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A tunic worn by an officer of The Lorne Rifles (Scottish) in the early 1930's just prior to the amalgamation with the 36th Peel Regiment.

The Vickers machine gun was the standard medium machine gun used by machine gun sections within each of the numbered battalions in the CEF during World War One. In the Second World War, dedicated machine gun companies and battalions operated as independent brigade or division units. The Vickers was a .303 caliber, water-cooled gun capable of firing up to 500 rounds per minute and was renowned for its high reliability.

The BREN light machine gun was the primary light machine gun used by Canadian infantry units during the Second World War. Based on a Czech design, the Bren LMG fired a standard .303 magazine-fed round, and was highly portable, thus making it an ideal weapon for use within infantry platoons. Over 60% of the Bren light machine guns shipped to British Commonwealth forces during World War Two were manufactured at a converted appliance factory in Toronto.

Col. Edward Conover served in World War Two with the First Special Service Force (the "Devil's Brigade"), a joint Canadian/USA commando unit that fought in Italy and France. Edward Conover joined the Lorne Scots in 1935 and went oversea in 1942. He was wounded while serving with the First Special Service Force in May 1944 during the Anzio campaign. In 1961, Col. Edward Conover became Commanding Officer of the Lorne Scots. Amongst his medals is the Bronze Star awarded by the USA for heroic or meritorious achievement in a combat zone.

The map shows the divisional boundary line for the 3rd Canadian Infantry Division and their planned northwest axis of attack towards the Canal de Nord on Sept. 27, 1918. The Canadian Corps assault on the Canal de Nord was a critical component of the Allied offensive that led to the capture of the city of Cambrai and the breaking of the German Hindenburg Line. The Allies’ hundred days offensive would lead to the German surrender on November 11, 1918 and the end of World War One.

First issued in 1915, the American designed Lewis Gun was air cooled with a 47 round drum magazine. Initially issued at 8 per battalion, by the end of 1918, there were 2 per platoon, for a total of 32 in a battalion. A machine gun section included 2 Lewis gunners and 6 men to carry ammunition. The last Canadian killed in World War One on November 11, 1918 was a Lewis gunner.

The 76th Battalion CEF was one of 6 CEF battalions raised by the 36th Peel and 20th Halton Regiments during World War One. The 76th Battalion was mobilized at Camp Niagara on 30th June 1915 with the 20th Halton Rifles contributing a company that had trained in Streetsville. The Battalion was commanded by LCol Ballantine, who had been wounded and awarded the Distinguished Service Order for his actions in the second Battle of Ypres in April 1915. After shipping to England, the 76th Battalion was broken up to reinforce other CEF battalions in 1916.

On April 22nd 1915, the Second Battle of Ypres commenced when the Germans launched their first poisonous gas attack of the war against the British trench defences including the 1st Division of the Canadian Expeditionary Force. Subsequent usage of poison gas prompted the issue of gas masks, such as this one, to all front-line troops in the CEF.

Armband and cap badge worn by all soldiers of the 4th Battalion CEF. The 4th Battalion was formed in Valcartier Que. in August 1914 with the 20th Halton and 36th Peel Regiments contributing 16 officers and 404 other ranks. The 4th Battalion first saw combat at Ypres in April 1915 and continued as part of the 1st Canadian Brigade for the duration of World War One.

The tunic worn by Conn Smythe when he served with the Royal Flying Corp as an artillery observer directing artillery fire during World War One. Shot down in October 1917, Conn Smythe spent the remainder of the war as a POW in Eastern Germany.

Cpl C. Barnes was presented with a Fenian Raid Campaign medal in 1866 for his service with a volunteer militia unit. The “Fenian Brotherhood”, an organization of Irish-American Civil War veterans, planned an invasion of the Province of Canada in the hopes that its seizure could force the British Government to withdraw from Ireland. When it became evident that the Fenians were preparing for this incursion, a General Order was issued to call out Militia units including Companies from Oakville, Stewarttown and Norval. At the Battle of Ridgeway, regular and militia forces forced the Fenian invaders to retreat across the US border. The poor performance of the Militia throughout the invasion spawned a Commission of Enquiry to re-evaluate the Province’s defence and make recommendations to the Government. The result was the Militia Act of 1866 and a thorough reorganization of the Militia and the resulting formation of the 36th Peel and 20th Halton Regiments.

A tunic worn by Sgt Fred Barsby of the 36th Peel Regiment in the late 1860's.

This original Snider - Enfield .577 caliber rifle is a breech-loading infantry rifle first introduced in the 1860's. It was issued to militia units mobilized to repel the Fenian invasions including the Orangeville Volunteer Infantry Militia Company in June 1866.

A double breasted officer's tunic worn by Surgeon Major McCulloch of the Halton Militia in the 1840's and 50's

This original India Pattern or Brown Bess musket is a flintlock smoothbore weapon. The Brown Bess musket was the standard weapon of the British Army from the early 1700’s to about 1830. All who fought with the 2nd York Militia in the War of 1812 used this or similar weapons.

Powder horns were used to carry the black gunpowder that provided the explosive force to propel a musketball. Although the British Army in the War of 1812 would have used paper cartridges that combined gunpowder and the ball, Upper Canadian militiamen who owned their own muskets would have been skilled at using the powder horn to measure out the necessary gunpowder charge.

The original uniform jacket belonging to Col George Chisholm who served with the 2nd Regiment of York Militia in the War of 1812 and later commanded the 8th Regiment (Nelson Township) in 1838. The uniform is typical of that worn by many officers of the militia in the early 1800's.