Military Communications and Electronics Museum facts for kids
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| Established | 1961 |
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| Location | Hwy 2 at Craftsman Blvd, Kingston, Ontario |
| Type | military museum |
| Collection size | 5000 items, 10000 square feet |
| Owner | CFB Kingston |
| Public transit access | 12A, E12 |
| Nearest car park | on-site |
The Military Communications and Electronics Museum is a cool place to learn about how the military sends messages. It's located at CFB Kingston in Kingston, Ontario, Canada. This museum is all about military signals and how they have changed over time.
It first opened in 1961. In 1996, it moved into its special building. The museum shows how military communication grew from 1903 until today. This includes times like World War I, World War II, and the Korean War. It also covers modern communication, like using communications satellites.
Contents
Exploring the Museum's Exhibits
Inside the museum, you'll see many interesting displays. There are mannequins dressed as Canadian soldiers from different times. They are shown using old communication gear. You can see them in trenches, vehicles, or at fixed posts.
The story of Canadian military signals began in 1903. That's when the Canadian Signal Corps was formed. This was the first group of its kind in the Commonwealth. The exhibits are set up in order from World War I to more recent missions. This includes the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan.
Amazing Old Gadgets
You can see many cool items from the Great War (World War I). One is a cable wagon that was fixed up by local signal experts. There's also a telephone switchboard used to direct artillery fire. You can also find Morse code equipment. Even gas masks are on display. Signallers had to keep these ready in case of a chemical attack.
The museum also shows how secret messages were sent and received. This includes encryption (making codes) and signals intelligence (breaking codes). During World War II, breaking the Enigma machine code was very important. It helped the Allied forces win battles.
Two large radar antennas are also at the museum. They came from a place called CFS Ramore when it closed down.
Connect with Amateur Radio
The museum has a working amateur radio station. It's part of the Canadian Forces Affiliate Radio System (CFARS). This system lets volunteer radio operators help the military. The station's special callsigns are CIW64, CIW964, and VE3RCS. CFARS started in 1978. It uses its own special frequencies, not the usual amateur radio ones.
A Place to Remember
There is a special war memorial at the museum. It is called "Canada mourning her fallen sons." This memorial includes three plaster models. These models were made by sculptor Walter Allward. He created them when he was designing the famous Vimy Memorial in France.
The Story of Communication
A book called "Semaphore to Satellite" tells the history of Canadian military communication. It covers the Canadian Forces Communications and Electronics Branch. It also talks about earlier groups like the Canadian Signalling Corps. This book was published in 2013.
See also
- CFB Kingston
- Fort Henry
- Fritz-Julius Lemp
- German submarine U-110 (1940)
- HMS Bulldog (H91)
- Joe Baker-Cresswell
- Kurzsignale
- List of museums in Ontario
- Monteith POW camp Camp 23
