Canadian Virtual Military Museum (formerly on Facebook)

Maritime Monday CVMM
9MAR,1945
HMCS Uganda arrived in Australia joining British Pacific Fleet in the war vs Japan
only RCN warship to fight Japan
shelled Japanese Ryukyu Islands

PICS
L-Sailors on HMCS Uganda prepare shells for shelling of of a Japanese-held islands,June 1945

R-HMCS Uganda underway

The WW2 Despatch Rider:Part of the Canadian Army

PICS
L-Despatch rider Pte Harry McDowell,48th Highlanders of Canada delivering a message to the battalion's HQ,
Norton WD Model 16H
Regalbuto,Italy
Aug.1943
R-Pte H McDowell at HQ in Caltagirone, Italy,
Aug 1943
LINK
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y5Jn...

Q-Could a country run out of ammunition in war?
(Hint-USA & Iran in 2026)
A-Yes,it HAS happened
Like in 1915 WW1

Shell Shortage Crisis,1915-the British Govt fell
Canada created the Imperial Munitions Board
Canada production rose from 3000 in 1914 to 24 M in 1917
PICS
L-Mabel May
R-Dorothy Stevens

Sunday Showcase of Art at CVMM
2 Portraits for International Women's Day
PICS
L-Portrait of a Wren
Lt.Hazel Boyce,(Saskatoon)
Women’sRoyalCanadianNavalService
Artist:Marion Long

R-Private Roy, 1946
Canadian Women’s Army Corps
Artist:Molly Lamb Bobak
Beaverbrook Collection,CWM

Sunday Showcase of Art
Title:Canadian Headquarters Staff in London
Artist:Sir William Nicholson,British

5 Canadian generals & 1 major
in front of a mural of bombed Ypres Cathedral &Cloth Hall
He portrays them,not as heroes,but as ordinary men
He distained generals after his son was killed in WW1

Date with Destiny
7MAR 1945
18 of 185 Canadian aircrafts are lost in a night raid vs Chemnitz on MAR 5/6
These were heavy losses for RCAF No. 6 Group,Bomber Command-late in WW2
50,000 Canadians served in Bomber Command
10,400 were killed
DETAILS on Chemnitz Raid
www.6bombergroup.ca/March45/Mar5...

6Mar 1944
PT2
HMCS Chilliwack crew search for ciphers,code books & enigma machines of sub U-744
*U-744 crew abandon Uboat
*RCN boarding party get the enigma code books
*ciphers lost when whaler boat swamped in heavy seas
*9 medals & 18 MiD awarded crews
FULL STORY
www.warmuseum.ca/cwm/exhibiti...

Significant Dates at CVMM
6 MAR 1944
HMC Ships Chilliwack,Gatineau,St.Catharines,Fennel, Chaudiere assist Royal Naval warships to sink German sub U-744 in North Atlantic

PICS
L-CHILLIWACK's boarding party attempt search for code books on U-744
R-U-744 sinking as whalers remove the boarding party

Armoured Thursday
Mar 5, 1942
Scores of Canada's 1st cruiser tank[RAM Cruiser Tank]arrive in Britain
In a miracle of Canuck engineering & manufacture,we produced the RAM Mk I & Mk II in WW2
1st Ordered- JULY 1940
1st Delivered-JUNE 1941
1st to Britain -MAR5,1942
Never in combat
but good in training

Significant March Dates
Mar 1,1945
Major FA Tilston,Essex Scottish Regiment awarded the Victoria Cross for his exemplary leadership & bravery at the Hochwald Forest,Germany
Despite 3 serious wounds,he led C Coy to capture the German positions
he lost both legs
LINK
veterans.gc.ca/en/remembran...

Significant Dates in Rhineland Campaign
March 1-7,1945
"Toughest Scrap"
81 years 3rd Canadian Div was bogged down & taking casualties on German soil
In the Hochwald Forest/Gap & towns Calcar & Xanten, Germany
Major FA Tilston,Essex Scottish Regiment earned a VC
VIDEO
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oozf...

Canadian War Art in the Persian Gulf
Canadian Navy vs dictators & terrorist in the Middle East

PAINTINGS
L-Rendezvous by Ted Zuber
RCN's Operation Friction,1990 Gulf War

R-Operation Apollo by John Horton
shows a Canadian navy boarding party searching merchant shipping for any terrorists activities

Maritimes Monday at CVMM
Significant Dates
2MAR 1928
HMC Ships Champlain & Vancouver commissioned by RCN
Replaced HMC Ships Patriot & Patricia
All 4 ships were WW1 RN recycled ships
Canada's Navy barely survived the 1930s
PICS
L-Champlain
R-Vancouver

LINK toShips
readyayeready.com/timeline/192...

Significant Dates in RCAF History
2MAR 1964
439 Squadron, RCAF, is reformed as a 'reconnaissance/attack' sqn at RCAF Marville,France
No439 AKA Strike/Attack Sqn
equipped with CF-104 Starfighters
moved to Lahr, Germany(1967)
then CFB Baden-Soellingen(1971)
alsoGulf War(1991)
PICS
439 Sqn at Marville

Canadian History & the Headlines
March 1 1991
“Desert Cat Squadron” pilots carry out 56 bombing missions during the Gulf War(1 Feb-1 MAR)

The 1st Gulf War lasted just 43 days

DESERT CATS,CAF- 439 Tiger Sqn & 416 Lynx Sqn
(Doha)
26 CF-18 fighter-bombers,CAF
40 pilots-439&416 Sqns
300 support crew

Significant Dates@CVMM
1 MAR 1930
HMCS Thiepval confirmed lost when it hit an uncharted rock in Barkley Sound,BC
A small RCN warship with a big story of adventure & travel
1st RCN ship to visit Alaska/USSR/Japan
& spied on Japan voyage
PICS
Sinking,1930
Naden bear mascot 1924
Red Army Guards 1924

Photo of the Day at CVMM
Taken:MARCH 1,1945
Operation BLOCKBUSTER over/BLOCKBUSTER II starts
Canadian win the Battle of UEDEM with many German POWs
The objective of 3rd Can Inf Div was the German town Uedem
PIC
Canadian soldier escorts captured German parachute troops during fighting around Uedem

Significant Dates in our Military History
28 FEB 1862
The Royal Rifles of Canada are formed as the ‘8th Battalion Volunteer Militia Rifles’
The origin of this regiment predates Confederation

PICS
2 cap badges of 8th Bn Volunteer Militia Rifles/
8th Bn Royal Rifles from the Victorian period

It's Flyday at CVMM
Fleet Model 60K Fort trainer in RCAF Service in WW2
1st flown-Mar1940
only 101 delivered to RCAF
found unsuitable for BCATP training
All planes turned over to Wireless Training Schools by 1942
PICS
Fleet Fort in CWHM collection
Crash,Fleet Fort,Camp Borden
Fleet Fort in formation

It's Flyday at CVMM
Canadian top aces of WW2
No.2
S/L Henry Wallace McLeod,RCAF,RAF
DSO DFC
21+Air Victories
"Eagle of Malta"
1 of "MALTESE FALCONS"
In 1942,he was top Allied ace with score of 21 kills/3 probs/11 damaged
1941: 485Sqn,411Sqn
1942:603Sqn,1435Sqn (Malta)
1944: 443(Can)SqnRAF,1944
KIA

Editorial
Shocking Liberal Gift to Cuban Dictatorship is
Trudeau Toxic Legacy

Minister AnitaAnand(JTrudeau pick for his successor) announces $8M to Cuba
www.cbc.ca/player/play/...
Cuban govt's sonic attack on Canadians
www.ctvnews.ca/politics/art...
PICS
Trudeau family direct line to Castro's Cuba

Significant Dates in our History
26FEB 1945
2nd Canadian Infantry Division & 4th Armoured Division fight the Battle of Hochwald against German troops (to Mar4)
PICS
L-2CID Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders in dugout
R-4CAD,M10 SPG Tank Destroyer,Hochwald Forest

LINK
the-hochwald-gap.project44.ca

Date with Destiny at CVMM
25FEB 1945
Sgt A.Cosens,Queen's Own Rifles Canada,attacked & captured German strong points located in 3 farm buildings at Mooshof,Germany
earned a Victoria Cross(Posthumous)
action part of Rhineland Campaign
killed by a German sniper
LINK
legionmagazine.com/aubrey-cosen...

Date with Destiny
25FEB 1916
Department of Militia authorizes a Forestry Battalion "224th Canadian Forestry Bn". It becomes The Canadian Forestry Corps
CMDR: Maj Gen Alex McDougall of Renfrew,ON(forest country)
Apr1916- 1600 men arrive in Britain
Fall1916-238Bn & 242Bn soon follow
PICS
L-1918
R-1916

Do you mention Canada and our PM MacKenzie King? Is there an online review?

Significant Dates
24FEB 1944
HMCS Waskesiu(K330)with depth charges & SONAR forces submarine U-257 to the surface & destroys it with gunfire in the North Atlantic
LINK
navalandmilitarymuseum.org/archives/art...

PICS
Artist's rendering
Lt Cmdr Lewis Dennis Quick
HMCS Waskesiu crew rescue U-boat crew

These are awesome photos,Daniel! The Sea Kings were a reliable, versatile helicopter providing over 55 years of service to the CF
before being replaced by the CH-148 Cyclone.

Maritime Monday at CVMM
Learn about Sikorsky CH-124 Sea King helicopter
in Canadian Forces service
1964-2018
LEARN HERE
airforcemuseum.ca/aircraft/ch-...
PICS
Sea King over HMCS Okanagan-transfer
Canadian Navy CH-124 Sea King,CFB Summerside
Sea King landing on HMCS Bonaventure & Sikorsky HO4S
1970

Referring to McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom jet entering service in 1961.
The Canadian Air Force-which Trudeau had eviscerated thru Unification & downsized- was looking to go cheap!
Meanwhile, the F-5 was designed as lightweight,inexpensive fighter
The lesson here is "dont skimp on weapons"!

Significant Dates
22FEB 1971
CF-5 (officially CF-116)Freedom Fighter aircraft of 433&434 Sqns do exercises in Frobisher Bay,NWT(now Nunavut)& WhitehorseYKN,testing cold weather capabilities

PICS
1 &2- Northrop CF-5A Freedom Fighter
3-Shortest F-5 Landing Rollout Ever
billieflynn.com/fate-luck-an...