Ordnance Curator. Andrew Gregory, Royal Canadian Ordnance Corps Museum, Montreal. Recognition for the Behind the Scenes.

A Tribute to the Curators

Royal Canadian Ordnance Corps Military Museum,
Montreal, Quebec Province, Canada.

Curator: Andrew Gregory
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A tribute to those who care for warfare's history, memories, so we may learn.

Master of Ceremonies at Awards Ceremony: It has come to our attention that there is a curator of a military museum in Montreal, who gives personal and thoroughly informative attention to visitors. We honor him this evening. Please rise and honor... ANDREW GREGORY, of the Royal Canadian Ordnance Corps Museum.

(Mr. Gregory leaves his seat, to great applause, and makes his way forward)

In making this year's selection, our judges looked at criteria other than mere size of facility - we seek the most moving, the most personalized and educational site for the visitor, displays with reverence and dignity. And we seek those qualities in this, the human-sized museum category.

We look at exhibit inside and out, accessibilty, guided tour options, and ambiance.

Royal Canadian Ordnance Corps Museum. 25-pounder, artillery (rotating ring for targeting)

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Ah. Here he is. Welcome and congratulations, Andrew Gregory. For those to whom this museum is news, it is found easily c/o

Curator Andrew Gregory

Royal Canadian Ordnance Corps Museum

6560 Hochalaga St, PO Box 4000, Stn K, Montreal, Que, H3C 3R9

Phone (514) 252-2241 Fax (514) 252-2273
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Andrew Gregory, Curator, Royal Canadian Ordnance Corps Museum, Montreal; and tourist Daniel Widing, USA(Applause! Standing ovation!)
(And up runs the Curator, looking remarkably like USA's Stephen Cobert, makes his thank-you speech, and retires to more applause).

MC (continues) Now, we have a question for the judges. How did you find this fine institution, as it is modest in size, and not on a main road for tourists coming from Quebec City.

Russian tank, Afghanistan; Royal Canadian Ordnance Corps Museum, MontrealJudge: I believe it was you, Ms. Mistress of Ceremonies. We asked for nominations, and you had found this gem by asking your Global Positioning System in your car military museums as you approach Montreal. As you said, when people are tired, they may just take the first one nearest. Then plan to regroup.

We did not disqualify you for that.

As I recall, you found the Royal Canadian Ordnance Corps Museum that way, and we took it from there.

MC. Right you are. But I want the viewers to know that my identity as the nominator was not revealed until FIVE MINUTES AGO, after the judging was complete.

Judge. That is correct.

Dan Widing, in cockpit, Cf5 fighter, Ordnance Corps Museum, Montreal

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MC. So, as the judge said, we so enjoyed and learned so much from the exhibits that we never bothered with the bigger museums. For any tourist = follow that model - take the closest institution of the kind you are looking for, and you may find you are bowled over with what you find.
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Dan Widing and Fighter trainer, Royal Canadian Ordnance Corps Museum, Montreal

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Tank, Royal Canadian Ordnance Corps Museum, Montreal
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Tonight, let us start by saying that we have been to many battlefields, many museums, many memorial sites. My son is interested in history, cultures, conflicts between them and why. With a Canadian grandfather and half the family there, we do recommend the Canadian War Museum in Ottawa, see ://www.ottawakiosk.com/war_museum.htmlMilitary Museum/. This Ottawa museum is a huge enterprise, much like those we also saw in Europe, at Ypres, Belgium (Ieper). Our Uncle Len was there with the Canadian Army - Leonard Wilson who married Violette Scharfe of Ottawa. He never spoke much about it, but we knew he had been nearly killed many times, and was gassed, but survived and fully recovered.

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The so-called glory in the older wars, of going over the top, climbing in the tank, manning the gun. Short-lived. Imaginary. It was hell. Ask any who were there.

Still, the soldier the point man, the hero if someone called him that.depended on the Ordnance Corps.

Exhibit: Ypres, Belgium, Destroyed. World War I, Royal Canadian Ordnance Corps Museum, Montreal

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That soldier or gunner stood on the shoulders of those who made the advance possible; or who did his best to minimize the damage.

For another fine military museum, see the Museum of the Great War, Peronne Castle, the Somme area, France. And many more. See Europe Road Ways.

Ordnance Corps.

The Ordnance Corps consists of those who procure, maintain and issue the weapons combat vehicles, the cannon, the artillery, ammunition. Aircraft. Any weapon that is the sine qua non of any battle. This is not to glorify battle. It is to recognize those behind the scenes, without which, there could be no battle. Go to the movies and you will see little of it. Go here, and see some fine film: Our interest is in the Canadian Ordnance Corps because of family in Canada, and visits to Canadian military museums and attending Canadian-oriented memorial services in Europe related to both World Wars. For the film, see ://www3.nfb.ca/collection/films/fiche/?id=17374

Nijmegen, The Netherlands, WWII Memorial. Operation Market Garden

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Hitler entering Brandenburg Gate, Berlin. Exhibit, Ordnance Corps Museum, Montreal
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This museum has a global reach. See campaign weaponry and memorabilia, from the World Wars to the Russian Afghan campaign - deja vu? To the interior exhibits of uniforms, gas masks, even for children, and insignias.
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Mortar Carrier, Ordnance Corps Museum, Montreal

Another round of applause, please, for Curator Andres Gregory who made this visit so memorable. Thank you, Mr. Gregory.

Close-up, 25-pounder, Royal Canadian Ordnance Corps Museum, Montreal