This intelligence cabinet displays a variety of military artifacts, focusing on Soviet badges, encryption devices, and Canadian Intelligence Corps insignia. Highlights include Soviet army pins and a KAL-61 numerical encryption device used for secure communications. Other items, such as a fingerprint kit and a Gestetner duplicating machine, showcase tools used in intelligence gathering and information dissemination. These artifacts reflect the complex and vital role of intelligence in military operations.
Cabinet

Artifacts
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Badges and Pins, Soviet
1 – Soviet Army Excellent Soldier Award Uniform Pin Badge. This is a metal award badge for excellent army service. 2 – USSR forces military award 2nd and 3rd class specialist 1950. Awards and decorations of the Soviet Union are decorations from the former Soviet Union that recognized achievements and personal accomplishments, both military and civilian. Some of …
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Books and Manuals, Reference
During the Cold War era [1947 to 1991], the perceived enemy of the West was the USSR and Warsaw Pact countries. Most reserve military intelligence personnel studied Canadian as well as Warsaw Pact tactics, uniforms and insignia, weapons, organizations, and equipment to prepare for a potential conflict. Until the late 1960s this study also included …
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Buckle, Belt, USSR
This USSR military green star belt buckle with hammer and sickle is a post-2WW belt buckle. Material: steel or galvanized steel Dimensions: 3 wide x 2 inches tall.Weight: 75 gramsManufacture: USSRType: Uniform/ ClothingConflict: Cold WarService: ArmyEra: 1945-Present Historical reference. The Worker-Peasant Red Army (RKKA) was called Soviet in February 1946. The belts of this design were …
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Device, Numerical Encryption, KAL-61
The KAL-61 is a piece of coding/decoding equipment used by the Canadian Military, United States Army and NATO forces for encrypting and authenticating non-secure communications. In Canada, the code used was called ‘CANFOROPS‘. Specifications: The device length is 15.4 cm; its width is 11.2 cm. This device was used to authenticate non-secure communications in the military. An …
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Insignia, Intelligence
A Canadian Intelligence Corps green bush hat badge embroidered other ranks’ cap badge with Queen Elizabeth Crown indicating the era from 1952 to 1968 upon integration of the CF. The Intelligence Branch is a personnel branch of the Canadian Forces (CF) that is concerned with providing relevant and correct information to enable commanders to make decisions. The Intelligence Branch was …
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Insignia, Shoulder, Intelligence
These are Canadian Intelligence Corps uniform shoulder flashes, mostly worn with battle dress and pre-1968 uniforms. Background: Although the Canadian Intelligence Corps was only officially recognized on October 29, 1942, (with consent of King George VI), many military personnel were active in intelligence by 1939. During 2WW, personnel from the “C Int C” formed part …
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John Wickey
Born Hippolyte Johanny Wicky in Lyon, France on 9 June 1899 to Swiss parents, he attended school in Switzerland and grew up fluent in French and German. During the First World War, he saw military service in 1917. He made Sergeant Major at the age of 18 and won three field decorations during the conflict. …
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Kit, Fingerprint
The Chinese were the first culture known to have used friction ridge impressions (friction ridge allows people to grip and to hold on to various surfaces) as a means of identification. The earliest example comes from a Chinese document entitled “The Volume of Crime Scene Investigation—Burglary”, from the Qin Dynasty (221 to 206 B.C.). In …
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Machine, Duplicating, Gestetner 26
The Gestetner is a type of duplicating machine named after its inventor, David Gestetner (1854 – 1939). The Gestetner was a stencil-method duplicator that used a thin sheet of paper coated with wax, which was written upon with a special stylus that left a broken line through the stencil, removing the paper’s wax coating. Ink was forced through the stencil (originally by an ink …
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Military Intelligence Caps
Cap, Forage East German Officer Forage Cap with an NVA [National Volksarmee] DDR [German Democratic Republic] hat badge. Cap, Wedge A Russian army foldable field service cap [ Pilotka] worn by officers and soldiers. Cap, Forage This Soviet Army Ushanka winter hat with ear flaps is 50% wool and 50% artificial fur. It bears a …
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Pins, Lapel, Soviet, Civilian
1.- Red Army of the Soviet Union badge The badge depicts the Spasskaya Tower of the Moscow Kremlin, with Lenin’s Mausoleum in front. The Order of the Red Banner recognized military deeds. 2. – Soviet Young Lenin Badge, Red Star. Made in the USSR in the 1970’s; School Pupils’ Communist Pin Soviet children began school at …
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Propeller, CU-161 Sperwer
This wooden propeller was rescued from a crashed Sperwer Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) in Afghanistan. These UAV’s were used by Canada from 2003 – 2009. The Sagem Sperwer (pronounced Spehr-wuhr, Dutch for Sparrowhawk) is an unmanned aerial vehicle manufactured by the French firm Sagem. The aircraft is piloted remotely and can cruise at altitudes of …
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Recorder, Cutting Lathes
History: During the electrical era (1925–1947) a record converted grooves on a record into sound. The electronics in the cutting lathe do the reverse. They turn the sound waves from the sound into vibrations that the lathe’s stylus cuts into grooves on a (wax) disc (record). Record cutting lathes were made by a variety of …
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Stamp/Seal, Hand
This hand-powered seal was used to verify a document’s origin, particularly a classified one, and may have been combined with melted sealing wax for document security. Intelligence Cabinet
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Stereoscope, 3D
Stereoscopic photography (3D photography) is when two slightly offset photos are combined into one three-dimensional picture. It was a simple Victorian invention which brought the enemy landscape into 3D during the Second World War. In 1830, a man called Sir Charles Wheatstone created an original binocular-type apparatus that later gave impetus to the appearance of the new …
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TYPEWRITER, Royal, KMG15
This manual typewriter is vintage 1949 and was made in Canada. Details: The photo shows a Model “kmg” 2/10/49. Paint colour: gray frieze. Dimensions: 12” wide X 14 1/2” deep X 9” high. Weight: 25.5 lbs. The Cyrillic letter key layout originated from America in the late 19th century. The Second World War brought tremendous …