“A Very Fine Plan in the Memory of Our Boys”
Commemorating the Owen Sound Collegiate and Vocational Institute Second World War Dead
DAVID ROSS ALEXANDER
Abstract: The memorial plaques dedicated to the First and Second World War dead of many of Canada’s secondary schools including the Owen Sound Collegiate and Vocational Institute may have borne close resemblance but the experience of those whose names appeared on the walls was very different. The adolescent experience of students who attended these schools during the interwar years contrasted with that of their mothers and fathers. They enlisted, fought and died in a much more technologically advanced and globalised war than the previous generation. They were shaping their own distinct identity in youth and war and how would the collective memory of them reflect these realities? Although many of the same ceremonial rituals and ways were adopted once again, there were new emerging forms to commemorate Canada’s Second World War dead.
CANADIAN WAR MUSEUM – MUSÉE CANADIEN DE LA GUERRE
The Lives and Afterlives of Material Culture
New First World War Artifacts at the Canadian War Museum
LAURA BROWN & TIM COOK
Abstract: This article presents a selection of First World War artifacts that have been acquired by the Canadian War Museum since its opening in 2005. Each object is infused with multiple stories. Some were treasured mementos handed down through families, while others were nearly forgotten over time. Once at the museum, they acquired new narratives as these objects, artifacts and material culture are integrated into exhibitions, educational and digital products or accessed by researchers. The artifacts tell stories, contribute to our understanding of the diversity of Canadian experiences during the war and demonstrate the central role of the artifact in the museum.
Cet article présente une sélection d’artefacts de la Première Guerre mondiale qui ont été acquis par le Musée canadien de la guerre depuis son ouverture en 2005. Ces objets évoquent des histoires diverses, les uns, souvenirs précieux transmis par les familles, les autres, presque oubliés au fil du temps. Une fois acquis par le musée, les objets, les artefacts et la culture matérielle entament une nouvelle vie en s’insérant dans les expositions, en servant de matériel éducatif et numérique ou en étant mis à la disposition des chercheurs. Les artefacts racontent des histoires, contribuent à notre compréhension de la diversité des expériences canadiennes pendant la guerre et démontrent le rôle central de l’artefact dans le musée.
FEATURE
A Hidden in Plain Sight
The Militia and Defence Headquarters Personnel File Series, 1903 to 1938
PAUL MARSDEN & GLENN WRIGHT
Abstract: In the late 1940s, the Department of National Defence enthusiastically embraced microfilming technology, undertaking a massive project to microfilm several million files covering the period 1885 to 1948. This article describes the authors’ research to trace one particular microfilm job covering Military Personnel Files managed by the Department of Militia and Defence. The authors have unearthed a large cache of unexplored records, comprising tens of thousands of military personnel files, the majority of which deal with military service during the Great War.
Since its launch in 1992, Canadian Military History has become one of the premier journals in its field. CMH is a peer-reviewed academic journal published bi-annually by the Laurier Centre for the Study of Canada with editorial and financial support from theCanadian War Museum. Its purpose is to foster research, teaching and public discussion of historical and contemporary military and strategic issues.
