VISITORS to Eden Camp Museum near Malton will find two unusual attractions this summer – a nuclear bomb and a submersible canoe used in the Second World War.

The bomb was given to the wartime museum by the RAF Bomb Disposal Association in recognition of the national memorial dedicated to its members at Eden Camp, said director Nick Hill.

The WE.177A bomb, weighing 600lbs, was decommissioned in the 1980s when Polaris took over. It has been used as a training piece and is one of several given to museums in Britain.

In the early 1990s, the United States withdrew all nuclear weapons that were assigned to British forces under NATO nuclear sharing arrangements, Nick added.

Another new exhibit will be Sleeping Beauty, a special canoe which was designed to be submersible and was used by Special Forces in the 1939-45 war.

It was handed to Nick by Prince Philip who served on HMS Valiant during the war – a ship which was attacked by the Italians, said Nick.

“There is only one other canoe of its type left,” said Nick.

“It has come into the hands of the museum through the Underwater Heritage Trust. It is a metal canoe which could either be submerged or paddled.”

The museum, which gets about 200,000 visitors a year, has decided not to increase its admission prices this year because of the recession.

On Saturday and Sunday, there will be a Second World War re-enactment event.

On Tuesday, the museum will be hosting the Military Attache of the Malayan Government which will be presenting medals to 150 British Service Veterans of the Malayan conflict who served between 1957 and 1966.

Other attractions planned at the museum, which has now opened its doors for the new season, include three Second World War re-enactment teams giving demonstrations over the Easter weekend, while on April 30, the camp will be hosting the annual UK gathering of the Escape Lines Memorial Society.

On April 3, 400 motorcyclists will be heading for Eden Camp as part of the Yorkshire Region annual Ride of Honour in support of Help for Heroes and the Black Rat Regiment Fund.

Nick said: “We are confident of having another good year despite the economic climate.

“The museum is extremely popular with all generations, anxious to learn about the Second World War and military events in general.”