The Military Museums

About

The Military Museums is a reorganization of the former Museum of the Regiments in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, announced by Sophie, Countess of Wessex, on 3 June 2006. The new museum comprises the former Museum of the Regiments as well as the relocated Naval Museum of Alberta and an Air Force Wing consisting of artifacts being acquired.

The Museum of the Regiments was formally opened by Queen Elizabeth II on 30 June 1990, on what was then CFB Calgary. The museum, partnered with the Calgary Military Museums Society (CMMS), was a joint venture of the four military regiments in Calgary at that time, each with its own gallery.

The Military Museums preserves and documents the history of all three environmental commands of the Canadian Forces, the Royal Canadian Navy, Canadian Army, and Royal Canadian Air Force, with a focus on Alberta history, through an extensive public gallery and archival holding.

The museum collects, preserves, arranges, catalogues, interprets and exhibits to the public and members of CFB Calgary, the history of the base (which closed in 1998) and its garrison units. The goal is to stimulate the interest in the history of the base to all personnel of the base, and the general public to cooperate with other organizations having similar objectives.

On 11 August 1989, Patricia Knatchbull, 2nd Countess Mountbatten of Burma, the colonel-in-chief of Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry, dedicated a memorial consisting of a granite base, metal bowl and two metal plaques to the memory of the war dead of the founding regiments of the museum: Lord Strathcona's Horse (Royal Canadians) ; the King's Own Calgary Regiment ; Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry and the Calgary Highlanders.

A brass plaque memorial, erected by the Manitoba Association of Lord Strathcona's Horse (Royal Canadians), is dedicated to the members of the regiment killed since 1900. A certificate lists the officers killed during the Second World War while serving with Lord Strathcona's Horse (Royal Canadians).

A brass plaque, erected by local Jewish servicemen, is dedicated to the memory of local Jewish war dead of the First and Second World Wars.

The Canadian Peacekeepers Roll of Honour at the museum's Southern Alberta Gallery lists the names of Canadians killed on peacekeeping duty from 1939 to 1993

The Naval Museum of Alberta Society and the Calgary naval community erected a memorial dedicated to all Royal Canadian Navy sailors who served, and particularly to those who died, during the Korean War. The memorial was officially unveiled on 25 June 2000 by the lieutenant governor of Alberta and the chief of the Maritime Staff.

The former Museum of the Regiments consisted of galleries dedicated to four Calgary-area regiments:

Lord Strathcona's Horse (Royal Canadians) Regimental Museum and Archives

Further information: Lord Strathcona's Horse (Royal Canadians) The Lord Strathcona's Horse (Royal Canadians) Regimental Museum and Archives educates members of the regiment and public-at-large in both the history of the Strathconas and the day-to-day life its members experience. Additionally, they provide a variety of other educational services to interested parties, including the public and educational institutions. The curatorial team partners with The Military Museums Foundation to aid in the training and development of Calgary Museum and Cultural Resource Management students, as well as to provide outreach and educational opportunities to the Calgary Area. The archives draws on a collection of records, photographs and art from the history of the regiment, and provides family and personal history reports at no cost to the public. Finally, the collections manager oversees uniforms, artefacts, and weapons and ensures they are available for display, study or examination. The museum is staffed by three full-time military members as well as part-time volunteers and students. Assorted vehicles, to include tanks, from the regiment's history are found throughout the grounds of the Military Museums.

Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry Gallery

- Further information: Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry The gallery collects, arranges, catalogues, preserves, interprets and exhibits to the members of the regiment and the public, the medals, weapons, maps, implements, devices, and other goods and chattels of historical value and importance connected with the military and social development of Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry (PPCLI) within the context of the Canadian Forces (Land). The goal is to stimulate interest in the history and development of PPCLI within the context of the Canadian Forces. The PPCLI became a Calgary regiment after the Second World War but traces its history to 1914.

A memorial consisting of stained glass, book of remembrance, and a wall of honour is dedicated to deceased members of PPCLI.

A statue, titled Let's Go! is dedicated to the 25,000 Canadians that served during the Korean War (1950–1953), in particular Private Malcolm McNeil of 2nd Battalion PPCLI.

- Further information: King's Own Calgary Regiment The mandate is to supply regimental personnel and interested general public with a physical link to the unit's history as well as providing knowledge of past activities, battles, exploits, deeds of valour, and equipment. It is a depository for the safe keeping of historical items and information on the regiment. It is used by regimental personnel as an aid to recruiting, and by regimental instructors to illustrate tactics and strategy of past campaigns. The KOCR Gallery includes information related to the 103rd Regiment "Calgary Rifles", Calgary Regiment, Calgary Tanks, and 50th (Calgary) Battalion, CEF.

The Calgary Highlanders (10th Canadians)

- Further information: The Calgary Highlanders The purpose of The Calgary Highlanders gallery is to collect, preserve, study and exhibit those objects that will serve to illustrate the story of the regiment in Canadian military history. Understanding its heritage gives a better appreciation of its traditions and uniqueness as a Western Canadian highland regiment. The gallery collects artifacts and specimens that depict the regiment's past in terms of the origins of the regiment, the First World War, the Second World War, United Nations Operations – Korea – 1950–1953, service during peacetime, its most recent deployments to Afghanistan and the 2013 Alberta floods and its ceremonies and traditions. It provides for the preservation of such material and for its availability to all those who wish to see and study it. The Calgary Highlanders Gallery covers the history of the regiment from the inception of the 103rd Regiment (Calgary Rifles) in 1910 through to the present, including the history of the 10th Battalion, CEF, and the Regimental Pipes and Drums. Life-size dioramas depict the fatal wounding of Lieutenant-Colonel Russell Lambert Boyle, the crossing of the Albert Canal by Sergeant C.K. Crockett, DCM, and an action in Zhari District, Afghanistan, for which Captain Simon Cox was Mentioned in Despatches.

Further information: Lord Strathcona's Horse (Royal Canadians) The Lord Strathcona's Horse (Royal Canadians) Regimental Museum and Archives educates members of the regiment and public-at-large in both the history of the Strathconas and the day-to-day life its members experience. Additionally, they provide a variety of other educational services to interested parties, including the public and educational institutions. The curatorial team partners with The Military Museums Foundation to aid in the training and development of Calgary Museum and Cultural Resource Management students, as well as to provide outreach and educational opportunities to the Calgary Area. The archives draws on a collection of records, photographs and art from the history of the regiment, and provides family and personal history reports at no cost to the public. Finally, the collections manager oversees uniforms, artefacts, and weapons and ensures they are available for display, study or examination. The museum is staffed by three full-time military members as well as part-time volunteers and students. Assorted vehicles, to include tanks, from the regiment's history are found throughout the grounds of the Military Museums.