Unknown Arnhem area museums,

[Grutte Pier]

I already visited the Hartenstein Airrborne museum a dozen times so during my vacation in the Arnhem region last week I planed on visiting the smaller (unknown) museums in the area. Here are pictures of two of them, in the third (the Arnhem 1940-1945 museum) it was not allowed to take pictures inside because of the flash. Here some pictures of the Deelen airfield museum and a very small private museum in Beekbergen. The Deelen airfield museum is very interesting and tells the story about the airfield from before until after the WWII war. Very interesting dioramas and WWII pieces such as this 7,5 French Flak gun used by German RAD troops to fire across the river Rhine towards the advancing British para’s. There is a very interesting story behind it, years ago some RAD veterans visited the museum and saw “there gun” again, they where very young in those days and could tell that they had to abandon the gun but came back in the night to destroy it before the Tommie’s could possibly use it against them. Very interesting museum indeed and the pictures will tell the story. The other pictures are from the small private museum in Beekbergen (little village in the near of Apeldoorn) run by a father and sun, no big dioramas or guns in this museum but non the less a interesting museum regarding its nice collection of small items which tell a story, for example a briefcase and spoon from one of the 116 “prisoners” the Germans executed on the spot (Woeste Hoeve) in reprisals of the attack on SS Police chief Rauter. Enjoy the pictures.

[Adrian Stevenson]

Hi Meindert, I had not heard of the small private museum before so I was very interested to learn about it.

The other pics bring back nice memories of Deelen. It is a great museum. I always visit it when we go to Arnhem.

Cheers, Ade.

[Grutte Pier]

Hi Meindert, I had not heard of the small private museum before so I was very interested to learn about it.

The other pics bring back nice memories of Deelen. It is a great museum. I always visit it when we go to Arnhem.

Cheers, Ade.

Personally I like the smaller private museums, there a some in the near of Arnhem, this one in Beekbergen (approximately 13 miles from Arnhem), one in Doesburg (approximately 12 miles from Arnhem) and the ‘Island 1944-1945’ museum in Heteren (approximately 9 miles from Arnhem), this last museum is the only one with a online website, --- Betuws Oorlogsmuseum --- , all these small museums are raised from private collections. You must really try to visit one or two of these private museums the next time you’re in Arnhem Ade, beware that the museum in Beekbergen is only in summer on Saturdays open for visitors.