KAGAWONG—In all the years the Old Mill Heritage Centre Board has hosted the Remembrance Week military exhibit display, this year’s display will be the biggest yet.
“This will be the seventh year we’ve been holding this exhibit and this year’s (focussing on World War I) will be the largest yet on Manitoulin Island,” stated Rick Nelson, curator of the museum, in an interview last week. “We’re getting a lot of military artifacts, quite a variety of World War I stuff coming in, including a vintage World War I military horse saddle which is in mint condition and a bazooka gun.”
Pieces in the collection have been loaned by the Irish Regiment and from private collections.
The Remembrance Week display leads up to the Remembrance Day ceremonies on November 11. Mr. Nelson pointed out one of the speakers at these ceremonies will be by Diane Fraser (who will be the master of ceremonies), “which will focus on the animal carnage in World War I. A huge number of horses were killed in the war.”
“Another feature of the service is going to be a local choir singing a song written back in World War I that applied to Northern Ontario,” said Mr. Nelson. “Sandy McGillivray had sent me the lyrics to this World War I song, written about one of the local regiments. I gave the song to Diane and she talked to the choir about performing it and it will be one of the features of the service.”
Ms. Fraser told the Recorder, “my speech at the service will be remembering the animals of war, specifically for World War I. In World War I eight million horses were killed.”
As for the song, “it’s an old World War I Battalion song of the 227th Regiment, one of two on Manitoulin Island, Sault Ste. Marie, Sudbury and the North Shore area. The choir, made up of Mary Buie, Suzie DeKuyper, Victoria Mazzucchin, Jim Munro and Peter Gordon. They will be singing ‘Men O’ The North.’
“At the Remembrance Day ceremony, my speech will be on the assassination of the Archduke Franz Ferdinand, which was the catalyst for the start of World War I,” said Mr. Nelson.
“Our military display will be in place from (Saturday) November 1, until Tuesday, November 11 from 12 noon until 4 pm each day,” said Mr. Nelson. “It will feature military artifacts from the first World War. Of course, separate from allied artifacts will be a German military exhibit with memorabilia from both world wars, including an eight foot by five foot Nazi flag that will be on display.”
“Several mannequins will display different uniforms from both the Allied and German troops,” continued Mr. Nelson. “Also I have something from a concentration camp, it is something we’ve obtained from a private collector. There will be lost of guns including a Gattling gun, cannons, medals, gas masks, and much more including lots of pictures, portraits and flags that we have received from the Irish Regiment and other sources.”
“There will be an exhibit honouring women who have served, an honour roll of local veterans and information on them, as well as audio-video presentations.”
Mr. Nelson said several schools have scheduled class trips for the exhibition at the museum. “The schools are holding a professional development day on November 7. “I’d like to encourage parents who are looking do something with their children to bring them in, especially those students that won’t have the opportunity through school to visit the museum that day and throughout the week.”
