THE ELGIN MILITARY MUSEUM ST. THOMAS, 0 TARIQ

The Purpose . . .

. . . of this museum is to collect, identify, and display mementos of Canada's and Elgin County's Military past. Most material is Canadian, but some is from other countries whose military history has been linked at some time to this country's. Many of the most treasured relics have been gifts from private persons.

The Reason ...

. . . Since the landing of Colonel Thomas Talbot at Port Talbot in 1803, there have been few families in Elgin County who at one time or another have not had a father, son, or daughter, serving in the armed forces of Canada.

Our area has a most enviable history in the defence of Canada and our Canadian way of life, both within our country and abroad. Many battle honours and awards, including even the Victoria Cross, have been won by gallant men and women of Elgin, for service in the Fenian Raids, the Riel Rebellion, the Boer War, the Great War of 1914-1918, the Second World War, Korea and Vietnam. The Army, avy, and Air Force have all been served in times of need by "

men and women from this county .

It is the intention of this committee to pre erve the background and history of our Elgin Military ancestors, so that the youth of today, and tomorrow, may understand something of the life and times of those who so unselfishly fought tor us.

It is the hope and intention of this founding committee, t work closely with th e c llent "Elgin Pioneer Mu eum", which has been established in ur community for many years. With their h lp and guidance we intend to add to their treasure f pioneer artifacts, a military collecti n that may hopefully increase the steady flow of vi itors they are already attracting to this area.

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Elgin County Military History

I n May 1803 Colonel Thomas Talbot, a former officer with the Fifth Regiment of Foot and a veteran of the apol nic Wars, landed on the

shores of what wa to become his Lake Erie empire and a thriving Canadian fam1ing community.

The citizen militia of what is now Elgin County were baptized under fire during the war of 1812-14. Over 300 men between the age. of sixteen and sixty saw service in the First Regiment Middlesex Militia whose battle honours were earned at McCrae's House, Lundys' Lane and Malcolms' Mills. In 1814 the Middlesex Militia saw considerable service as marauding groups of Americans raided the Talbot settlement several times.

During the McKenzie rebellion of 1837, the loyalties of the region were split between the two political forces of the day, but the Middlesex Milita displayed their loyalty by taking an active part in putting down the rebellion. Their chief centre of activity was in the Windsor area where they resisted attem pts of rebels and their American sympathizers to make an invasion at Windsor. The St. Thomas Cavalry patrolled the lake shore and took part in the attack on rebel forces at Pelee Island in March 1838. As a result of the rebellion St. Thomas became a garrison tmvn and for several years detachments of British Regiments were stationed here.

The first Fenian Raid occurred in 1866 and the Port Stanley Marines, the Vienna Infantry Company and the St. Thomas Rifle Company together with the Seventh Battalion from London were called out on June 1; and London and St. Thomas Cavalry troops were called out the next day. None of their troops saw any action as their job was to patrol the Windsor and Sarnia areas to repell expected invasions from Michigan ..

In September 1866 the many militia companies of Elgin from St. Thomas, Port Stanley, Aylmer, Vienna, Fingal. Iona, and Richmond were combined to form the 25th Elgin Battalion of Infantry. This was the birth of the present day Elgin Regiment.

Members of the 25th Elgin Battalion and St. Thomas Troop of Cavalry were involved in Canada's defence during the second Fenian Raid ol 1870, and several members volunteered for service with General Wolseley's 1870 Red River Expedition in an attempt to quash the rebels of Louis Riel Many men from Elgin again saw service against Louis Riel in 1885 while servmg with the Seventh Battalion from London and the Tenth Battalion from Toronto.

In 1880, No. 7 St. Thomas Collegiate Institute Cadet orp� was formed and has continued in the fine tradition for over 100 years making it the oldest active cadet corps in Canada.

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T he citizens of Elgin also served in Canada's senior police force, The North West Mounted Police, later to become the Royal Canadian

Mounted Police.

The 1899-1902 Boer War gave Elgins their first opportunity to see active service outside of Canada. They joined the Royal Canadian Regiment, Canadian Mounted Rifles, Royal Canadian Dragoons, and South African Constabulary, and fought in the battles of Paardeburg, Driefontein, and Diamond Hill. Pte. Edge Farley was the first Elgin to die while serving under the Colours, outside of Canada.

During the "Great War for Civilization 1914-19" over 4100 men and women from Elgin answered the call to arms and volunteered for service in every branch of the Armed Forces and fought in every major battle from 1915 until 1 '0\·ember 11, 1918.

Elgin's own C.E.F. (Canadian Expeditionary Force) Battalion, the 91st, lost one-sixth of its entire strength "Killed in Action" and one-half of the remaining force was either gassed or wounded. The many gallantry awards given to the men and women from Elgin for service on land, sea and air verifies the full commitment made in the defence of freedom.

Some Elgins also saw service with the C.S.E.F. (Canadian Siberian Expeditionary Force) in 1919 in Russia against the rising tide of Communism, the Bolsheviks.

The Elgin Regiment remained the centre of military activity in Elgin during the 1920's and 30's.

World War II brought about a major gTO\'\th in the military population of Elgin with the establishment of a Commonwealth Air Training Centre ju t south of St. Thomas and three large airport and training bases at Aylmer Yarmouth and Fingal. Again the Elgin Regiment mobilized and converted from Infantry to an Armoured Delivery Regiment, seeing service in Sicily, Italy and .W. Europe. The men and women of Elgin again volunteer d for service in every branch of the armed f rces. The enormou military a tivity within the community gave it the distinction of being on of the lar _ t mihtary communities per capita, in Canada.

The Elgin Regiment (RCACl ha remained the centre ot military activity during peace time and continue to train young men and w men to be respon ible disciplined citizen . Many militiamen from Elgin have go e on to find careers in Canada's Regular F rce and served in Korea and \vith the many U.N. peace keeping force all ver the \i orld.

The citizen f Elgin are proud of their military tradition and have ne'' r he itated or wavered when call d upon to do their duty. It L tc the$ men and women fr m Elgin that w promise, "We Shall 1 " r Forget".

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BEST WISHES

to the

Elgin Military Museum

from

BOB STOLLERY

of

EASTWAY FORD SALES St. Thomas, Ontario

ICE CREAM LIMITED

R.R. 4, ST. THOMAS, ONTARIO N5P 3S8

PHONE 631-2510

St. Thomas

A Canadian Company in

business sincE- 1922

Your Auto - Sports

Hardware Centre in Elgin County

Shop at our convenient location

800 Talbot Street St. Thomas

631·4910

This is a most worthwhile endeavour, and l commend you and your omll)itt

for your effort . Yours very truly

ol nel The Right Honourable Earl ot Elgin .md Km ,udmt>, LL OL JP

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Kings Colours - ht Battalwn Th Elgm Reg rment 1°3°....;5

King's Colours- 91st Elgin Overseas Battaliotr l9Jo JO Rcgum•ntal Co/ou� - z,t Batt.rlrtHl Tile flmr R. I nt19W 5 6

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The Guidon

The Elg m Reg mw11 (RCACJ

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Elgin County's Victoria Cross

EI.US 18th Canadian l11{antry BaHalwtz

Ellis Wellwood Sifton was born in Wallacetown. Ontario, on the 12th of Oc­tober 1891. The action described in the citation to k place on th 'Hh of April 1917, during the attack on imy Ridge. lance-Ser eant Sitton 1s buried in Lichfield Crater Cemetery, half a mile east o 't:'uville- amt-Vaa_t France.

Citation

'For most conspicuous allantry and de-,otzon to duty During the attack on en my trerzclzes (Lane -) _jt Si tolls compa zy · a�

held up by macltine-gzm fire whicf1 irzflicted 1zeat>y ca,ualtic Haun, [l'lcat d the gun lze charged it sin lc-lzanded, killing all the creu.

A small enemy party adt>anced dor n tltc tre11 Jz /!ut lz .:;zl , eedcd m

keeping tltese off until our merz lzad gairll'd tlze p sition In carrying out this allant act Ire was killed lmt ltis 011 • 1icu

undoubtedly saved many lives mzd contributed iar ely t the u operation.'

Tlz Lond n Ca:ctt tl june 191

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(courtesy W. /dsardi)

E Division South African Constabulary (1900). Lt. C. P. Ennatinger fse •ed centre).

Douglas G. McMAHON GRAHA

Gunn, Q.C. Chartered Accountants

LLOYD G. McMAHON, C.A.

L. RAYMOND GRAHAM, C.A.

R.R. 5

St. Thomas

Ontario 120 Centre Street St. Thomas, Ontario

N5P 389 Tel. (519) 631-0670

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•

H CS During World War II a Castle Class Corvette was

built in Greenock. Scotland. She was named "St. Thomas', after this c1ty, and v11·as

commissioned in 1ay 1 o.g as part of the Royal Canadian, ·aYy.

The " t. Thomas' wa m active service in

the , 'orth Sea tor three mo, th and then acted in convoy duty until the end ot the

war. On Dec mber 27 1044, he sank the German submarine U- 77, at which

time many German eamen were taken ab ard as pri�oners.

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SHERIDAN DILLON INSURANCE BROKERS L TO. P.O. BOX 577, 132 CENTRE ST., ST. THOMAS, ONTARIO N5P 3V6 PHONE (519) 631-3060- LONDON (519) 644-1303

"Service is Our Vehicle to Success"

OPERATING MACDONALD DOWLER KING

SIFT DO Funeral Home

Lyle B. Sitton L. Brent Sitton

118 Wellington Street, St. Thomas, Ontario N5R 2R2

Phone 519-631·1160

LOVEDAY'S SERVICE STATION INC.

We Never Close

• Towing Service

• Licensed Mechanic

Serving St. Thomas since 1926

193 Wilson Avenue

631-3620

Compliments

he Bike ShoP T Raleigh

Sales & Service

SANDERSON

e HARDWARE L TO.

624 Talbot Street

St. Thomas, Ontario

631·5300

C�ING The Carling OKeefe medal collection mamly military is represen­tative of awards to British Empire and Commonwealth forces from the 18th century until iust prior to World War 11. O'�EFE

,B_REWDU.ES ____ ____,

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lll.a:·ar ll)ou:r;l- J. 'J'ar tf 6 Ct. �C$a6.

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9 Clad t� A •nuot St Thotata, On'�trlo N�lt 2Ll Septf'�bf:or 1, l !Jol2

Or, lhe- occulOJt <of your Offtelal fot:J�t>\811, on •t .. n·day, 5t.'pt�lllber Z\t�. IQR1,

hal! c.f fl�d-t ntv COunc:lt, t: Unt"ar o

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Aa•t ... , ••t w •• iJ,ird n f EJst fthcft-'ltlon• o>n 'ff'.ltlT Officii\ Off"l\1 •K ( n Kulll'UII ll"'c:.

Your• �tuly.

t. J. .. , \O'u· ., ••

.. , '

Bri

orts •

Sl

369 York Stre t

•

•

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575 TALBOT STREET ST. THOMAS, ONTARIO N5P 1C5

Telephone 631-5870

Plumbing & Heating 632 Talbot Street,

St. Thomas, Ont.

Telephone 631·2452

Plumbing, Steam & Water Fitting, Repairing, Estimating

Courtesy of

Williams Funeral Home

lr 45 Elgin Street 1 � St. Thomas, Ontario (if' u_ Phone 631-0850 jJ

Gordon, Allan, Gary Hughson

Over 95 yeaiS in St. Thomas

Deloitte Haskins+Sells

Chartered Accountants

136 Centre Street St. Thomas, Ontario

N5R 3A2

(519) 631·8250

These caps and sword belo11ged to Cpl MaddJson Flslle• 5 T (Later Magistrate Fisher o Glanwortl: c rca

Mortin & Locke Insurance Brokers

496 Talbot Street, St. Thomas, Ontario

Telephone 63 1-2782

All Forms of Insurance

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The Elgin Military Museum gratefully acknowledges the support received from the following individuals and companies . . .

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CORPORATE BENEFACTORS

51,000 and up Anderson's Ltd. Carling O'Keefe Foundation C. F.P.L. Broadcasting Ltd. City of St. Thomas County of Elgin Ford Motor Co. of Can. Ltd. Gorman Rupp of Can. Ltd. Hartz Canada Inc.

BENEFACTORS

51,000 and up Mr. and Mrs. D.H. Anderson Geo. M. Dingman Harold S. Graham J. Fred Green

PATRONS

$500-5999 Wm. F. Agnew Insurance

Agencies Ltd. Arvak Management Inc. Bank of ova Scotia Calco Metal Manufacturing Ltd. Canada Trust Canadian Imperial Bank

of Commerce R.S. Chamberlain Clark Equipment of Can. Ltd. A.J. Clarke Consolidated Bathurst Co. Ltd.

CONTRIBUTORS

5100- 5499 Advance Containers of Can. Ltd. W. H. Agnew Joy Allen John and Mollie Ayling Henry). Baker William J. Bailey Bentley Baldwin E.T. Banghart Bank of Montreal - Aylmer

H. I.R. A. Ltd. Richard lvey Foundation John Labatt Ltd. London Free Press Maple Leaf Foundation W .M. Messecar Foundation Phibbs Incorporated Portabello Petroleum Ltd. The St. Thomas Times-Journal W.F. Thomas Foundation

E.G. King Tom Lawson R.W. Rankin Ruth D. Smith Judge ].F. McMillan

Crown Controls Canada Ltd. Mr. and Mrs. C. B. Fearn Montgomery Gunn John A. Jennings Marlatt Lumber/Hardware Ltd. Northcrest Investments Ltd. OML Elgin - Norfolk Club Royal Bank of Canada A. Schulman Canada Ltd. C. Teskey Smith George E. Thorman Toronto Dominion Bank

Bank of Montreal - St. Thomas Cliff Barwick L. Beavis Berry Hill Ltd. Buckland Custom Broker� Ltd. Cyril A. Butcher Canron Foundry Division Norma K. Chamberlain R.A. Connor Controls Co. Canada Ltd.

Contributors (cont.)

Donald Cosens Auctions C.U.P. E. Local 841 W.G. Doig The Eaton Foundation Andrew, Lord Elgin Elgin Parkes Wholesale Elgin Regiment Veterans Association Erie Iron Works Co. Ltd. Mr. and Mrs. G. Farrington Dorothy E. Fulcher Dorothy Gilbert William P. Golden L.R. Graham Gunn, Upsdell, Dick and Eitel W.O. Herold Donald T. Hitch William ldsardi Imperial Leaf Tobacco "Impressions" )ames W. Irvine Richard A. Irwin Constance Jennings

W.B. Jennings Co. Ltd. Marshall Johnson ).F. Kelley D.W. Kentner John S. Ker C.A. King Dr. Ray Knight Lansdowne Machine & Fabricating F.O. Lewis R. B. Lippold Charles A. Lo\ Jeffrey P. Low Robert E. Low A K. MacDonald Co. Ltd. MacDonald Dowler King Ltd. Stewart Y. 1arr A . Martin Ltd. 1cKay McKay edova

MEMBERS $25- $99 Dr. D.H. Adam on Lillian R. Aitken Walter Auckland Gib. Balkwill Lila Bristow H.B. Buckland

W. S. McKay George McLachlan Drs. McLachlin, Farley & Wylie L. G. McMahon Michael A. Mitchell Mortin and Locke Insurance Agency Maurice D. Nicholson D.A. Pearce R.W. Pearson Dr. J. Arthur Peart Jack Pincombe Real Estate Dana Porter Tom Pullen D.C. Raven Reith and Beavis Insurance Agency Safan Steakhouse 'n Tavern St. Anne's Community Festival St. Thomas Plymouth Chrysler Ltd. E. F . . Sander Shaws lee Cream Ltd. Sifton Funeral Home Brian Sim Dr.\- . G loan Larry D. Smith Manon S Smith He bert Steve Doug Tarry Ltd. 1 oble Tu f rd Um n Ga· Ltd. Vic or Porduct D1vnon \ V L \'\ad dell Jack \1\ a1t John Wa te H. R. \-'\arren ). \'\clt'"" Th rna-\ at Mari \ hltcroft \ '1lli m Funeral H me D . B. \'\ 1l on Wil� n • mervtlle Ltd.

Ltd

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MEMBERS (cont.)

Irene Dodd David Donahue Elgin Blueprint and Copying

Service Elgin Regiment Unit Fund F. & R. Industrial Supplies Ltd. Russell E. Foster Harold Galloway Dr. D.A. Gilbert R. W. Glidden Oare Glidden Gloin, Hall & Associates Mrs. Billie Grainger W. Grainger Reta Harding Harry V. Harnett Arthur and Yvonne Harris Mack and Shirley Haycock John W. Hicks Dr. James Jackson Lome B. Jay Insurance Agency E. Campbell Judd Max. Kulman & Son Ltd. Joe and Yvette Kushner Richard W. Langley Lorain Products (Can.) Ltd. Beverley Loucks H. Evan MacDonald James A. McBain

H.S. McDougall Dr. Angus McLachlan R.K. McNeil, M.P.P. M. Meek Vernon Neal Wayne eal Oscar Orr Wayne Paddon Harold Phillips Dry Goods Ltd. Helen Pincombe C. R. Prosser Helen K. Rankin Eber]. Rice John M. Richardson Mervin Riddell St. Thomas Sufferance

Warehouse Ltd. Sheridan Dillon Insurance

Agencies Ltd. William Sherry Robert C. Smith Dr. W.B. Taylor Stuart L. Thomson Trinity Church Elgin Wells Edna Whitcraft A.E. Wilson Dennis A. Wilson Gordon J. Wimbush John Wise M.P.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS We are deeply indebted to the City of St. Thomas, The County of Elgin,Fanshaw College staff and students, Wintario, and to the following companies and organizations for their assistance and professional advice during the building of this museum.

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Allen's Dry Cleaners Baskin's Fabrics Canadale Nurseries Ltd. Elgin County Pioneer Museum Phibbs Incorporated St. Thomas Sanitary Collection

Service Ltd.

MUSEUM HOURS Monday - Closed

Tuesday to Friday· 1:00 ·5:00p.m.

Saturday· 10:00 · 12:00 noon . 2:00 · 5:00p.m.

Sunday· 2:00 ·5:00p.m.

Other Times by Appointment

A JSSI ADULTS ........... .

STIJDE TS and CHILDRE 25c::

ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP ... . . . . 51.00

Hours and Admissron Rates Subject to Change.

Closed New Ycm:s Dmt Christmas o,w mzd -

Good Friddy

2 0

P/(!ase make Arra11 eme11ts for Group a11d,, ''' L / Viszt mAd Elgiu Military Museum. 0 Talbot Str<'tl ::>t Tho11 as

Ph IH' (5IQ) � J. -6-11

WHEELCHAJR RAMP AT MUSEUM

ENTRANCE

P = Parking

,.. : nt•

BREWING IT RIGHT.