From November 15 to 27, you can see full-scale WWII tanks, trucks, airplanes and machinery in the atrium of the Abbaye de Neumünster; but in truth none of these vehicles or equipment will actually be there. What you’ll be seeing is an augmented reality exhibition, staged as a fitting complement to the European theatrical premier of the documentary film “The Ghost Army” on November 27.

It’s a “fitting complement” because what The Ghost Army did was in fact to “augment reality” as best they could using the technology of the 1940s and their imagination. Like ghosts, they’ve remained mostly invisible, until film maker Rick Beyer produces this prize-winning film.

The film tells the surprising and largely unknown story of the 23rd Headquarters Special Troops, AKA The Ghost Army, whose job was to use inflatable tanks and armory to create nonexistent US troops in order to dupe Hitler’s army. Near enemy lines from Normandy to the Rhine River, these men used all their skills and courage to create believable deceptions, and in the winter of 1944, they were actually headquartered in Luxembourg.

The men in this special division came armed with their own natural talent--they were mostly artists and designers. They had even continued to sketch, paint and write as they “toured” Europe. These personal mementos too--as well as film clips from the documentary and other photos--will also be on show at the Abbaye.

Abbaye de Neumünster, Luxembourg-Grund