The Saskatchewan Dragoons

Memorial Park and Historical Displays

The Saskatchewan Dragoons maintains a memorial park which showcases the largest collection of military vehicles and artillery pieces in the province. In addition, the armoury houses many pieces of military memorabilia, some of which are of great historical significance.

The Universal carrier was typically armed with a Bren light machine gun and a PIAT anti-tank weapon

The Universal Carrier is a light, open-topped armoured vehicle which was used extensively by Commonwealth forces in World War Two.

The Memorial Park

The area in front of the Armoury is home to a large and growing collection of military vehicles and artillery pieces.

The collection started with a Sherman tank; later, a 25-pdr gun-howitzer was restored and put on display by former members of the 77th Battery, RCA, a unit which was raised during World War Two from the Moose Jaw area.

The collection as it now stands took form over the last five years due to the efforts of a small group of dedicated and mechanically-inclined soldiers. Some of the vehicles, which had been acquired as war surplus and turned to agricultural pursuits, were salvaged from fields and barns across southern Saskatchewan. Others were provided by the Canadian Forces as display vehicles when they were replaced in operational inventories by more modern equipment. Still others were donated. The group solicited donations and held fund-raising events to obtain money and materials to restore the vehicles and construct the displays.

Here's a small sampling of the equipment on display:

This Sherman tank has a welded hull, a cast turret, and a horizontal volute spring suspension

The Sherman was the most common medium tank used by the Western allies during the Second World War. This example served with the Dragoons while they were an armoured regiment.

In the background is a lorry carrying a command post "pod".

The 25-pounder field gun, so named for the weight of its high-explosive shell, as an excellent artillery piece that served with Commonwealth armies in all theatres in World War II.

In the background immediately behind the 25-pounder is a wrecker which was used by 16 Service Battalion well into the 90's. To its right is a truck with a command post body.

This is the Mk. 2 version of the 25-pounder. The later Mk. 3 version had a muzzle brake

The Lynx reconnaissance vehicle is fully amphibious, propelled through the water by its tracks.

The Lynx is a small tracked reconnaissance vehicle which shares many mechanical components with the well-known M113 armoured personnel carrier. It was in use by the Canadian Forces into the 1990's.

In the background at left is another Lynx in standard camouflage colours.

The collection also includes a 155mm howitzer, a Ferret scout car, and a number of "soft-skinned" (unarmoured) utility vehicles.

Memorabilia

Military memorabilia are housed in the Armoury, much of it in four large display cases on the south wall of the drill floor.

At one time, this was the main entrance of the LCol D.V. Currie VC Armoury

The turrets surrounding the central entrance of the LCol D.V. Currie VC Armoury were once home to the Saskatchewan Dragoons Museum.

The first display case is devoted to memorabilia of the 46th Canadian Infantry Battalion. This display case was presented to the King's Own Rifles of Canada by the 46th on 19 April 1936. It contains various war trophies, effects, and a number of prizes won by the 46th in inter-unit sports competitions held overseas. The second display case was presented by the 77th Battery Association, and contains similar artefacts gathered during World War II by the 77th Battery, Royal Canadian Artillery. The 77th Battery was recruited by the Saskatchewan Dragoons' predecessor unit, the King's Own Rifles of Canada. Two more display cases were added in recent years, one dedicated to the King's Own Rifles of Canada and the other to the Saskatcheawn Dragoons.

A number of smaller display cases are attached to the walls on the main floor of the armoury at the south end, and the second floor at the north end. Rooms on the second floor at the north end of the armoury to house additional artefacts which have been collected or donated over the years. An elevator gives wheelchair access to these rooms.

Additional artefacts are held in the Senior Ranks Mess, at the south end of the armoury on the second floor. The most significant of these are the heads from a pair of flagstaffs.

The 46th Battalion's colours were lost for almost twenty years following World War I. They were eventually found in a vault in the Legislative Building in Regina. On Coronation Day 1937, Mrs. Snell, the widow of the 46th's first commanding officer, presented the colours to the King's Own Rifles of Canada. Thereafter, they were laid up in St. Andrew's United Church in Moose Jaw, where the colours of the 210th Battalion had been laid up in March 1917 prior to that unit's departure for England in April. The church was gutted by fire on the night of 15 December 1963. All that remained of the colours were the damaged flagstaff heads from the 210th Battalion's colours. These are now kept in a small glass case in the Senior Ranks Mess. Ironically, the case rests on the mantel above the fireplace.

The unit is pursuing the resources to build two more display cases on the main floor of the armoury.

All photographs on this page by LCol (ret'd) D.L. Calfas.

Last updated 12 November 2008.