Time And Conflict

A reminder to members of City Daily Photo that the theme day for the first of December is Gift.

The permanent galleries in the Canadian War Museum tell the story of Canada's military history in chronological order, beginning with conflicts between First Nations people through to European contact. The French and Indian War and the American Revolution are examined as well. During this visit, my photography began with the War of 1812. This is a model of the HMS St. Lawrence, a British navy ship built in Kingston at the time, and which lies in the harbour today after sinking years after that war.

The weapons and wampum belt seen here would be typical of First Nations allies to the British during that war. The portrait is of John Norton, also known as Teyoninhokarawan, a Cherokee warrior with a Scottish mother who had been adopted by the Mohawk chief Joseph Brant. Norton led First Nations warriors against the Americans at the Battle Of Queenston Heights.

Another leader of that war can be found here. Charles de Salabery was a rarity- a French Canadian who rose to become an officer in the regular British army. He served with distinction, commanding the light infantry regiment called the Voltigeurs Canadiens in the War of 1812.

The galleries move on in time, through events of the latter 19th century and the South African War before the extensive area dealing with the First World War. This is Canada's Answer, a large painting by Norman Wilkinson, an English artist. He captured the October 1914 sailing of ships for Europe bearing Canadian men for the war.

Another striking work of art nearby is this sculpture, based on a story that may or may not be true- that German soldiers crucified a Canadian soldier on a door.

The life of a soldier is explored among the panels and artifacts of battles. One of the displays includes things that might be found in a soldier's kit in the trenches. That includes, at the lower left, an inedible item many American Civil War soldiers might have been familiar with: hardtack. 

The Halifax Explosion of December 6th, 1917, is examined in depth, with photographs of the carnage accompanying the text, as well as pieces of one of the ships destroyed in the detonation. 

The Second World War area of the galleries opens with an examination of the state of the world during the 1930s and the forces that drew everyone into war. A painting based on action in the Atlantic drew my eye. Painted in 1944 by a lieutenant, Thomas Charles Wood, The Boarding Of The U-744 depicts sailors from the H.M.C.S. Chilliwack boarding the disabled German submarine on an intelligence gathering  run in the Atlantic.

Canadians were at war not only with Germany in the European theatre of operations, but also with Japan, and that aspect of the war is covered in this area. One of the panels examines the Japanese practice of sending balloon bombs east across the Pacific to strike at North America. One of those balloons hangs overhead.