BATTLE
OF THE ARDENNES MUSEUM
Battle of the Bulge History La Roche-en-Ardenne
La
Roche-en-Ardenne has the distinction of being twice liberated during
World War II. The
beautiful old town escaped damage in the First World
War, but found its river path crossroads right in the middle of the Battle
of Bulge. Liberated once by the Americans in the September 1944 allied
advance, then retaken by the Germans in the Ardennes offensive and re-liberated
by the British and Americans in January 
of
1945. In-between the lovely historic old town suffered massive damage,
nearly destroyed by 70,000
American artillery shells. Soldiers of the British 30 Corps “Black
Watch” Highlanders moved on the town from one side of the Ourthe
and elements of the American 1st Army came from the other side and famously
met up on a street corner in La Roche, where a plaque commemorates the
liberation.
A block from the corner is one of the original of the privately owned
Battle of the Bulge museums
of the area (see Touring
Battle of the Bulge Sites).
The
Battle of the Ardennes Museum (Musee de la Bataille des Ardennes) takes
up three floors of a storefront, filled with memorabilia,
weapons, uniforms and other
history of the war. The museum in La
Roche-en-Ardennes has the only complete section dedicated to British
soldiers, focusing on their action
in the liberation of 1945. 120 display figures of American, British,
Scottish and German soldiers with their 
equipment
and
arms, along with uniforms donated by veterans of the Battle of
the Bulge. A room upstairs is dedicated to the British veterans who
have returned to visit the site. The collection was originally begun
after the war by just gathering up material that was left behind in
the Ardennes
grew
over
the years. Items
are still found in the Ardennes woodlands today. Among the
collection along with the arms, uniforms and insignia is an English
Enigma code machine.
Visiting the La Roche Ardennes Battle Museum
The museum is open Wednesdays to Sundays April
to December
from 10
a.m.
to 6 p.m.
and on weekends January to March. Admission is €8 for adults
and 4€ for children. A combined admission with the bastiogne Ardenne 44 Museum is avaialbe. Entrance
to the town to is still guarded by two tanks left over from
WWII,
a British
Achilles
M10 of
the 1st
Northamptonshire Yeoman and an American M4A1 Sherman tank. The
British tank is just a few yards from a memorial Roll of Honour erected
to the Scottish 51st Highland Division
along the road where the Yeoman armor regiment entered the
valley. The tanks are enshrined at parking lots on either end of the
town. Perhaps
they’re
there to control the crowds - La Roche-en-Ardennes can get quite filled
in
summer
tour season. © Bargain
Travel Europe
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Musee
Battaille de Ardennes
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SEE ALSO:
BASTOGNE BULGE BATTLE FOXHOLES
FLANDERS
- WWI TRENCH WARFARE MUSEUMS
