ARBAEJARSAFN OPEN AIR MUSEUM
We were very fortunate, during the research visit to Iceland in 2010, to be given access to this Open Air Museum, despite it being the closed season. This was largely due to our guide Stefan Helgi Valsson, being such a well-known character, and having such excellent powers of persuasion. We are very grateful to the Curator, who gave us an interesting tour of the Museum but concentrated on the World War Two exhibits. It is encouraging that the Icelanders increasingly recognise the historical and strategic aspects of the Occupation and include that in displays and exhibitions, as will be seen on other pages.
The concept of the Museum will be familiar to anyone who has visited the Beamish Open Air Museum of the North of England, for example.
To read the Wikipedia entry please click on here.
To access other internet descriptions of the Museum please click here to see the Web page related to Reykjavik Museums.
The following photographs were taken during our visit - readers can imagine our reaction when one of the display items turned out to be a Pattern 1907 Bayonet issued to the 10th Durham Light Infantry! The Battalion, and indeed the rest of the Brigade, was still using this "sword bayonet" of First World War vintage as it was matched to their issue Lee-Enfield rifles, which were of the same period. The Brigade was not issued with the standard No. 4 Lee-Enfield and the accompanying "spike" bayonet until April 1944.
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