One theme involving Travel around the world is visiting the site of famous battles and wars throughout the years. I reckon the best thing about a history lesson is going to the place where a famous event actually happened.

This makes you appreciate what actually went on and gives you a point of reference – both geographical and historical. I’ve personally done this by visiting the battlefields of Gallipoli in Turkey.

But the Solomon Islands has it’s own famous World War 2 war story – the Battle of the Guadalcanal.

This battle was made famous in the Hollywood Movie, ‘The Thin Red Line‘ starring Sean Penn. This involved the Americans driving the Japanese out of occupying these islands and involved a lot of stuff being blown up to pieces.

But there is still military reminders all around the Solomon Islands, including the Best World War 2 Museum ever! It was also the scene of an interesting story involving John F Kennedy.

Battle of the Guadalcanal – World War 2 Gear Pics!

There’s stuff all over the place, and it’s still there after 75 years!

It’s literally like the Americans and Japanese literally walked away after the battle and left all of their crap behind!

And it’s all free admission!

You’ll see wrecks of all sorts of World War 2 equipment all over the shop!

Such as this rusting barge on the beach.

And there are even anti aircraft guns from both the American and Japanese forces in people’s front yards, like this one!

And after the war, the Americans weren’t bringing all their stuff back to the United States. They just dumped it all in one pile and the jungle has just grown around it.

This pile of scrap metal is close to 10 metres high and goes for hundreds of metres!

There are things like barges, jeeps, armoury and you name it just stuffed in here.

Even tanks!

This is the location of an American base near Munda. This armoured building use to be where the American’s kept their money for their soldiers which was handed out as rations throughout the war.

But there aren’t too many places in the world where there are still loads of World War 2 artefacts still intact!

This is what my camera picked up when I poked it up through a hold in the door!

Guns, helmets, beer bottles, water bottles and mortar shells!

I really like the unpretentious nature of the “Open Air Museum” that is the Battle of the Guadalcanal.

If you are ever in the Solomon Islands, you’ll definitely come across some sort of reminder from World War 2!

See more at the Solomon Islands Visitors Bureau.

This article Battle of Guadalcanal – An ”Open Air” Museum! was first written on

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