Richmond military museum opens to the public Tuesday

The public can tour the 12 Service Battalion Museum inside the Colonel Sherman Armoury at No. 4 Road and Alderbridge Way in Richmond on Tuesday, Nov. 10, from 1 to 4 p.m. The free, one-day event is hosted by the Guild of Waggoneers and Artificers in commemoration of Veterans’ Week. Exhibits include a 1957 army Triumph motorcycle and military firearms, and veterans will discuss the history and purpose of the 39 Service Battalion, museum curator Colin Stevens said.

Stevens said the 39 Service Battalion was renamed from the 12 Service Battalion a few years ago, which explains the difference between the battalion’s name and the museum’s. The museum is undergoing its own renaming process, but it takes time and approval from Ottawa, he said. The museum at the Colonel Sherman Armoury is one of 71 official Canadian Armed Forces museums in Canada.

Visitors can also watch two PowerPoint presentations, given at intervals, about the 39 Service Battalion and “Operation Faust,” which took place in May 1945. Operation Faust was a dangerous mercy mission carried out by predecessors of the 39 Service Battalion to feed starving people in Holland.

The Guild of Waggoneers and Artificers supports the battalion, its soldiers and the museum. Stevens said it seeks people connected to the community who want to see the battalion succeed. The event is free and open to the public and school groups. To learn more or book a group, contact museum curator Colin Stevens at [email protected].