Ancient Codex of Awesome

This summer some long anticipated renovations have been occurring at the Armouries (which are over 100 years old themselves) that shelters my Air Cadet Squadron. With very little notice, no time in command to prepare (although the people running the show before me had 10 months to get ready, but I'm not bitter) and most of my staff being not available (three of them working at summer training centres) I've had to clear my offices for painting and new floors and then two weeks later, move everything back. Fortunately the Army Cadet corps next door had more staff available and they helped me move my furniture and piles of crap. Everything got basically dumped back in the offices. I tried to get admin stuff in my  office and get all the training stuff in the other office, but basically things were dumped in piles. Now renovations have moved to the QM Stores area, and everyone is back from summer postings, so we can get down to sorting out the offices.

My Squadron is 75 years old! It was the 3rd squadron stood up in 1941 when the Royal Canadian Air Cadets were formed.

Plus for about 20 years the same three captains ran the unit and never threw anything out.

Lots of old files, old training materials, old awards and cadet projects. Broken training aides. VHS tapes. CDs for old operating systems. 3 1/2 inch floppy disks!

But I have found some treasures too; the certificate authorising the formation of the squadron in 1941 signed by the Chief of Air Operations, a plaque with all the COs from 1941 to 1985, and this:

The first Air Cadet training manual.

It has the usual basic military knowledge stuff, and lessons on weather, signalling, navigation and lots of math

I like how interspersed with the text are air recognition pictures of allied and axis aircraft quizzing the reader.

But also lessons on armaments.

Parts of the .303 Browning machine gun

And just what every young cadet wants to learn, how to engage an He111 bomber with your Spitfire

The binding is in bad shape. But given the age and presumably heavy use I'm just happy to have it.

Of course this admonition on the first leaf is heavy with irony

Giving a Toot!

Last night the Mad Padre came over to paint, help finish up some of the beer he's left in my fridge and provide some fraternal support.

When he arrived he gave me a bag of goodies; a partial bottle of Woodland Scenics Water Effect to finish my Afghan irrigation ditches, a used copy of Rapid Fire! (I'm hoping this might be faster and easier to play for Wierdy-Beardy), a volume of P.G. Wodehouse short stories and this:

It's the signalling whistle his father carried as a young subaltern in WW2 and Korea. I mentioned the Padre's Dad once before.

He had heard me mention earlier that I had been thinking of getting one from the local Scouting Shop to signal my cadets on FTXs (much easier to get their attention across a bivouac site or extended training area than yelling), but spending $8 on a whistle when newly unemployed seemed a tad extravagant. He said "Oh, I've got one. You can use it."

I was quite touched to be handed such a personal memento."It was just sitting in the bottom of a drawer. I think Dad would be happy it's being used with your cadets." I just wonder if Lt. Peterson was carrying this whistle when he lead his platoon on the raid in Korea than garnered him the MC?

The CadPat Rabbit

I have now been issued with a surprisingly large amount of clothes in varying shades of green.

Two weeks ago I was down at CFB London [edit: I've since been informed that this installation is now called "ASU (Area Support Unit) London" but I still call it Wolesley Barracks! It provides logistic, engineering and administrative support for all the Reserve and Cadet units in the 31 Brigade region] Clothing Stores getting my first issue of gear.
I was a bit nervous having never been on a DND base while actually a member of the Canadian Armed Forces before and what was I to do if I ran into the Brigade Cmdr in the men's room or something? I wasn't sure where to go and wandered into the RCEME [edit: now apparently just called EME] shop at first. Plus the QM Sergeant was a bit sharp when I called to make my appointment, not being at all happy that I wasn't able to take the first opening offered. Some of us do have day jobs after all. Fortunately it was a very pleasant M/Cpl manning the shop when I came in.

Trying out the new cadpats

The M/Cpl [edit: they've taken out the slash now to save on ink I guess, it's just MCpl] takes a calculating look at me, disappears into his stores lockup and returns with a set of 'cadpats' (Canadian Digital Pattern combats).
"Try these on"
They fit pretty well. "Gee," I say. "I thought the army only had two sizes; too big and too small!"
"We've got 4 inch increments now."
He then starts piling up a vast array of olive drab, medium green and cadpat gear; combats (2 sets), rain gear, winter combat jacket and pants, bush hat, beret, belts, insoles, knit toque, gloves, scarf, socks (wool, grey, itchy, 5 pairs), thermal underwear (2 sets) and fuzzy polar fleece sweaters and pants (2 sets, apparently worn under the rain pants in the fall and early spring). 2 pairs of combat boots. 2 voluminous duffel bags to fit it all into.

Plus I was fitted for my DEUs (Distinctive Environmental Uniform- what CF members normally wear in an office environment and colour coded by branch of service) which is what I will wear for most of my CIC career. He takes me into the stores locker and has me try samples on while writing down the sizes. I put on a tunic and he gives me another calculating look and a satisfied nod; "I like it."

Earlier this week the M/Cpl calls me at work to say my DEUs are in. I was excited. Mrs. Boss was excited for me, but then she likes clothes shopping and figured this was very similar. So I went down this morning to get them and have the final fitting on my dress tunic and trousers.
I have to fill out paperwork and cannot remember my service number. The QM Sgt. gives me a stare that she probably saves for errant children and new Officer Cadets. There's more stuff. More underwear. More socks (wool and cotton). Dress shirts, long and short sleeved. 2 pair trousers. A sweater. A top coat. A rain jacket. Another beret. Another belt. Two pairs of dress oxfords plus a pair of drill boots (which I probably won't wear after my BOTC is done). I now have more pairs of footwear than my wife. I have to try on the tunic, trousers, shoes and a shirt and go see the tailor.

The tailor is a nicely dressed older woman (probably Italian or Portuguese judging by the accent) in a back work room with a large sewing table and machine surrounded by spools of dark green thread, gold officers braid and charts of how things go on. She is quietly pleased and tells the M/Cpl "The tunic looks good." So just the pants need a bit of hemming and my tunic needs it's flashes and rank braid. Might be ready next month, or maybe September. It is the summer and she does take a vacation.

When I was enrolled my Training Officer and oldest friend gave me a nice cloth cap badge. Today I got the tailor to sew it on my beret. Needless to say when I got home I wanted to shape my beret.

Everyone in the CF has told me to cut the liner out of my beret to get a better shape. Otherwise the liner pushes the foldover up and it looks like you have a pizza on your head. So I'm about to cut the liner out of my beret.
"WHAT are you doing?" says my wife.
I explain.
She thinks it's all very silly. Surely the Department of National Defense designed the berets with a liner for a reason. Keep your head warmer. Protect the beret from your greasy hair. Protect your head from the itchy wool. Something. They could save about 50% of the cost of berets if they had them made without liners if we're just going to cut them out.
"But you can't get the right shape if you don't."
So she carefully unpicks the liner from the foldover side and carefully wets the wool. I form it and wear it around the house (wearing it now actually) while it dries into shape. So while I've got it on I decide to play 'dress-up' and put on the rest of my cadpat uniform. Mrs. Rabbitman thought it all very silly. But it's made things more real now.

Of course I notice that my cadpat shirts are older and more faded than my brand new pants. So there's an interesting point for those obsessed with getting the right shade when painting their miniatures. But at least everything fits.

Now we just have to figure out where to put it all. Plus I've got boots to polish.

Antique Roadshow

A friend who isn't busy enough teaches part-time at a local university. A history professor retired and cleaned out his office giving my friend a pile of artifacts. My friend thinks to himself "I don't really need two swords. I'll give one to James!"

So here it is:

I suppose I should have included a tape measure. It has a 34.5" blade. Overall length is 41".

Plain, stamped metal. Worn leather grip.

The only markings are the 'D' on the scabbard and the number '146' stamped on the guard.

I'm guessing a heavy cavalry troopers weapon. An attendee at Hotlead did the 'Antiques Roadshow' bit and surmised it was late 19th early/20th century issue. Probably made surplus when the Canadian and British armies got rid of their horsed cavalry in the 1920s.

The temptation to wave it about is quite strong. But I don't want to break any light fixtures!