Treasure trove of military memorabilia on show in Coolup

Craig Grantham has been building his collection for decades, and has constructed a museum from his treasure trove of history within his shed.

Upon entry, you can’t help but be blown away by the amount of war vehicles stacked into the shed.

Jeeps from the second World War line up next to awe-inspiring firearms as you make your way to the centre of the display, where you will find a white picket sign with accurate distances pointing in the direction of a number of countries involved in the World Wars.

To the right sits a manikin dressed in a German militant uniform from the second World War, adjacent to a rival manikin clad in a digger’s attire topped off with slouch hat.

Mr Grantham said his affinity with historic war artifacts began as a child.

“A few of my uncles served in wars and I remember always being fascinated by anything they might have had,” he said.

“Over time I started collecting more and more stuff and about eight years ago I decided to turn it into a display.

“Alcoa donated the money to help me build the shed and I constructed it myself.”

A large portion of the exhibition is made up of World War II history, with a corner of the display dedicated to smaller artifacts like flags, helmets, bullets and more sentimental items like hand-written notes to mothers informing them their sons had died in battle.

A notable piece of memorabilia featured in the display is a swastika flag from World War II. Originally from Italy in the Mussolini era, Mr Grantham acquired the infamous German flag from New Zealand.

It hangs on the wall next to a number of American propaganda posters published during the war, one declaring that Adolf Hitler’s “party is over.”

The museum is open only by appointment and Mr Grantham is currently looking for volunteers to assist him with work on his collection, particularly with mechanical maintenance.

To view the display, call Mr Grantham on 0421 225 611.