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Léon Chamois stands in front of several weapons, all part of The SD&G Highlanders’ Regimental Museum’s collection. — photo Francis Racine
their weapons and foldable bicycles. “They had been training with them for a long time in Britain,” explained Chamois. “They were supposed to use them to go far in France.” But the bikes weren’t well liked by the soldiers, he explained. They abandoned nearly all of them on the beach. “There were supposedly hundreds of them,” he said. “Young French boys and girls used them for several years after the war.” But these bicycles have become quite valuable and rare. “I always wanted to get one for the museum,” Chamois admitted. “But I couldn’t find one for the longest time. Some were for sale in Europe, but they were about 2000 euros, which end up being a lot of Canadian dollars once it’s shipped here.” Instead, the curator inquired about one in Calgary. “I told one of my friends to check out pictures of it and tell me what he thought about it,” admitted Chamois. “I didn’t know anything about them.” His friend then proceeded to tell him the man selling the bicycle was asking too much and besides, the one he was selling was cheaper and in better quality. “That caught me off guard,” the curator declared, smiling. “It really did. So we talked on the phone and not before long, it was in the museum.” The artifact is located next to other pieces that have a connection to theD-Day landings. There’s also a helmet, boots and a belt, all neatly placed on a nearby mannequin, When asked what the museum’s most prized possession is, Chamois pondered for aminute. “I always get asked that question, believe it or not.” Suddenly, he turned around towards a wooden flat surface. On it was a small brown frame, with seven medals placed within it. “This is something extraordinary,” he claimed.” The spotless medals belong to Lieutenant
Corporal George G. Pollard, an SD & G Highlander that was murdered after being captured by German forces serving under Major General Kurt Meyer. During the evening of June 7, 1944, 11 Canadian prisoners of war were shot in the back of the head. At Meyer’s war crimes trial in December 1945, he was found guilty of inciting his troops to commit murder. Ten of the deceased soldiers were found and given proper burial. Only Pollard’s remains have yet to be discovered. Instead, his family members donated his medals to the museum. “This is a memorial for him,” Chamois confided. “In essence, it’s sort of his unknown grave.” A museum with serious firepower The museum consists of two sides, the first and bigger one containing mostly uniforms and accessories and the second one being home to countless firearms. A quick walk through it confirms that the museumcould indeed fend off an invading army. “They have been deactivated to some extent,” hementioned, as he walked between the ceiling’s high glass showcases. Behind the glass are several Canadian, British, German and other foreign weapons. Ranging fromhandguns, to bayonets, rifles and machine guns, the weapons are all neatly showcased and cleaned. “Most of themwere donations,” expressed the curator. “We’ve actually only bought a few.” With the advent of stricter rules on firearms, several gun owners decided to turn in their weapons to themuseum instead of dealing with all the paperwork. The museum has been operating since the 1950s and doesn’t show any signs of slowing down. “We’re hoping to expand soon,” indicated Chamois. “We started with a small space and we keep receiving more room. We’ve been called Cornwall’s best kept secret. I like it!”
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The Journal Cornwall
7
Wednesday, June 8, 2016
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