FALL WINDS BLOW IN THE LEAFS! Upcoming Museum Events November 7–11 2011 Remembrance Week December 5–18 2011 Evergreen Memories December 12, 2011 Volunteer Appreciation Lunch & Presentations May 5 2012 MFRC Invisible Ribbon Gala May 13–20 2012 Members of the Toronto Maple Leafs hockey team were just some of our special guests this past International Museum Week season. Seen here in front of the museum’s Tutor are Leaf players, coaches and trainers, along with organizing members from 8 Wing/CFB Trenton and the NAFMC. Wow! What a six months it has been. Between May 31 and October 31 of this year, the Stay warm and look cool on chilly fall museum has hosted over 40 diff erent events and greeted more than 28 500 visitors. evenings. This unique, black RCAF Congratulations and many thanks to all who helped make the summer a success: jacket is made of bonded fl eece for volunteers, staff and of course our museum guests. a sleek look and a cozy feel. Jackets are available in mens sizes M–XXL In fact, there was so much going on here, that the newsletter did not have room for and ladies sizes M–XL. Visit the indepth coverage of all the activites. Th erefore, pages 8 & 9 of Th e Logbook are a full museum gift shop for many other colour spread to show you some of the fun, faces, and personalities of the 2011 NAFMC great giving ideas. Summer Season. Product Code: 1904 Just because the days are cooler and the nights are longer doesn’t mean that the Cost: $80.00 (includes taxes) social life of the museum is over. Looking forward towards 2012, our events calendar is already fi lling quickly. One of the most beautiful shows held annually at the museum is the MFRC’s Evergreen Memories. Th is year’s tree displays and holiday festivities will take place December 5–18, 2011 in the museum’s main exhibition hall. For information on events and activities, visit our web site at: www.airforcemuseum.ca Executive Director page 2 Education page 10 Curator’s Cockpit page 2 RCAF Memorial Airpark page 12 Aquisitions page 3 2011 Ad Astra Ceremony page14 Event Photos pages 8 & 9 RCAF Memorial page 15 Foundation FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Hard to believe that we have com- aircraft now on prominent display near the Silver Dart. A large menced our winter hours already platform adjacent to the aircraft allows the public to have a and yet here we are waiting for the personal, close-up view of the cockpit details, as well as the fi rst snowfall. Looking back over internal workings in the main fuselage. Another superb example our spring and summer period we of our talented restoration volunteers whose work continues to did in fact notice a small reduction impress everyone. Hot on the heels of our Harvard is the Lock- in our visitor rates compared heed Hudson project. Th is project has been considerably to other years. It paral- Each enhanced by the generous donation to the museum of lels the information student a Lockheed Loadstar aircraft by Byron Reynolds that we received leaves the of the Reynolds Alberta Museum in Wetaskiwin from the province Alberta. As our Hudson was missing many key which also shows museum with parts, this Loadstar (the civilian equivalent of a a downturn in cross border visits a renewed sense Hudson) will signifi cantly assist our restoration and tourism as a whole. of wonder and crew as they proceed with the rebuilding. Th e We did however see a marked increase in Loadstar was moved from Alberta by two large school visits as our education program contin- understanding fl atbed trucks in late October. Finally our sister ues to prosper and mature. Our newly formed of the principles T-33, tail number 133593, is together again and education volunteer group has provided a keen of fl ight… will be parked in formation with the other T-33 and exciting start to this new museum capability. (Red Knight) in the Air Park this coming spring. Each student leaves the museum with a renewed sense Remember to visit our web site which is updated of wonder and understanding of the principles of fl ight on a regular basis, to get the latest news of our recent events and the glorious history of Canada’s Air Force. and happenings. I will have much more to report in the spring Th roughout the fall and winter season we will be hard at as we approach our fi nal construction phase, presently due to work preparing for new exhibits and displays to entertain and commence in the fall of 2012. amaze each and every visitor. We have just recently completed our 1942 Mark II Harvard restoration project and have the Welcome to Hailey Latour Hailey won the Assistant Curator’s job competition and joined the museum as of July 2011. Originally from the Durham Region, Hailey received her Bachelor of Science, Honours from the University of Western Ontario (London, ON), and a post-graduate certifi cate in Museum Manage- ment and Curatorship from Fleming College (Peterborough, ON). She has previously worked for a cultural resource management fi rm conducting By Dr. Georgiana Stanciu archaeological surveys and excavations in the Hamilton area, and also for the Royal Ontario Museum as a collections technician intern. Hailey is at the museum Tuesday through Friday, currently working to catalogue artifact donations, complete an inventory of the collection, and ready to tackle the backlog Assistant Curator donations from the 1990s. Hailey Latour page 2 www.airforcemuseum.ca Th e Curatorial Offi ce saw many changes in Summer 2011. While exhibit revisions ceased for a while, artifact acquisitions continued and collections management tools and procedures were modifi ed. Th e collections management automated system was fully converted to CFAMS Version 3. Th is soft ware is The Guinea Pig produced by the Directorate of History and Heritage within Club pin. the DND; as a member of the Organization of Military Museums in Canada (OMMC), the NAFMC is mandated to operate under this program. Th e new system allows the attachment of images to artifact records, a feature that was unavailble in previous versions. Museum Artifacts Travel to Ottawa & England • Th e Canadian War Museum solicited a loan for their current show “War and Medicine”: the Guinea Pig Club Pin from the medal set awarded to S/L Frances Oaks, RCAF medical personnel. Th e pin was bestowed to airmen who suff ered burns during the Second World War and to a few of the medical personnel involved with caring for such injuries. • In early July 2011, a Canadian Air Forces Monument was offi cially unveiled at the UK’s National Arboretum in Al- rewas. Th e monument honours the Commonwealth Cana- dian Aviation in UK and an RCAF ceremonial sword was Maj Jason Furlong, ISR Concepts and Development Group Coalition— Canadian of the 56(R) Squadron based at RAF Waddington, UK, marching requested to take part in the unveiling ceremony. with the NAFMC ceremonial sword at the ceremony. “The symbolism of using a ‘real’ Canadian sword was very much appreciated by all involved in the project” said Furlong. NEW AQUISITIONS RCAF Flyers Highly collectible sports memorabilia was donated to the museum by Mrs Phyllis Gravelle of Trenton. She is the widow of famous hockey player Orval Gravelle (1927–1997), who was once a member of the RCAF Flyers Olympic Hockey team. Th e collection was donated in two parts, the fi rst probably in 1997 and the second in December 2010. Mrs Gravelle informed us that her husband donated the RCAF Flyers hockey jersey and the Olympic Gold Medal shortly before he died. As museum paperwork was scarce in the 1990s, we can only conclude this must have happened in 1997. Th e majority of this memorabilia has been on display ever since. All items in the collection belonged to Orval Gravelle. As a member of the RCAF Flyers team, he won gold at the Winter Senior RCAF Officer admires the golden medal won Olympic Games—St Moritz, 1948. He was number 16 on the by the RCAF Flyers at the 1948 Winter Olympic. team, but the cotton numbers have been in possession of Mrs Orval Gravelle is seated on left side. Gravelle until this past winter. Post 1948, b&w photograph, Gravelle collection, Trenton, ON. www.airforcemuseum .ca page 3 Th e collection consists of ice hockey insignia and equipment: a tin mug from the Czechoslovakia team and the Sweden- the hockey jersey (casual dress), the ice hockey gold medal, Canada 1948 plaque, creation of the famous Swedish artist, lapel pins, and participant plaques. Th e latter are unique items, Carl Fagerberg (1878-1948). produced by the offi cial medalist of the 1948 Winter Olympics. During the 1948 Winter Olympic Games, the RCAF Flyers Th is was Huguenin Frères et Cie, a company created in 1868 in placed fi rst in the tournament with seven wins and one tie against the town of Locle, district of Neuchâtel (Switzerland). To this the team from Czechoslovakia, who also won seven games. Th e day, the company is a high-end supplier of medals, medallions, tournament was decided on goal diff erential. Team Canada plaques, trophies and currencies. Along with the pins and the outscored their opponents 69 to 5 (a +64 goal diff erential). participant plaques, items exchanged by players also include: Th e Czechoslovakia team outscored their opponents 80 to 18 (a +62 goal diff erential). Canada won the gold by a two-goal margin.