Museum

Whats new at the Museum?

Member Mrs. Maggie Smith donated silk escape maps and miniature compasses used by RCAF personnel who tried to evade capture. They originally belonged to her late husband’s father who was a navigator in the RCAF during World War II.

Comrade Lou Ellen Jeanson donated a Boer War Medal that belonged to her late great grandfather.

Currently the Museum is putting together an exhibit on some forgotten regiments of Manitoba for May, 2011. Uniforms of the XII Manitoba Dragoons and the 106th Regiment Winnipeg Light Infantry have been added to the museum exhibit.

The uniform of an Afghanistan Army Interpreter has been added to the Afghanistan Exhibit.

Welcome to the Legion House Museum located on the second floor of the Royal Canadian Legion Norwood/ St. Boniface Branch #43.

The Military History Society of Manitoba Inc maintains the Museum with support from the Branch. Take a walk through history. The Museum depicts the military history of Manitoba. Artefacts are on display from the earliest conflicts between the French and English.

The museum visitor will sample exhibits of the 19th Century pertaining to the troops that garrisoned Lower Fort Garry in the 1840’s, the Red River Expedition, The Nile Expedition of 1884 and the Northwest Canada Rebellion 1885 and South Africa 1899-1902. Uniforms, medals and equipment are on exhibit from all eras.

The Militia of Manitoba and its involvement in the First World War is explored. Exhibits on the Second World War, Korean, the Cold War, Peace-keeping, Nato and Afghanistan highlight Manitobans and the units from the province.

The Archives and Library

Come visit the Museum’s new library reading room. this winter the Legion House Museum reconfigured the the Museum by adding  the Library. They’re over two thousands books and magazines in this reading room. The Library is opened on Monday in conjunction with the Museum.

The Military History Society of Manitoba maintains an Archives and Library. One of its major holdings is the embarkation lists of the Canadian Expeditionary Force which is useful in genealogy research. Over 400,000 names are included in these lists. The library contains a wide variety of volumes on military history. The reading room is available to all who visit the Museum.

The Military History Society of Manitoba Inc

A non-profit corporation formed in 1987, the objectives of the Military History Society of Manitoba are to collate information on military material culture and history and to acquire new knowledge through research and study with special emphasis on Manitoba units and their activities.

It is also the Society’s aim to promote the study of military history and share its resources with non- members. Members give public lectures, answer inquiries and occasionally put on public displays. The Society maintains a library, archives, photo files, and the Legion House Museum.

Annual Report 2010

Camp Hughes

The Society has maintained since 1987, ongoing research of this provincial heritage site. It has documented, recorded various features including ten kilometers of training trenches. The Society boasts a large collection of artefacts gathered from the site with exhibits located at the Carberry Town Library and the Legion House Museum. These trenches are known to be the largest remaining trenches within the Commonwealth

The Camp Hughes Trenches Self-Guided Tour
Introduction
The Camp Hughes trench system was developed in 1916 to teach soldiers the lessons of trench warfare which had been learned through great sacrifice on the battlefields of France and Flanders. Veterans were brought back to Canada to instruct in the latest techniques. The trenches accurately replicated the scale and living arrangements for a battalion of 1000 men. They were designed to match the lay of the land and use geography to their advantage. On the Western Front the Germans were known to occupy the “high ground”—with that in mind the Canadian Engineers built the Camp
Hughes Trenches. Each network of trenches faces the enemy trench uses geography to conceal their movement.
Feature #1 Headquarters of Main Trench System
“ Dulmage Dugout”
This feature was Battalion Headquarters of the Main Trench
Network. (See start Point) It was here that the troops entering the trenches would receive their munitions and rations.

Feature #2 The Communication Trenches
There are two main long communication trenches (known on map as White and Green Trench) leading up to a line of support and front-line trenches. All along the route dugouts with thick earth overhead cover housed the troops and protected them from artillery fire. A communication trench was designated to move soldiers and supplies to and from the front line to the rear. “Hughes Highway” This feature begins (on map known
as White Trench) has several diamond like trenches known as island traverses along its route. These were to serve as a reserve trench in the event of a successful
assault by the enemy.
Feature #3 “The Covering or Support Trench”
Known as the “Red Trench” this trench parallels the front line. It has fire bays to cover or support the front line from attack. At each of these bays is found a dugout that would house the reserve troops and shelter them from enemy artillery and small arms fire. Looking southward one can observe that this trench system is concealed from the enemy.
Feature #4 The Communication Trenches between the Support Trench and the Front Line These four communication trenches (known as the Yellow trench on the Map) between the cover trench and the front-line held many dugouts housing the various company units. They were very narrow and were built for movement of supplies from the
front to rear.

Feature #5 The Front-line Trench This feature known as the “Blue Trench” on the
Map extended over 1000 metre frontage situated on the reverse slope of a flat area known as no-man’s land. Immediately below this trench one finds a fairly linear trench with dugouts below the fire trench. This was a “travelling trench” totally concealed from the enemy designed to move troops safely from end of the trench to the other end.
Once established, the battalion would undergo training in daily routine, sentries, listening posts, trench clearing, and finally, a frontal assault on the “enemy” by going over the top and across noman’s- land into the enemy line of trenches.
Feature #6 The Enemy Trenches As you leave the safety of the Canadian trench you march towards a small hill-like feature crossing “no-man” One cannot help but feel exposed to the possible danger of attacking in no-man’s land. The enemy on the Western Front began constructing circularlike defensive trenches known as “stellungs” occupying redoubt like features as their focal point.Feature #6 trenches replicates this concept of defence. When you look to the main Canadian Trench system one cannot help but notice how the trenches at Camp Hughes reflected the reality of trench warfare on the Western Front. Most of the Canadian trenches are concealed and movement of their troops are hardly noticeable.
Map of Trench Network
Easy Access Route is for those who are bit challenged in walking.
Regular Route is for those who are able to climb up and down the trenches.

Contact the Museum

Bruce Tascona
Phone 204-255-3907
Email: tasconab@mts.net
Website: http://www.mhsm.ca/Joomla/

Mailing Address:
Military History Society of Manitoba
PO Box 131
Winnipeg, Manitoba R3C 2G1