Special Exhibit for September 1-October 3: Operation Market Garden – A Bridge Too Far
Camp Gordon Johnston WWII Museum in Carrabelle is presenting a special exhibit on Operation Market Garden. This exhibit will be on display at the museum from Tuesday, September 1 until Saturday, October 3. The museum is open every Tuesday through Saturday from 11 am to 5 pm ET. There is no charge for admission, but donations are gladly accepted.
Operation Market Garden (September 17th – 27th, 1944) was the attempt to establish control of the bridge over the Rhine at Arnhem on the border of Germany and the Netherlands. This involved the combined efforts of the First Allied Airborne and the XXX Corps of the British 2nd Army. The battle was unsuccessful for a variety of reasons, including the dependence on a single raised highway the ground forces had to use to link up with airborne troops (US, British and Polish) dropped at the three bridges.
This exhibit presents the military commanders from both the Allied and the German forces, and presents information of the Horsa and Waco gliders, as well as the Douglas C47 Skytrain aircraft used to bring troops and equipment from England.
The battle was commemorated in “A Bridge Too Far”, the 1977 film. “Band of Brothers”, a miniseries from HBO in 2001, also depicted the 101st Airborne’s part in this battle. They landed near Eindhoven and Veghel.
Camp Gordon Johnston WWII Museum is located at 1873 Hwy 98 West, directly across from the very beach where the beach assault training occurred in 1942-1943. Carrabelle Beach was the site of many practice beach assault landings. For more information, contact Camp Gordon Johnston Museum at (850) 697-8575 or museum@campgordonjohnston.com. Funded in part by the Franklin County Tourist Development Council.
Special Exhibit for October 6-31: Operation Torch – Campaign in North Africa
Visitors to Carrabelle can check out some fascinating history this October at the Camp Gordon Johnston WWII Museum with a special exhibit on Operation Torch, the Allied campaign in North Africa that served as a critical testing ground for amphibious landings and armored warfare tactics that would later be employed during the Normandy Invasion. The exhibit will be on display Tuesday, October 6 through Saturday, October 31, with the museum open Tuesday through Saturday from 11 am to 5 pm. Admission is free, with donations gladly accepted.
The exhibit features historic photographs, maps, and authentic artifacts from the North African campaign, including weapons, currency, and helmets. A special highlight is a Top-Secret copy of the operational plans for Operation Husky, the Allied invasion of Sicily, prepared in Tunisia during the final days of Operation Torch. Visitors can also discover Camp Gordon Johnston’s own connection to Operation Torch, when the camp’s 61st Medical Battalion deployed with the First Engineer Special Brigade.
Located at 1873 Hwy 98 West, directly across from Carrabelle Beach, where beach assault training took place in 1942–1943, the Camp Gordon Johnston WWII Museum offers visitors a chance to see history up close while exploring one of Carrabelle’s unique local attractions.
Coming to Carrabelle This December: Visitors will have another opportunity to explore history when the Freedom Truck mobile museum rolls into Camp Gordon Johnston December 3–6. This national mobile museum offers an interactive experience designed for all ages, making it another unique attraction for visitors planning a trip to Carrabelle this winter. Save the date!
For more information, contact Camp Gordon Johnston Museum at CampGordonJohnston.com, (850) 697-8575 or museum@campgordonjohnston.com. Funded in part by the Franklin County Tourist Development Council.
Past Events
Sidney A. Winchester Building Dedication at Camp Gordon Johnston Museum
The Camp Gordon Johnston Association and WWII Museum was honored to dedicate our museum building on September 21, 2019 to the late Sidney A. Winchester, a Carrabelle native, U. S. Army veteran and key supporter of Camp Gordon Johnston Museum. We were joined by U.S. Congressman Neal Dunn, M.D. (FL-02) who made two very special presentations during the ceremony. Congressman Dunn presented a container of sand from Utah Beach, Normandy, France to the Camp Gordon Johnston WWII Museum and then presented an American Flag that had flown over the U.S. Capitol Building in Washington D.C. to Sidney Winchester’s wife, Bobbye, who accepted the flag on behalf of the Museum in honor of Sidney’s service both as a paratrooper with the 82nd Airborne and as a charter member and champion of the Camp Gordon Johnston Association. The sand from Utah Beach and the flag will be on display at the Museum. Also on this day, Camp Gordon Johnston Museum celebrated Smithsonian magazine’s 15th annual Museum Day. This national celebration honors museums that follow the example of the Smithsonian with free admission.
Click Here to see the Video of the Dedication Ceremony and Congressman Neal Dunn’s special presentations. Thanks to Mayor Brenda La Paz for this video! Click here to learn more about these events.
