Ontario Regiment RCAC Regimental Museum

Este es un museo militar que se encuentra en Oshawa, Ontario en Canadá y lo visité en julio de 2018, aprovechando mi estancia en el Faculty Training que llevé a cabo en el Gerogian College localizado en la ciudad de Barrie, provincia de Ontario como una certificación junto con mis colegas de la Universidad Tecnológica de Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas, México.

Contiene la más grande colección de vehículos militares en operación de Canadá.

RCAC significa por sus siglas en inglés, Royal Canadian Armoured Corps.

The cap badge of The Ontario Regiment (RCAC)

El lema de la insignia viene del Latín: "Fiel y Preparado", (Faithful and Prepared). Es un regimiento de la Reserva Primaria de Reconocimiento Blindado del Ejército Canadiense y fue formado en 1866. A los miembros de este regimiento se les conoce comunmente como los «Ontarios black cats», o bien, "ONT R" (pronunciado "ON-tar").

A continuación se muestran fotografías que pude lograr de la colección de artículos que este museo contiene. Las notas de las fotografías están tomadas de las descripciones en el idioma inglés y que el museo presenta.

British Mills Bomb

Mills Bombs have the popular name for a series of British hand grenades, which were the first modern fragmentation grenades across the world. Designed by William Mills, the model was manufactured at the Mills Munition Factory in Birmingham, England, and entered service in 1915, designated as the "No. 5". The original Mills Bombon underwent various modifications. The No. 23 was a variant of the No. 5 model.

British No. 34 Mk III ("Egg") Hand Grenade

Was developed to counter the introduction of the German Model 1917 Elerhandgranate. The British explorer a number of ideas for this small fragmentation grenade with maximum throwing range, developing a total of five Marks of this type. This specimen is stamped "34 III" on the body. The No. 34 Mk. III has a percussion actuated delayed fuse. The pin is removed and the plunger is slapped against a suitable hard object. The plunger cuts a shear wire and fires a primer cap, which ignites the delay, causing it to burn down to a detonator. There is a vent hole in the fuse body which can not be seen in this model, (above picture, far right).

British No. 19 Hand Grenade

Was developed to supplement the short supply of the No. 1 grenade model. It had a simplified design intended to be more easily manufactured. The design consisted of a basic direct-action impact fuse with a mushroom-shaped plunger. Like the No. 1 grenade, this model required great care when thrown from a confined trench, to ensure that the back wall was not struck when moving the arm back. Once the safety pin is withdrawn only a thin shear wire held the plunger in place. Inadvertently dropping the grenade on its nose would trigger detonation. The kast of the cane-handle throwing models, the No. 19 was in use by late 1915 and likely saw most of its service in 1916. It was quickly rendered obsolete by more effective models. About 800,000 total of this model were manufactured.

British Hales No. 20 Mk. I Rifle Grenade

In the days before grenade launchers, some grenades were modified to be launched using the standard-issue infantry rifle of a given army. These, as a result, were known as "rifle grenades", and were commonly used in World War I to launch the explosive power of grenades over the enemy trenches without leaving the safety of one's own trench. This particular example is the Hales No. 20 Mk. 1 rifle grenade, which used a new ammonite explosive rather than the TNT of its predecessor. Ammonite, however, was found to corrode the brass pieces of the grenade, which caused some failures on the battlefield; eventually, the No. 20 model was replaced by the No. 24 model. Given that there are no labels of manufacture on the Hales grenade series, exact dates of manufacture cannot be determined, although this model was likely produced in the middle of World War I (1916).

PIAT

The Projector, Infantry, Anti Tank (PIAT)was a British hand-held anti-tank weapon developed during the Second World War. The PIAt was designed in 1942 in response to the British Army's need for more effective infantry weapon. The PIAT entered service in 1943.

Based on the spigot mortar system, it launched a 1.1 kg. bomb using a powerful spring and a ballistic cartridge on the tail of the projectile with an effective range of approximately 110 meters in a direct fire anti-tank role, and 320 meters in an indirect fire "housebreaking" role. The PIAT has several advantages over the infantry anti-tank weapons of the period, which included a lack of muzzle smoke to reveal the position of the user and an inexpensive barrel; however, this was countered by the difficulty in cocking the weapon, the bruising the user received when firing it, and problems with its penetrative problems.

The PIAT was first used during the invasion of Sicily in 1943 and remained in use with British and Commonwealth forces until the early 1950s. PIATs were supplied to or obtained by other nations and forces, including the Soviet Union, the French Resistance, the Polish Underground, and the Israeli Haganah. Six members of the British and Commonwealth armed forces received the Victoria Cross for their use of the PIAt in combat.

War Medal and Victory Medal

Both of the above medals date to the First World War. War medals (blue, orange and withe ribbons) are issued to all troops for enlisting to serve before November 11, 1918. Victory Medals (rainbow ribbon) were issued to all troops officially served before November 11, 1918.

Boer War

Medals worn 1899-1902

Distinctive Environmental Dress

Winter Dress, now worn all seasons by all ranks of the Army. Ca. late 1980s-1990s. (Donated by CWD, RSM, DW Parry).

CAD-PAT ARID

Canadian Pattern Combat Uniform used in Afghanistan in 2010 (Left). (Donated by L.Col. R. Thompson).

Officers Winter Mess Dress Uniform

Consists of a scarlet jacket, midnight blue vest, overall trousers with yellow cavalry stripe and boots with boxed spurs. Senior Officers Wear gold piping on the tunic and vestñ junior Officers wear gold piping only on the collar. On display is the rank of a Colonel; miniature medals are worn (Right).

Private Evelyn Duchscher, C.W.A.C.

She was typical of the thousands of women who served in the Canadian Women's Army Corps during WWII. Born in Wilkie, Saskatchewan, she enlisted May 29, 1944, in Regina and completed basic training 21 July 1944 in Kitchener, ON. She was stationed in Halifax, NS at the New Wellington Barracks. Private Duchscher completed her service with an honorable discharge in Regina, SAS. 17 December 1945.

Ms. Duchscher kindly donated her uniform, to this museum.

Afghanistan Memorial Helmet

This unique helmet was designed and constructed by the students of Media Arts Class at Sinclair Secondary School. Each silver petal covering the helmet is inscribed with the name of a soldier who fell in the Afghanistan Mission. On the red petals, symbolic of the poppy, are the words: "Thank You", written by the members of the Multiple Exceptionalities Class at the school.

Wireless Set Number 19

Was used in Commonwealth Armoured Vehicles during the Second World War. It was developed in 1940 by the British War Office's Signals Experimental Establishment and by pye Radio. The Pye model was replaced with the MK II model in 1941, and the MK III model in 1942.

in 1942, the No. 19 MK II was produced in Canada by Nothern Electric Company, Canadian Marconi Company, and RCA Victor. The British design was improved and interchangeability of components such as the valves were instituted. A majority of Canadian sets used English/Cyrillic front panel lettering, the result of Lend and Lease contract with the Soviet Red Army.

The MK II weighed 86.25 pounds, and the MK III 88.25 pounds and could be switched between an A setting with a range of 10 miles and a B setting with a range of 1000 yards. The B setting was usually at the troop/platoon level to allow the moving vehicles to communicate.