer river valley, thus crushing the German defensive line on the north banks of the river. Dramatic life-size diorama with 24 dummies in snow camouflage shows combat engineers of the division's own 7^th Engineer battalion and infantry units of the 2^nd Infantry Regiment pushing plywood assault boats to the banks of the river... under German mortar and machine gun fire. Some soldiers who were not issued the rare custom-made snowsuits are using civilian bedsheets to blend with the terrain. An unfortunate GI, who got badly injured by a German wooden mine, is given emergency first aid care by two medics, before being evacuated by means of a M 24 Studebaker weasel (tracked vehicle displayed in snow camouflage scheme with medical personnel and driver). This 150 square meter diorama was funded by numerous American individual contributors, who under the initiative of Mr. Harry Gray, former Chairman of United Technologies, Hartford Con. (and participant himself in the crossing) founded the "European Liberation Foundation" in 1987 to provide the funds for building this striking mock up. Snow was made of concrete, plaster of Paris, and whitewash; construction of this diorama took 14 months. Please note large picture and series of photos of river crossing that show a section of the Sauer river, where the neighboring regiment, the 10^th Infantry Regiment, crossed that same night near Bettendorf. As can be guessed, American casualties due to German mines, mortar- machine gun-, and "Nebelwerfer" rocket defensive fire, were rather high. By January 21, 1945 Diekirch and the neighboring villages were cleared up to the northern high ground on the "Skyline drive" (road connecting Diekirch in direction of the Belgian border).

A fter the successful early morning crossing of the Sauer river on January 18, 1945, troops of the 5^th U.S. Infantry division took cover in the shot up buildings of Diekirch. As no support weapons were immediately available on the north banks, the infantry made extensive use of its 60 mm mortars to fire uptown to crush German pockets of resistance. Diorama shows mortar team adjusting the weapon in a destroyed local workshop. All of them are wearing standard Army-issue snowcamouflage.

-A German soldier just surrenders to a U.S. private of the 10^th Infantry Regiment armed with a Thompson submachine gun near Bettendorf ("Bulge Memorials"). The GI is pulling out the German soldier's individual military ID booklet, while all his equipment has already been thrown on the ground.....where in April 1945, returning civilians may have retrieved it for recycling or for every day use in the immediate 1945 aftermath.

-A U.S. E.O.D. (Explosive Ordnance Disposal) team has located a German antitank mine in a minefield and is carefully removing the dirt around it, prior to identifying it for destruction. The exact site where the background picture was taken in early February 1945, is now the compound at the entrance of the Cactus supermarket and shopping mall, located between Diekirch and Ettelbruck at Ingeldorf. Times change!

Of special interest is General Breckinridge's post war uniform, he donated to the museum as a veteran of the 10^th Infantry Regiment and long-term friend and active supporter of the museum. As the regimental executive officer, Lt.Col. William M. Breckinridge was instrumental in early January 1945 for the finalizing of the tactical planning for crossing the Sauer river to liberate Diekirch, Bettendorf and adjacent areas. The Nazi artifacts and military memorabilia -- exhibited in this same display case -- are all war souvenirs, donated by veterans of the 5th Inf. Div. from their occupation duty in Germany in 1945. A unique artifact is a book from Hitler's personal library at Berchtesgaden, "liberated" by a 5^th U.S. Infantry Division veteran, who had it autographed by his 1945 buddies as a war souvenir.

As a counterpart of the U.S. field kitchen catering the turkey dinner, this diorama shows the famous German "Gulasch gun" spoke-wheeled field kitchen in a local farmhouse setting. Whereas the cooks are just preparing chow, basically consisting of pressure-cooked vegetables and meat, tired soldiers are eating, cleaning their weapons or are on the lookout for supplementary food in the abandoned farm house. A "Kettenkrad" tracked motorcycle is just leaving the kitchen with several thermocontainers to re-supply the foxhole line troops with hot chow.

-Three German artillerymen are discussing an American "safe conduct", psychological warfare leaflet and are evaluating whether they should surrender or continue fighting. Their artillery piece is a 1. FH 16, the 10,5 cm German equivalent of the U.S. 105 mm howitzer. Additional German and American "psyops" leaflets and the projectiles by which they were distributed, can be see at the entrance of showroom 8

-A German radio operator in full camouflage dress is carrying out his mission in the basement of an abandoned house. He was lucky to find as war booty some American rations, several Hershey bars, Lucky strikes, and even wine and beer. His weapon is the rare pre-WW II ERMA 9 mm submachine gun with lateral box magazine well.

-A Waffen-SS NCO (Unterscharführer) is puffing his cigarette while propped against his "Panzerschreck" anti tank rocket launcher. Please note the camouflage shelter tent quarter and distinctive"spotty" (referred to as the "Pea pattern") twill fatigue trousers.

-Two very rare items: A German 250 kilogram concrete bomb with white smoke containers and a U.S. M3 demolition snake, a special mine-clearing device used by the U.S. Corps of Engineers.

During the night of December 22, 1944 the first snow fell. These 4 German soldiers of the 5th Parachute division (Please note mixed paratroop and infantry equipment consisting of standard rimless paratroop helmet, camouflage jump smock, regular infantry issue equipment) are manning the very effective and feared light machine gun MG 42, often nicknamed "Hitler's violin" or "Hitler saw". They also have a variety of other weapons such as: assault rifle MP 44, several Panzerfausts, C-96 automatic pistol, flare pistol, Mauser rifle fitted with grenade launcher, various hand grenades. The soldier in the background is using the field telephone to report any enemy movements back to the command post. The dugout is partially covered with pine tree logs to provide some protection against artillery fragments. Foxholes like this one were located on the outskirts of Brandenburg ("Bulge Memorials") to protect the battalion headquartersthat were temporarily physically installed there. As in previous dioramas, German veterans of this unit assisted as advisers to reconstruct the scene with great care given to detailwork.

Part b: The History of the Luxembourg Army

Owing to its denomination as the "national" museum of military history, the museum would not be complete without an overview of the history of the Luxembourg forces and the current Luxembourg army. For that reason, showroom 15 -- itself divided into several sections -- is exclusively dedicated to this special chapter. As in the "Battle of the Bulge" sections, large-scale dioramas, thematic special exhibits and numerous photographs provide a detailed view of Luxembourg's national military history. The most important dioramas and their historical background are as follows. For a more detailed and in-depth view of the history of the Luxembourg armed forces, please click the "Luxembourg Army History" button or the Luxembourg army's official website homepage: www.armee.lu

The dioramas and exhibits:

The origins of the Luxembourg Army, the "Compagnie des volontaires" (Company of Volunteers), 1881 - 1940

The Corps of Gendarmes (State police) and Volunteers (Le Corps des Gendarmes et Volontaires) was created by the Law of 16 February 1881 and constituted the first purely national Armed Force in Luxembourg. As Luxembourg was neutral during the pre-mentioned time period, the corps was more a type of national military school system, preparing and providing access to civil servant- and law enforcement careers. It also had a representational role in addition to guarding the Grand-Ducal Palace and providing military ceremonial support.

The Corps of Gendarmes and Volunteers, under a single command, consisted of two companies as follows:

• The Company of Gendarmes of 125 men.
• The Company of Volunteers of between 140 and 170 NCOs and men. In an emergency the Volunteers could count on about 250 men.

The Officers numbered nine, as follows:

• A Major-Commandant.
• Two Captains, commanding Companies.
• Four to six Lieutenant or Ensigns.

The Military Band consisted of 39 musicians including the band leader/conductor.

After the establishment of the Company of Volunteers in 1881, the military organization remained unchanged until the Grand-Ducal Decree of 30 September 1938 increased the establishment of the Company of Volunteers to 300.

A Decree of 24 February 1939 made a further modification to the establishment of the Company of Volunteers, allowing for six Officers, two Adjutants, two Sergeants-Major, 12 Sergeants, 24 Corporals, 57 Privates 1st Class, and 200 Private soldiers. A further Decree of 15 September established a Corps of Auxiliary Volunteers of 125 men who were attached to the Company of Volunteers. On the eve of the Second World War, the Armed Forces of Luxembourg consisted of 13 Officers, 255 Gendarmes of the Company of Gendarmes and 425 men of the Company of Volunteers augmented by their Auxiliaries.

Following the occupation of Luxembourg by the Nazis on the 10th of May 1940, recruitment for the Company of Volunteers continued until the 4th of December 1940 when they were moved to Weimar in Germany to be trained as German police. A total of three officers, two officer cadets, and 456 other ranks then started an ill-fated ordeal through the most diversified battlefield theatres the Second World War. They saw action in many theaters of operations and particularly against the partisans in former Yugoslavia. Many of these retrained men were imprisoned for conscientiously rejecting to swear the oath on Hitler or for refusing duty, some in German prisons and many in concentration camps. Ninety-four fell in battle, were executed, died while in captivity or disappeared. Diorama shows a Luxembourg volunteer in ceremonial guard duty dress guarding the Grand-Ducal Palace. Weapon is German Mauser K98a rifle - helmet and uniform is French style.

It should be noted that during WWI, when Luxembourg's neutrality was disregarded by Germany and that several Imperial German Army Headquarters were based in the capital and throughout the country, numerous young Luxembourgers joined the French Foreign Legion to fight against Germany. Out of a total of about 3.700, some 2.000 + fell on the WWI battleields in France.

With the arrival of U.S. troops in 1918, about 150 Luxembourg citizens even joined the ranks of the American divisions to fight in the last battles of WWI.

During the Nazi occupation of Luxembourg (May 10, 1940 - early September 1944) about 12.500 unfortunate young Luxembourgers were conscripted by force into the Wehrmacht to fight on all battlefields, especially in the ex-Soviet Union. Some 3.700 were killed, or MIA. Those who were fortunate enough to escape forced conscription, often volunteered for allied armies or partisan groups to fight Nazi Germany. There were Luxembourgers in the British army, U.S. Army, Royal Air Force, U.S. Army Airforce, Free French Forces, French Green Berets, British Commandos and the Belgian "Brigade Piron". Especially the latter one, had about 200 plus Luxembourg soldiers as part of the "Luxembourg Battery" of the Brigade "Piron".

Former Crown Prince (and fomer Grand-Duke of Luxembourg -2000) Jean volunteered for the British army and became a 1^st Lieutenant in the Irish Guards, taking part in the WWII campaign of that distinguished unit, whereas his father, Prince Felix became a Liaison Officer in allied Headquarters with the rank of a Brigadier General.

A special exhibit shows Luxembourgers in allied ranks and lists the names of all those who served under allied flags.

The World War II aftermath -- Luxembourg Army occupation mission in Germany (1945-1955)

After the initial liberation of the Grand Duchy by U.S. forces in September 1944, an allied military mission of SHAEFE (Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Forces, Europe), started operating in Luxembourg and assisted the Luxembourg Government until 1946.

As early as November 1944, the Luxembourg Government was expected to create and build up an auxiliary force to support the allied front line troops in their rear areas (POW camps, guard duties, circulation, depots, and so on).

On November 30, 1944, Luxembourg introduced the mandatory military conscription service (12 months) and projected to raise two light infantry battalions.

SHAEP agreed and arranged to have these units equipped with British arms, uniforms and vehicles. Officer candidates were selected and sent to British OCTUs (Officer Candidate Training Units for 6-month' training periods in the United Kingdom. NCOs were trained by British and American instructors in Luxembourg.

In July and August 1945 two battalions (1st and 2nd) were constituted; they were composed of many volunteers and conscripts and were commanded by a small group of well-trained officers and NCOs.

On October 20th, 1945 a Franco-Luxembourg agreement was signed at the French army/Germany Command Post in Baden-Baden regarding the participation of Luxembourg troops on occupation duties within the French Occupation Zone in Germany.

(This provisional arrangement was replaced by a formal agreement of August 28, 1947, signed by the French commanding General P. Koenig.)

This agreement determined the boundaries of the Luxembourg sub-sector within the French zone ("Kreis" Bitburg/Eifel and parts of "Kreis" Saarburg). The missions of the Luxembourg occupation forces were the following: territorial occupation and control, supervision, security, communications, border control, guarding of depots, patrolling, escorting supply convoys (coal trains). The administration remained under French security under the control of the French "Gendarmerie". The tactical use of the Luxembourg occupation troops also remained under French control with extensive military exercises being held at the Baumholder training grounds. Logistics were under the responsibility of the Luxembourg Government.

The occupation of the "Saarburg" district by the 1st battalion ceased in 1948. The 2nd battalion that had been relocated from Dudelange (Luxembourg) to Bitburg (Germany) stayed at Bitburg barracks until July 9, 1955.

In addition, several Luxembourg detachment outposts were permanently stationed from 1945-1950 at Wolsfeld, Neuerburg, Nittel, and Irrel with their command post unit in Bitburg.

The Luxembourg army occupation duty ceased in 1955, when the units in Bitburg were relocated at the newly-constructed Diekirch army camp.

• based in Luxembourg, St Esprit barracks -1951
• based in Walferdange - 1960
• based in Capellen - 1964
• based at Diekirch barracks - 1966)

Compulsory military service was introduced by the Grand Ducal Decree of 30 November 1944, which was modified and extended in turn by the Decree of 4 July 1945.

During March 1945 the Company of Guards was founded, recruiting the first post-war volunteers. Three platoons with a total of 120 men formed the core and were based at the St Esprit Barracks in Luxembourg.

The Corps of Military Band was integrated into the Grand Ducal Guard.

The Company mounted the first post-war Guard at the Grand Ducal Palace on the 12th of April 1945.

On 24 April 1945, it was decided to establish the Grand Ducal Guard at battalion strength, but apart from the First Company. This never materialized, though, except on paper. From 1947 onwards the Guard was referred to as the "Corps de la Garde Grand-Ducale".

Initially the personal weapon issued to the Guards was the German Gewehr '98K from captured German WWII stocks. Subsequently they were issued with the Canadian Ross Rifle, then the British SMLE Mk 4 (Short magazine Lee-Enfield Mark 4). NCOs were armed with the British Sten Sub-machine gun.

In 1951 the Guard was relocated to Walferdange and integrated with the Commandement des Troupes (Comdt Tp). Amongst their tasks the Guardsmen were trained in special units for reconnaissance, anti-air warfare and radiac reconnaissance.

From 1955 the Guard was organised into:

• A Headquarters Company (EM)
• A Garrison Platoon (Garn)
• A Reconnaissance Company (Recce)
• Two Training Companies

In 1959 as the Comdt Tp was disbanded, the Guard was integrated into the Commandement du Territoire (Comdt Terr = Territorial Command) and the establishment was reduced to:

• A single Company
• The Corporals' Training School
• A Weapons Platoon equipped with heavy machine guns, 57 mm recoilless rifles and 60 mm mortars

The Corps of the Military Band remained a part of the Grand Ducal Guard. During this later period the Guard's main function was to act as a Training Unit for the units of Comdt Terr.

In 1960 the Garrison was moved to Capellen. The Guard was again reorganised, now being made up of, apart from the HQ and the Corps of Military Music, four Platoons temporarily grouped into intervention and reinforcement detachments.

In 1964 the Guard made its final move to Diekirch where they it was co-located and quartered with the Centre d'Instruction de l'Armee (CIA) in the Herrenberg Barracks but still forming a part of Comdt Terr. The unit was organized into an HQ, three platoons, a reinforcement platoon and the NCO school. For the purposes of instruction, the Guards platoons were equipped with heavy weapons such as the .30 machine gun, 60 mm and 81 mm mortars and 57 mm and 106 mm recoilless rifles. They continued to act as the training centre for home defence troops.

On the 29th of January 1966 the final ceremonial "Changing of the Guard" took place at the Grand Ducal Palace. The entire Corps of the Garde Grand-Ducale was present on parade.

The 28th of February 1966 marked the demise of one of the most impressive units of the Luxembourg Army. On that day the Grand Ducal Guard was officially disbanded.

It may be of interest, particularly to British visitors, to note that the present Grand Duke served from 1942 through 1946 in the British Army as a Lieutenant in the Irish Guards. This association is maintained as His Royal Highness has for many years been the Colonel-in-Chief (Honorary Colonel) of the Irish Guards and was recently awarded the title of Major-General of the unit.

The Korean War represents the only armed conflict where Luxembourg Forces took part.

On the 27th of June 1950, the security council of the United Nations recommended to the member states to provide to the Republic of Korea the necessary aid to repulse the North Korean aggression of the 25th of June 1950. Sixteen nations, among those Belgium and Luxembourg, decided to send armed forces.

The "EXPEDITIONNARY CORPS OF BELGIAN AND LUXEMBOURG VOLUNTEERS FOR KOREA" was constituted at the Camp of BEVERLOO (BE) on the 1st of October 1950. After an intense training, they went aboard the "Zinia" at Antwerp on the 18th of December 1950. After arriving at PUSAN, Korea, on the 31st of January 1950, and after a short period of adaptation, the Corps was attached to the 3rd US Infantry Division with which it participated in March in the operations on the "HAN" river.

In April, the Corps of Volunteers passed to the British 29th Independent Brigade in the "IMJIN" river sector. There, from the 22nd to the 25th of April, they heroically resisted to a heavy attack, broke the encirclement and inflicted considerable losses on the enemy. This brilliant feat of arms won them the Presidential Citation of the President of the United States of America, of the President of South Korea as well as the citation on the order of the day of the Belgian Army. The Corps' colors are decorated with the "IMJIN"streamer.

After having occupied a defense sector on the "HAN", the Corps of Volunteers came back to the "IMJIN" in May 1951. There, until August, it took part in numerous reconnaissance missions across the river.

After a reorganization period, in October 1951, it was reintegrated into the 3rd US Infantry Division in the "CHORWON"area. From the 10th to the 11th of October the volunteers distinguished themselves at "BROKEN ARROW" position and gained a second citation "HATANG-NI" streamer for their flag.

From mid to half October, it participated in the operations of the 1st US Cavalry Division.

During the winter of 1951-1952, the corps came back to the 3rd US Infantry Division in the "KOJA-KOL"sector where they laboriously and continuously worked on defensive positions and executed multiple patrols of a static war. After a short training period, they occupied the same sector in July 1952 again and suffered heavy attacks.

The following fall found the Corps of Volunteers for Korea back in the "CHORWON"sector and the 1952-53 winter brought them to the "CHATKOL"sector, where they suffered violent attacks and where their strong resistance won them a 3rd citation on the order of the day of the Army and the "CHATKOL" streamer to the colors.

The cease-fire of "PAN-MUN-JOM", on the 27th of July 1953, brought the heroic engagements of the Corps of Volunteers to an end. During their whole stay in Korea they reflected honor on themselves, their country and their army.

The combined Belgian-Luxembourg Forces in Korea paid a bloody tribute for their participation to the war. Alltogether, they lost 500 killed, wounded and missed.

The Luxembourg Participation in the Korean Conflict.

Nine volunteers of the 1st contingent stayed over their term in Korea or reenlisted with the 2nd contingent. Six volunteers of the 2nd contingent reenlisted with the Belgian Battalion after return of the Luxembourg forces. One of them came back in July 53, one returned in February 54 and the last one was back home in April 1954.

Diorama shows Luxembourg volunteers of the BUNC detachment as crew of a water-cooled U.S. M1917A1 .30 cal machine gun in a logpole bunker overlooking the Chorwon valley. Other weapons include: U.S. M1 Garand rifle sniper version, U.S. M1 carbine; Belgian SAFN rifle, U.S. 1911A1 .45 cal automatic pistol. Side exhibits show the complete range of U.S., British, and Belgian weapons and equipment used by Luxembourg soldiers in Korea, as well as a selection of captured North Korean and Chinese weapons in addition to personal war souvenirs from the Korean conflict.

In 1952 Luxembourg declared itself prepared and ready to implement its contribution to NATO. Taking as a pattern the 'Regimental Combat Team' structure employed by the US Army during the war, Luxembourg set up the Regimental Tactical Group ( Groupement Tactique Regimentaire (GTR) ).

At the beginning of 1954 the GTR consisted of;

• Three infantry battalions each with 35 officers, 121 NCOs and 753 troops (909 men)
• One artillery battalion comprising 44 officers, 110 NCOs and 421 troops (575 men)
• A reconnaissance company comprising 5 officers, 16 NCOs and 110 troops (131 men)
• A heavy mortar company comprising 6 officers, 27 NCOs and 147 troops (180 men)
• An engineer company comprising 9 officers, 28 NCOs and 205 troops (242 men)
• A signals company comprising 5 officers, 11 NCOs and 101 troops (117 men)
• A support company comprising 8 officers, 33 NCOs and 145 troops (186 men)
• A transport company comprising 4 officers, 19 NCOs and 147 troops (170 men)
• A medical company comprising 9 officers, 39 NCOs and 147 troops (219 men)
• A headquarters company comprising 25 officers, 30 NCOs and 150 troops (205 men)

The Mobile operational unit of the GTR thus consisted of 220 Officers, 676 NCOs and 3856 troops, a total of 4752 men altogether.

In order to ensure the operational independence of the group, a logistics support unit was later added. This consisted of a medical clearing unit and evacuation company, a logistics company and a quartermaster company. The total establishment of the group was thus increased by 20 officers, 74 NCOs and 273troops, a further 367 men.

The GTR with its logistics support was to field 5119 men in all.

The equipment requirements of the Regimental Tactical Group were considerable. These included some 1000 vehicles, amongst which were the well-known British Bren Gun Carrier or Lloyd Carrier, a small lightly-armored open-top tracked vehicle which could be used for reconnaissance, as infantry carrier or could be equipped either with a heavy machine gun, a 3" (81 mm) mortar, or a 75 mm recoilless rifle. Alternatively it could be fitted out as a communications- or headquarters vehicle or even as an ambulance.

The GTR overcommitted the economic- and especially the demographic capabilities of the country and only existed in its planned form on paper, as its units were never more than partially formed or equipped.

In 1959 the plan was shelved and the GTR was disbanded.

Matching GTR diorama shows a field communications centre in action with American and British radio - and tele typer equipment in use. Operators are wearing the Luxembourg-made "British style" battle dress service uniform, whereas the Officer in the background has a Belgian 1950-pattern camouflage smock.

The First Artillery battalion (1Bn Aie) was constituted in 1961 to be the active contribution of Luxembourg to NATO. It was the successor to the artillery detachment formed on the 6th of October 1951, based in Bitburg (FGR), and the later artillery battalion of the Regimental Tactical Group.

The 1 Bn Aie was based at the barracks in Diekirch.

Its organisation was as follows:

• three (firing) gun batteries each with 6 105 mm field howitzers.
• an HQ battery.
• a service battery.

The 105 mm Field howitzer in service then, was in fact the standard British 25 Pounder, converted to 105 mm caliber by replacing the barrel. During the Second World War the 'Luxembourg Battery' as part of the "Briagde Piron" had been equipped with the standard 25 Pounder gun.

On the December4, 1963 the 1 Bn Aie was integrated into the divisional artillery of the US 8th Infantry Division based at Bad Kreuznach and Baumholder in Germany. From October 1964, the Luxembourg members of 1 Bn Aie were autorized to wear the U.S. insignia of the Division, a white figure 8 pierced with a golden arrow on a blue background.

In December 1967, following the abolition of compulsory military service, the 1 Bn Aie was disbanded.

Diorama shows gun drill with dummy round. Gun is actually a modified 25Pdr gun mounting a Belgian 105 mm barrel. Gun positioning officer (GPO) is a Sergeant, whereas instructor (shown here in Luxembourg army style battle dress an blue beret (for artillery), is a Lieutenant.

In 1968, a year after the creation of the volunteer Army, the First NATO Infantry Battalion (1 Bn Inf OTAN LU)was formed. Placed under the operational command of AMF(L), the Allied Command Europe Mobile Force (Land), 1 Bn Inf OTAN LUrepresented Luxembourg's contribution to NATO.

1 Bn Inf OTAN LU consisted of:

• two companies of motorised infantry, mounted initially on Canadian Dodge Light Trucks and then on Rover vehicles
• a reconnaissance company with two recce platoons and an anti-tank platoon initially equipped with the 106 mm recoilless rifle and subsequently with the TOW anti-tank system, both mounted on Jeeps
• a command and service unit
• a logistics element

AMF(L) was a mobile, conventional multi-national force which was capable of being deployed in the early stages of developing tension to a region threatened by hostile armed forces, which at the time was seen to be the northern and southern flanks of NATO. Thus 1 Bn Inf OTAN LU could expect to be deployed to Denmark, Greece, Italy or Turkey. Due to the lack of Winter training and equipment, its deployment to Norway was initially not considered.

In 1985 the Luxembourg contingent of AMF(L) was reduced in size. 1 Bn Inf OTAN LU was replaced by a reinforced company drawn from the Centre d'Instruction Militaire (CIM) based in Diekirch.

The unit was called The AMF Company (Cie AMF LU) and consisted of

• two reconnaissance platoons mounted initially in Jeeps and then in "Humvees" with .50 cal. HB M2 machine guns
• one anti-tank platoon with six TOW systems mounted initially in Jeeps and then in Humvees.

It was reinforced by

• One section equipped with 81 mm mortars mounted initially in Rover Light Trucks and subsequently in Humvees.
• a command and liaison element
• a logistics and medical element

Cie AMF LU's training and equipment allowed the unit to be operational in all seasons and in all AMF(L)'s planned areas of operation.

The Luxembourg AMF contingent's TOW weapon system, shown here, is a tube launched, optically aimed, wire-guided anti-tank missile with a range of 4000 metres. It can penetrate 450 mm armour plate.

Diorama is a mock up of a Luxembourg army TOW position during an AMF manoeuvre in Norway. Soldiers are wearing standard U.S. army clothing with Canadian-issue winter camouflage smocks and snowboots. The individual weapons are: Belgian FN-FAL rifle and FN Browning 9 mm GP (High Power) pistol.

At the end of 1991, the Luxembourg Government decided that the country would take part in the military peace-keeping operations in the Former Yugoslavia as part of the United Nations Protection Force (UNPROFOR).

Three Luxembourg contingents in turn were integrated into the Belgian battalions (BELBAT I, II and III). The Belgo-Luxembourgish battalions were employed in the Baranya region of Croatia. BELBAT Headquarters were located in Beli Manastir. The Luxembourg contingents were employed in the Baranska Petrovo Selo area to the north of Ossiek and north-east of Vukovar.

The contingents consisted of a liaison team with BELBAT, a Reconnaissance platoon equipped with Humvee (an American all-terrain vehicle), a maintenance team and a medical team. The Liaison Officer with BELBAT also carried out the duties of Contingent Commander.

The Contingents' Missions were:

• to demonstrate physical presence by patrolling within their sector after a period of instruction on mines.
• to patrol the Russian sector pending the arrival of the Russian troops. This duty was carried out by the first contingent only.
• to observe the activities of the belligerent parties by motorised and foot patrols as well as from fixed observation posts.
• to carry out security patrols between the observation posts.
• to control the movement of opposing parties by means of checkpoints.

It must be added that, while the formal mission did not include humanitarian aid to all without distinction as to ethnic origin, the Luxembourgish contingents could not resist supporting the suffering people by distributing rations and medical supplies and carrying out medical tasks.

The first contingent left Diekirch barracks on 30 March 1992 after a period of organisation, equipment and training. It consisted of three officers, seven NCOs and 31 junior ranks. They remained in the area of operations for six months.

The commanding officer in charge of the first contingent travelled to Yugoslavia a month before his contingent.

The second contingent relieved the first on 10 October 1992. It consisted of three officers, seven NCOs and 26 junior ranks. They also remained in the area of operations for six months.

The third contingent relieved the second on 29 March 1993. It again consisted of three officers, seven NCOs and 31 junior ranks. They remained in the Area of Operations for four months.

Since August 1993 there have been no more Luxembourgers in the Baranya due to the lack of sufficient troops.

The members of the contingents carried personal weapons such as the Browning 9 mm pistol, the Uzi sub-machine gun, the FAL rifle and the MAG machine gun.

The vehicles employed were various versions of the Humvee in the following versions; standard, .50 cal HB M2 machine gun carrier, support, and ambulance.

For this delicate mission during which the soldier was not allowed to open fire except in self-defense, the Luxembourgish contingents were equipped with new Flak-jackets (bullet-proof vests) and a new design of Kevlar helmet to give them the best possible personal protection.

Luxembourg Army contingents have also participated in the I-FOR, and S-FOR efforts and are now part of K-FOR with a small detachment integrated into the Belgian K-FOR contingent.

Depicted here are Luxembourg UNPROFOR-contingent soldiers during their humanitarian relief mission in ex-Yugoslavia.

The Engineer Service

The engineer service was established on 1 March 1952 and was based at the Capellen barracks. Its duties were;

• Design, maintenance, control and distribution of military engineering supplies and specialist equipment, including fuels and lubricant.
• Maintenance of military buildings and installation.
• Training and development of military engineer units.
• The head of the Engineer Service was responsible for directives relating to the training and development of the pioneer platoons attached to infantry battalions.

The engineer service was reorganized on 5 May 1954. In peacetime it was to form the core of wartime engineer units, particularly the engineer company of the Groupement Tactique Régimentaire (GTR) (Regimental Tactical Group).

Its further tasks were as follows:

• Training army engineer personnel.
• Acquisition, acceptance, storage and distribution of engineering material and chemical material for the Army.
• Cooperation with civilian authorities in connection with general construction works.
• Carrying out of various engineering projects of benefit to the civilian sector within the limits of the training task.
• Maintenance of military buildings and installations.
• Protection of military installations against fire.
• Preparing the Engineer Service for mobiliztion.

The engineer service was organised as follows:

• An administrative platoon with a headquarters section, a workshop section, a stores section, a fire precautions section and a plant and transport section.
• An instruction centre.

The engineer service had an establishment of two officers, seven NCOs, 26 troops and 11 civilians, in addition to the officers and NCO instructors of the instruction centre.

In accordance with the General Order 5/60 of 26 September 1960, the engineer service was disbanded.

The Engineer Company of the GTR, the Regimental Tactical Group, was in existence between 1954 and 1959 with an establishment of 9 officers, 28 NCOs and 205 troops.

A variety of typical engineer light field equipment is displayed in a special showcase to document the Luxembourg Army Engineers.

Signal Corps (Signals Service)

The signals service was formed on 15th June 1952 and was billeted at Walferdange barracks.

The tasks were:

• Installation, maintenance and operation of the Army's signal communications.
• Design, maintenance, control and distribution of signals materiel.
• Instruction of signals personnel.
• Control of the training of the signals platoons of the various branches.

The Communications &Transmission Centre

The Transmission Centre of the Headquarters of the Army was formed on 3rd November 1953.

On 15th March 1954 the army's signals service was restructured. From this date on, the signals service formed the core of the planned wartime strength of the signals units and detachments. Their tasks were as follows:

• Training of signals personnel.
• Development of signals plans for the Army.
• Acquisition, acceptance, storage, repair, and distribution of signals material.
• Installation, maintenance, and operation of signal equipment.
• Preparing the signals organization for mobilization.

The order of battle was planned to consist of :

• a command section.
• an administration and transport platoon.
• a supply and support platoon.
• an operations platoon.
• a training center.

The Signals sections in the garrisons at Bitburg (FGR), Capellen, and Walferdange were supported by the operations platoon.

The peace-time strength consisted of 7 officers, at least 12 NCOs, 40 other ranks and 3 civilians.

On 18th April 1955 the Signals service was again reorganized. The peace-time strength was raised to 6 officers, 26 NCOs, 64 other ranks and 9 civilians. The mission remained unchanged. In addition to the command section, the Signals service now was termed:

The Signal Troop Centre (Centre des troupes de Transmissions (CTTR)).

This consisted of:

• Headquarters unit.
• Supply platoon.
• Instruction center.
• Operations platoon.

Signals equipment consisted of field wire equipment, radio and teletype. Initially the equipment was British. During the 50s it was replaced with American material.

The diorama depicted during GTR era, shows a message centre and transmitter site with British and American radio equipment.

The Medical Service

Created right at the beginning of the Luxembourg Army, under the aegis of Dr FELTEN, a veteran of the Company of Volunteers, the medical service was reorganized on the 15th of March 1954. In peace time it had to maintain health and hygiene in the army, and constituted the core of all wartime medical units and detachments, like the Medical Company of the Tactical Regimental Combat Team (GTR).

Its tasks were:

• Evacuation and treatment of sick and wounded military personnel; treatment of military family members according to the law.
• Implementation of mesures for general hygiene and food control.
• Medical tests at troup drafts and demobilizations.
• Training of the medical personnel of the army; training and education of the troup in matters of hygiene and first aid.
• Acquisition, storage, maintenance and distribution of all medical supplies.
• Preparation of the medical organization for mobilization.

Its peacetime organization consisted of:

• a command section
• the medical service regrouping the medical section of the central sick bay and the medical sections of the garrisons.
• the dental service
• a storage site for medicine and medical equipment
• a training center

As there was no military hospital in Luxembourg, the sick and heavily wounded were to be transferred for treatment to civilian hospitals.

Apart from professional doctors, dentists and pharmasists, who held commissioned ranks, and the carreer medical NCO's, the remaining medical personnel was drafted from the civilian medical-, paramedical- and clerical professions and were all reserve officers or NCO's.

Since the abolishment of the compulsory military service in 1967, the medical service has been reduced to the size of the sick quarters at Diekirch "Herrenberg" Barracks. Medical tests for selections and recruitments, inoculations, medical and dental care for all military personnel and first aid training are carried out there..

The medical service is present at nearly all cultural and sport events organized on national level, at state visits and receptions at the Grand-Ducal Court.

In case of disaster, the cross-country vehicles of the medical service and the convertable busses to ambulances are very useful for emergencies and evacuations.

The medical support and evacuation in tactical environment being still the main task of the service, it participates in all exercises, maneuvers and operations in the country and abroad.

That way, the Army Medical Service is always present at AMF exercises in which the Luxembourg Contingent participates. A part of its personnel and several of its teams took part in the humanitarian aid operations to the Kurdish people in Turkey and in northern Iraq in 1991, in the European Community Monitoring Missions, and in the UNPROFOR peacekeeping missions in the former Yugoslavia.

The catholic army chaplaincy

Article 17 of the amended law of the 23rd of July 1952 on the military organization, stipulates:

• Are attached to the Army:

1. The military justice
2. The chaplaincy service.

The organization of the chaplaincy service and the attributions of the chaplains will be determined by "Grand Ducal Decree."

Article 20 of the same law stipulates:

• Are added to the officers corps and tasked with military duties by commission":

1. two military judges
2. a medical doctor
3. two catholic priests
4. if needed, a protestant and a jewish minister."

According to this, close links exist between the Luxembourg Army and the Catholic Church, without excluding any other religion.

These privileged relations to the Catholic Church are the outcome of the fact that 92% of the population are catholic.

Financing of the chaplaincy is assured by the army budget.The Army, as an institution, provides the necessary support to the chaplaincy in order to enable its role accomplishment. The religious practice by the military personnel however, is individual choice. Nobody can be constrained by authority to attend religious services.

It has to be highlighted that, apart from its normal mission, the luxembourg military chaplaincy more and more fulfills the tasks of a social service.

By ministerial decree of the 7th of October 1988, the function of military chaplain has been extended to the Corps of the Grand Ducal Gendarmerie and the Grand Ducal Police. The chaplain bears the title of "Chaplain General of the Public Force".

The Chaplains from 1945 to present

Part c: Thematic exhibits and dioramas

Shown here is a Willys Jeep with a 106 mm recoilless rifle (CSR) mounted on a tripod and equipped with a .50 cal "spotting rifle" being readied by its crew for gunnery practice at the "Elsenborn" training grounds in Belgium.

The Luxembourg army has a small unit of highly trained E.O.D. NCOs, who are constantly out in the field identifying, retrieving or destroying dangerous leftovers from two World Wars, especially unexploded ordance from the "Battle of the Bulge" The diorama shows two Luxembourg EOD specialists during their risky mission of removing rusty life ammunition that was found still buried in a pit discovered on a recent construction site on the outskirts of a small town in northern Luxembourg. Every ear tons and tons of ammunition are still found ranging from infantry small arms ammunition to 1000 pound bombs! The E.O.D. service also closely works together with the National Museum of Military History.

Diorama gives an insight of a living quarters room at Diekirch army baccaks in the 1960s. Two soldiers are just cleaning their FAL rifles, while a first sergeant is taking a close look at the interiors of their cupboards.

The Luxembourg army usually had two types of field kitchen equipment. The smaller pressurized gasoline-operated U.S. field stove was used for smaller units (platoon or company level), whereas the French type "rolling" field kitchen (solid or liquid fuel) saw action at battalion level field exercises.

Current Luxembourg Army volunteers undergoing special "Commando-type exercices" during their basic training.

1990's Luxembourg Army volunteer at Diekirch baracks on sentry duty

Shown here is a selection of different nationalities' field- and combat rations as customarily in use with Luxembourg army troops during field exercises.

Rifles

Hand guns

Sub machine guns

Machine guns (light and heavy)

Anti Tank weapons

Mortars

Uniforms

Uniforms worn by Luxembourg army personnel

The complete range of historical Luxembourg Army uniforms displayed is the following:

Luxembourg national- and military decorations and army rank insignia

Several showcases give a complete and detailed closeup view of national civilian and military decorations, past- and present rank and unit insignia of the Luxembourb army, as well as foreign qualifications and badges that Luxembourg army personnel is authorized to wear.

Showcase: Luxembourg Veterans

Selection of uniforms worn by Luxembourgers in allied combat units in WW I and WW II, are portrayed as follows: