Discover our museum’s feature display, proudly honoring Indigenous veterans through a collection of historical military artifacts. Explore meaningful items like a WWII British bayonet, a triangular first aid bandage, and a 1914 Christmas gift tin from Princess Mary. Among the unique pieces are a liquid-damped German compass, an escape hacksaw blade, and ID discs from WWI. Each artifact tells a story, reflecting not only military history but also the personal service and sacrifices of Indigenous veterans.
Cabinet

Artifacts
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Bandage, Triangular
There are two main types of first aid bandages: (1) a roller bandage, typically used to hold a dressing in place, (2) a triangular bandage. While triangular bandages are most often used for making slings, they are versatile. Most first aid kits today include a triangular bandage as a standard inventory item. A field dressing or battle dressing is …
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Bayonet, Rifle, and Scabbard
Description: This is a 2WW British No 7 MK1L Land Service bayonet, with its original metal scabbard. It is a rare type. Overall, 176,000, No. 7 bayonets were produced as they were complex and difficult to manufacture. The bayonets were made in total by the manufacturers below: Royal Ordnance Factory, Newport made 100,000. Royal Ordanance Factory Poole …
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Blade, Hacksaw
Hacksaw blades are primarily used for metal cutting and are made to varying degrees of hardness, matching the intended application. The primary classifications of hacksaw blades are hard blades and flexible blades. Escape and Evasion Hacksaw Blade This is a scarce escape and evasion hacksaw blade in a moulded rubber sleeve. The rubber sleeve is to protect the …
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Bottle, Water, British, P–1937
Description: Water bottles of the 1937 pattern with felt cover and webbing were modeled off the pattern 1908 – painted green and adapted for the P-37 webbing system. The MK VII water bottle was the standard water bottle issued to all soldiers and used by the British and Canadian Armies. Green metal water bottle khaki woolen material Cork top …
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Box, Christmas Gift, Princess Mary
This box was a brass or silver tin containing gifts intended to be distributed to all members of the armed forces of the British Empire on Christmas day 1914 during the First World War. In October 1914, George V’s 17-year-old daughter, Mary, Princess Royal, launched an appeal to fund every member of the armed forces receiving a Christmas gift. Each tin was …
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Compass, Liquid-Damped German Army
This is a Second World War, German Army Busch, liquid-damped, marching compass manufactured in 1934 or later. Liquid-damped compasses traditionally have a floating compass dial that turns instead of a moving needle supported over a fixed card – but occasionally there are exceptions. Fluid acts to damp (a buffer, absorbing shock) for the horizontal circular oscillation of …
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Discs, Identification (ID) – First World War
Identification The Canadian soldier had a variety of official methods of Identification; these were necessary for security reasons in addition to identification. ID Discs, sometimes called “dog tags” though this seems to be more of an American term, were the primary means of identifying soldiers who had become casualties. Identification discs were introduced into the …
Continue reading “Discs, Identification (ID) – First World War”
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Key, Telegraph, J-38, 2WW
The J-38 was designed to be used with a Signal Corps radio/telegraph operator training set. The strange looking binding posts and shorting strap at the back of the key were used to connect a set of headphones to one side of the key (“tel”) and the other side of the key (“line”) to the training set. Technical Specifications: Power type and voltage: No Power …
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Pin, Lapel, 1WW, CEF
Description: This lapel pin is a silver-coloured metal button with a back, horizontal, pin fitting. The outside is a circle with the words FOR HONOURABLE SERVICE; the centre has CANADA on a scroll surmounted by a Tudor Crown with the red inside. The shank shows three maple leaves. Who they were: The Canadian Expeditionary Force (CEF) was …