The Boer War

Nineteen men from Elgin County were among the Boer War Display volunteers from a host of Canadian Regiments who rushed to join Canada’s contingent to fight the Boers in Orange Free State and the Transvaal who had declared war on Great Britain.

Three officers of the Elgin Regiment, so anxious were they for adventure and battle experience, actually relinquished their positions and became privates to enlist in the 2nd Special Service Battalion, Royal Canadian Regiment.

Five of the 19 Elgin volunteers served with the 2nd Canadian Mounted Rifles.

Two members of the Elgin Contingent, W.J. Green and F.G. Stanbury, later became commanding officers of the Elgin Regiment, serving with distinction for many years. Green Commanded the 91st Battalion when it went overseas in World War I. Stanbury gained the distinction of serving in 3 wars, the Boer War, World War I, and World War II.

Elgin soldiers saw battle at such place as Paardeburg, Diamond Hill, Driefontain and Orange River.

Fighting in the Boer War was particularly arduous and against a tough and resourceful enemy skilled in guerrilla-type warfare. Conditions for the Canadian troops were also very difficult. Diaries disclosed that it was not all that uncommon for men to start on a long day of marching and fighting on a little more than a mug of tea. Often an evening meal was just a mug of tea and a biscuit. Frequently the troops were ordered to live off the land and there was much competition for stray farm animals and local game.

Roll of Boer War Veterans:

Pte. A.H. Anderson	Gnr. G.A. Barrett
Dvr. H. Couse	Pte. C.P. Ermatinger
Pte. W.J. Green	Pte. F.G. Stanbury
Pte. W.H. Westaway	Pte. P.H. Stacey
Pte. J. Sutherland	Pte. H. B. Trevors

Pte. J.E. Farley	Tpr. H.R. McKenzie
Tpr. W. Stokes	Tpr. F. Little
Tpr. A.E. Berry	Tpr. E. Stacey
Tpr. A. Monteith	Tpr. R. Palmerston
Pte. J. Monteith

The Cost

The Boer war began in 1899 and lasted for 33 months. It was the bloodiest and most humiliating war fought by Britain between 1815 and 1914.

At least 22,000 British (including members of the Canadian Special Service Force), 25,000 Boer and 12,000 African lives were lost in the conflict. The War ended on May 31, 1902 with the formal surrender of the Boers at Pretoria.

Hall of Honour

The Museum has a large collection of Military Decorations, mainly focused on Canadian, British Empire and Commonwealth awards dating from the 18 ^th Century to the present day.

In our Hall of Honour, visitors may view any set of medals that have been entrusted to the Museum by a veteran or their family. The Museum is honoured to receive the medals of any local veteran for addition to the Hall of Honour.

For full details contact the museum under the 'Contact Us' link on the left side of your screen.

World War One

In the World War One Room the Museum tries to tell the story of this conflict and its relation to Elgin County.

The Bunker

Fighting in WW1 in France and Belgium was largely confined to trench warfare. Trenches could be miles in length and construction could vary from a simple ditch to an elaborate system of sand bagged and even concrete emplacements. You are looking at a replica of a Company Command Post. The equipment is authentic to World War I.

The 91st Battalion

Like most areas in Canada Elgin County raised its own overseas battalion. The 91st Battalion, Canadian Expeditionary Force, was formed in October, 1915, under command of Lt. Col. W. J. Green, a veteran of the South African War. Men from Elgin were quick to volunteer for active duty as soon as World War I began on August 8, 1914, with 48 signing up in the first hour and a half.

In June 1916, the 91st Battalion left St. Thomas bound for England. On arrival in England, the men of the 91st were split up to provide reinforcements for more than 23 other battalions already in France. This action was a common practice in 1916, and was not an unfavourable reflection on the value of the battalion. Entire Counties had been depleted of manpower when their battalions were decimated in battle, and so it became standard policy for county regiments to be divided among several units to minimize disasters of this kind. Two hundred men were sent to the 18th Battalion and 256 men to the 33rd Battalion. During the course of the war, more than 2,400 men from Elgin would volunteer for active service.

Members of the 91st Battalion saw action in all of the great and bloody conflicts in which Canadian troops were involved - the Somme, Arras, Passchendaele, Ypres, St. Elois, Vimy Ridge, and Amiens. Five officers and 167 other ranks were killed in action or died in service. Fifty-eight decorations for valour were awarded to members of the 91st Battalion. For more on the 91st Battalion see the Elgin's page located in the menu on the left hand side of your screen.

Royal Flying Corps

Eleven Elgin County men served as air men in the Royal Flying Corps (R.F.C.) in World War One. They were among the many Canadians who served as pilots, air gunners and observers in the R.F.C. until the founding of the Royal Canadian Air Force in 1918. Of the eleven local men who served in the R.F.C. only six survived the war. A Small Permanent exhibit in the World War One room show the flying suits and uniform of the R.F.C. as well as a depiction of plains used in the First World War.

Women Involvement in The First World War

During the First World War women worked in the job that the men had left behind when they enlist. Along with this involvement, women could enlist themselves into the roll of Nursing Sister, with the Royal Canadian Medical Corps (R.C.M.C.). Although the Museums display on World War One is largely focused on the men of the trenches, women are featured in there roll as Nursing Sisters.

The Tragedy of the War

65,000,000 men from 30 nations took part in World War One. At least 10,000,000 were killed and 29,000,000 were wounded, captured or missing.

A total of 619,636 Canadians men and women took part in World War One. 66,655 were killed and another 172,950 were wounded.

What does this mean ...

Nearly one of every 10 Canadians that fought in the war did not return.

A Brief History of the Elgin Regiment

In the first days of the Talbot Settlement, military forces consisted of British soldiers augmented by local settlers and natives. The first locally organized unit was the 1st Volunteer Rifle Company, formed in St. Thomas in 1856. This was followed in 1862 by units in Port Stanley and Vienna, and in 1866 they were consolidated into 25th Battalion of Infantry - the Elgin County Regiment.

While the regiment did not see service in the Boer War, several of its members did join the forces sent to South Africa, and served with distinction.

In 1903, the 25th Elgin Regiment, as it had become in 1900, moved into the just completed armouries on Wilson Avenue in St. Thomas, only to disband the unit in August of that year. However, by May of 1904, it was reformed.

In 1915, members of the Regiment answered the call of King and Empire, and the 91st Battalion of the Canadian Expeditionary Force consisted primarily of the members of the Elgin Regiment, with over 75% of the Regiments members volunteering for service.

As is customary in the Canadian military, the Elgin Regiment developed an affiliation with a British unit, and in 1929, approval was received to officially authorize the affiliation of the Elgin Regiment with the Royal Northumberland Fusiliers, a very distinguished regiment of the Royal Army. This was followed in 1931 by authorization for the Elgin Regiment to incorporate the image of St. George and the Dragon, Patron Saint of the Fusiliers, into their cap badge.

The "Elgins" as they were known, became active with the outbreak of World War II, and in 1940, was brought up to strength as a member of the Canadian Active Service Force with the addition of companies from the Middlesex and Huron Regiment and the Oxford Rifles. In July, 1941, the Second Battalion of the Elgin Regiment was formed in St. Thomas to act as a training unit preparing men for overseas service.

During 1942, the 1st Battalion (CASF) was changed from an infantry unit to a member of the Royal Canadian Armoured Corps, and went overseas as the 25th Armoured Regiment. In 1943, they were retasked again as the 25th Canadian Tank Delivery Regiment, and then the 27th Armoured Delivery Regiment. This was a role they would continue until the end of the war, although always known by their contemporaries as the "Elgins".

The 1st Battalion returned to Canada in 1946, and was disbanded, and the 2nd Battalion was reorganized as an Infantry Regiment.

In September, 1954, the regiment was again reorganized as the 27th Armoured Reconnaissance Regiment, a role it continued for many years.

In 1997, the Regiment became a unit of the Royal Canadian Engineers, designated as "31 Combat Engineer Regiment". However, in recognition of the long and distinguished service of the regiment, special allowances were made, and the Regiment continues to be known throughout the Canadian military as "The Elgins".

World War Two- Navy

In the Main Exhibit Room is a mock-up of a small "S" class submarine, used by the Royal Navy. This was designed to illustrate the problems of space manoeuvrability which beset the crew of a Submarine while under attack. It’s great for the kids because it allows them use the Morse Code, and look through the periscope.

Also in the Main Exhibit Room the Royal Canadian Navy are a part of the overall room with at least two displays.

Women in the Second World War, had hands on experience in the war effort in specifically the Women's Royal Canadian Naval Service (W.R.E.N.). The Navy of World War Two has a split display of W.R.E.N. and Seamen personnel. This display details the involvement of the W.R.E.N.'s in the war effort as well as provides an example of the uniform of the times.

World War Two- Air Force

The Royal Canadian Air Force (R.C.A.F.) was Flight Suit and Uniform formed in 1919 in England, after the First World War where Aircraft were first used in a military operations. During the Second World War Canada was the primary focal point of the British Commonwealth Air Training plan (B.C.A.T.P.). It trained pilots, navigators, gunners, bomb aimers, flight engineers, other aircrew, groundcrew and support staff for Allied Air Forces. At the Museum we have at least two permanent displays on the Air Force during World War Two.

The County in which the museum is located, Elgin, during World War Two was home to three training facilities: No. 1 Technical Training Schools (No. 1 T.T.S.) at St. Thomas, No. 4 Bombing and Gunnery School (No. 4 B) at Fingal, and No. 14 Service Flying Training School (No. 14 S.F.T.S.) at Aylmer.

No. 1 T.T.S. was the largest single establishment in the plan with over 5000 students and instructors. No. 1 T.T.S. was housed at the time in the new Ontario Psychiatric Hospital, when the War effort started on the home front the Hospital transferred all the patient and became No. 1 T.T.S. After the war the Hospital was returned to operation under the Provincial Government, and is still a Psychiatric Institution today, although no longer a Provincial Hospital.

No.4 Bomber and Gunnery School at Fingal trained bomb aimers and air gunners. Currently on display at the museum is one of the Training Camera Gun, which was used at Fingal to 'shoot' take pictures of targets out of the barrel of the gun.

Women in the Second World War, had hands on experience in the war effort in specifically the R.C.A.F. and the Women's division. For the most part the Women's contributions to the Second World war are focused on the Navy and Army forces in the museum; however, the Air Force women are not forgotten in there rolls on the Training Schools of Elgin and other places throughout the R.C.A.F.

During WWII Canadian pilots and air crew served in all theatres of operations including long range patrols with Coastal Command, raiding Germany and Occupied Europe, flying fighters and fighter bombers with Bomber Command, as well as transports, communication and other aircraft serving the Allied cause. Persons from Elgin County fought in the Battle of Britain, raided Europe in Mosquito aircraft of intruder squadrons, carried supplies "over the hump" in Burma, sought submarines over the Atlantic, and bombed Fortress Europe.

The Korean War

(1950-1953)

The Korean War was a savage, brutal Korean Display infantryman’s war with no quarter being shown by either side. The hilly, mountainous terrain strictly limited the use of armour to its full potential. It was always a fight for occupancy of the high ground - he who held the mountain tops held the advantage.

Land features known as The Hook, Old Baldy, Little Gibraltar, Kapyong, Chali-li and Porkchop Hill are names seared into the memories of the infantrymen of the Korean War.

Korea was known as "The Land of the Calm" but for the Canadian soldiers fighting in that distant land any calm they experienced was usually followed by the storm of battle.

Why is the Korean War known as the "Forgotten War"?

Unlike the Vietnam war, which was served up on a daily basis on supper-time television, the Korean War received scant media coverage. For a world still recovering from the devastation of World War II, the majority of citizens did not want to hear of more war, especially in the new era of nuclear weapons. To downplay the action in Korea, it was generally referred to as a "police action" by "forces of the United Nations". Yet all those who saw action in Korea know that it was a bitter, hard fought war. For many years after the truce, Canadian veterans of Korea, were forced to fight their own governments for recognition and veterans benefits. In fact, it took the government over 40 years to issue a Canadian medal to mark the part played by Canadians in the cause of freedom.

The Museum has a permanent exhibit dedicated to this first conflict of the 'nuclear age'. While only one resident of Elgin County is known to have died in the conflict, the Museum continues its efforts to obtain records on all who served.

Please Note: The Elgin Military is gratefully accepting Korean war artefacts to supplement its Korean war display and educational programs. Exhibits Committee Chair, or Museum staff, at 519-633-7641.