Some Canloan BD's from the Canadian War Museum

[Greeves]

Thanks for posting such a nice selection of formation signs and regimental flashes. Interesting to glimpse the green and yellow slip-on worn by HQ coy 1 HLI ( it’s between the Border’s and Wiltshires’ battledresses).

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Any chance of seeing more pictures of these blouses?

Hi Richard, unfortunately those are all the pictures I took of the BD's. The HLI BD was hidden in the back row and the display case was against the wall (kind of silly if you ask me).

[Greeves]

If the Regiment de la chaudière manaquin is bad, and the 2 SS manequins are bad, and the helmets worn by the two germans in the D Day displays are bad; then what is good in the museum??
Well, at least they have that bullet ridden jeep from Yougoslavia that is really interesting; and the displays are nice.
JL

I agree that it would be nice if the museum would aquire more genuine Wehrmacht and SS uniforms for their displays, and be more accurate with some of the others (the Chaudiere mannequin certainly seems to be wearing post-war boots) - perhaps these issues will be addressed with the new museum. After all, the CWM has a massive collection and we, the viewing public, only get to see a fraction of it in the present building (for instance the museum holds over 20 VC's yet only has 5 on display ).

That being said, the one of the museum's primary functions is to educate the public about Canada's military history and her role in various armed conflicts. I think they do quite a good job at that - even if the SS mannequin's uniform is a repro, those unfamiliar with the history of the times at least get an idea of what the various military forces were wearing.

Anyway, you raise some very good points, Jean-Loup. And here's the jeep to which you were referring.

The story behind it is that on 31 December 1994, Pte's Badanai and Tescione, both of C Coy, 1st Bn Royal Canadian Regiment, were returning from an escort mission near Kolarina, Croatia. Their Iltis was ambushed by 25 Serb soldiers and sustained over 50 hits. Tescione was badly wounded and Badanai was shot twice. Despite his wounds, Badanai drove a further 15km to the nearest aid station and was subsequently awarded the Meritorious Service Medal.

[Greeves]

Something else for Jean-Loup

JL: as I know you're interested in the 1st SSF - here are some pics from a display they had on them:

[Greeves]

Some details:

[Greeves]

More:

[Allan H.]

JL: as I know you're interested in the 1st SSF - here are some pics from a display they had on them:

Why would they display a Johnson rifle with the 1st Special Service Force? Odd.

For you guys who are ready to write and tell me that the Force carried them, you, like the Canadian Museum are confusing the Johnson rifle with the Johnson Light Machinegun.

Allan

[Greeves]

Something a bit more chilling, but important nonetheless. This is the execution hood worn by Hauptsturmfuhrer Josef Kramer, adjutant at Auschwitz and later commandant at Bergen-Belsen. He was known as the "Beast of Belsen". He got his just reward, kicking at the end of a British rope (wearing this hood) in December, 1945.

[Greeves]

Why would they display a Johnson rifle with the 1st Special Service Force? Odd.

For you guys who are ready to write and tell me that the Force carried them, you, like the Canadian Museum are confusing the Johnson rifle with the Johnson Light Machinegun.

Allan

I'm unfamiliar with both the Johnson rifle and Johnson LMG, the one in the display was described in the listing as an LMG - the breech certainly didn't look like any rifle I'd seen before. It looked a lot heavier. Any pics or links to a Johnson LMG to share?

[Greeves]

Never mind, Allan, I just looked it up for myself - that is indeed a Johnson rifle...

I just might have to write the CWM - just too many mistakes!

[Jean-Loup]

Thanks for noting my interest in the 1SSF; but you would think a National museum would have a few more pieces (and less mistakes). You gotta love that "been there" "as found" jeep thow. Great piece. To bad they didnt keep more WW2 vehicles like that in 1945. Now all thats left is restored and repainted...
My favorit part of the museum is the WW1 display. But I noted they had a manequin with a battle damaged helmet; with the so called battle damage having been made specialy for the display. Cant a national museum actualy find an original battle damaged helmet, and not have to ruin a good 80 year old helmet??? I wonder what they have in their storage room where 95% of the stuff is siposedly kept, if they cant even have a proper WW2 german helmet on display, or proper WW2 canadian boots... Ah, those civil servants...
JL

[kampfer]

One last one. Amongst the Canloan BD's is this one to the Queen's Own Rifles of Canada (a regiment with which I used to serve). It doesn't have a Canloan "Canada" strip on it and it isn't named to a British regiment. However, it does have a divisional patch I don't recognize - can anyone help?

Hello Geoff;
The patch in question is for the British 8th Corps(Charging white knight on red rectangle), part of 2nd Army, 21st Army Group. This Canadian Canloan Officer must have been attached to Corp HQ, and as such was not entitled to wear a British Regimental flash and as a tradition would wear the Regimental flash of his former unit, in this case the Queen's Own Rifles of Canada

A friend of mine has one to a Capt in the 51st Highland Division, and this guy still also wears his 48th Highlanders flash over the 51st Div patch.

I do have a nice BD to a Canloan Lt in the 11th Brit Arm'ed Division. It has K.S.L.I. flashes then, the ribbon for the French Croix de Guerre(awarded to the KSLI as a whole unit in WWI), then CANADA Nationality titles, and finally the charging bull of the 11th Arm'ed Div. Unfortunately it is not named and the were 4 Canloan officers of this rank in the KSLI. So I shall probably never know who it belonged to.

I also have a BD to A Canadian officer, not Canloan, but attached to the 2nd Forward Observation unit in the 6th British Airborne Division. It has Royal Artillery Flashes, then CANADA Nationality titles and then the Pegasus patches on each sleeve. Also has a glider trained qualification patch on lower right sleeve. Canadian jump wing and Captains pips. It is also named inside to Capt Finlayson. There is a great photo of him and his recce radio jeep and crew in the 6th AB pictorial history book.

Cheers

Martin K

[Adrian Stevenson]

Hi Martin, any chance of a few pics of your goodies? I know the 6th A/B Signals jeep photo that you refer to.


Cheers, Ade.

[Jack Dutton-Roberts]

Roger that!

I too would love to see your gems

Thanks from Jack.

[kampfer]

Hi Martin, any chance of a few pics of your goodies? I know the 6th A/B Signals jeep photo that you refer to.


Cheers, Ade.

Here are photos of the 2 Forwrad Oberservation Unit Captain's BD

[kampfer]

Here is another photo