Civil Defence Canada
 

I have collected a number of civil defence items over the years and have some questions about them that the MLU'ers could help me answer.
The first one is the significance of the color of the helmets,I have three so far and all have different paint.The second question was the decal changed sometime around 1952,the wartime decal had a Kings crown on top then changed to a CD shield with Canada on top.Was this because the Queens Coronation that would have replaced any Kings crown on government status?
Did the Civil Defence have their own vehicles?
The first helmet is painted black with a wartime crest/C.L./C. 1942;
http://www.alfrules.com/derk/civil defence 001.jpg

The second is painted green with a wartime crest/C.L./C. 1942;
http://www.alfrules.com/derk/civil defence 002.jpg

The third is painted white with a wartime crest but has Edmonton replacing the word Canada in the decal/C.L./C. 1943.Were there other decals with cities titled in them as well?
http://www.alfrules.com/derk/civil defence 003.jpg

I have a brassard with a wartime crest on it and C broadarrow stamped on the back;
http://www.alfrules.com/derk/civil defence 006.jpg
http://www.alfrules.com/derk/civil defence 007.jpg

There is a MK VII 1942 general service respirator bag with civil defence canada markings;
http://www.alfrules.com/derk/civil defence 023.jpg

Now this poster has the wartime crest on it but is dated 1952;
http://www.alfrules.com/derk/civil defence 004.jpg
http://www.alfrules.com/derk/civil defence 005.jpg

The manual here also has the wartime crest in the inside page and is dated 1951;
http://www.alfrules.com/derk/civil defence 008.jpg

On the inside pages was listed the organization of the civil defence and its groups.I guess this is why there are armbands made for the different groups listed;
http://www.alfrules.com/derk/civil defence 014.jpg

civil defence canada pt. 2
 

It had this wallet card stuck in between the pages but has the American style CD crest so not sure if it originally came with the booklet;
http://www.alfrules.com/derk/civil defence 021.jpg
http://www.alfrules.com/derk/civil defence 022.jpg

Here is where the change takes place.Not only is the crest the different style but a U.S. Gov't Property marked helmet is used;
http://www.alfrules.com/derk/civil defence 009.jpg

The new style crests are on these armbands.I would think that there were armbands made for all the groups of the civil defence organization;
http://www.alfrules.com/derk/civil defence 020.jpg

These armbands are made from surplus headbands for the No. 38 radio set earpiece,notice the sweetheart pin attached to one of the armbands;
http://www.alfrules.com/derk/civil defence 015.jpg
http://www.alfrules.com/derk/civil defence 016.jpg
http://www.alfrules.com/derk/civil defence 017.jpg

There was a first aid kit for the civil defence.I first found an empty bag then was given a fairly complete bag and one day at the flea market I came accross a full bag with everything in it,including the checklist of contents;
http://www.alfrules.com/derk/civil defence 018.jpg
http://www.alfrules.com/derk/civil defence 019.jpg

civil defence canada pt. 3
 

Some other manuals I have date into the 1960's like this one/1961;
http://www.alfrules.com/derk/civil defence 012.jpg
These two dated 1962;
http://www.alfrules.com/derk/civil defence 011.jpg
http://www.alfrules.com/derk/civil defence 013.jpg
This one is dated 1965;
http://www.alfrules.com/derk/civil defence 010.jpg

If anybody else collects Civil Defence items and wants me to photograph the contents of the First aid kit let me know and I will post it.Thanks for any help.
Derk.

Civil Defence Cold War museum interpretive center
 

I'm currently putting together a civil defence collection to be used in a museum. Are you willing to part with anything or do you know of anyone-else that has CD items? I'm currently working on renovating a Bomb Shelter in Edmonton

You can Email me at fred.a@civildefencemuseum.ca
Cheers.

Fred :salute:

C D items.
 

Hi Fred,
I sent you an email but not sure you received it so will send you a PM with my email address and you can get back to me about the civil defence items I have.
Regards,Derk.

civil defense,cold war
 

Are you including warden,CD Geiger counters,rattles,civil car black out lights
ww2 to cold war Canada only> badges etc Literature,baby and child gas masks?
interesting and worthwhile indeavour.
maybe should have its own thread as should the ws19 wired folks

First Aid Haversacks
 

Crown assets seem to be selling 5 lots, total over 1000 (yes, thousand+) out of National Capital Region at present. I haven't checked other regions. Photo from the listing is attached, looks similar to the one shown several posts above.

Grant,

I am Fred Armbruster with the Canadian Civil Defence Museum. Can you please contact me at
fred.a@civildefencemuseum.ca
http://civildefencemuseum.ca

:cheers:

Civil Defence Helmet Colours
 

You have a Rescue and Engineering; an Ambulance and Medical and a Warden's helmet. Your recycled blue US Office of Civil Defense helmet with the later pattern decal is Auxiliary Police.

The helmets were bought on the surplus and scrap market by the Dept of Health & Welfare which was responsible for Civil Defence in May 1951. Mostly they are Canadian Mk.IIs but some former OCD helmets were also acquired.

The helmets' colour-coding were set down in CD Operational and Training Circular 7/51 of 29/05/51 :
Auxiliary Fire Service - Red
Auxiliary Police Service - Blue
Wardens - White
Rescue and Engineering - Black
Ambulance and Medical - Green
HQ and Welfare - Khaki

The first mention I have seen of the new pattern CD decal- based on an internationally recognized symbol,with the linked letters CD inside a shield - is January 1958.
Roger

Seriously....
I enjoyed the pics of the Edmonton CD shelter. It amazes me that during the Cold War Era that our authorities actually believed places like this would do anything for the welfare of its citizens.
With what is now known about the effects of radioactive fallout, chemical weapons etc, little, if any, protection would be afforded to those who made it inside. Perhaps these shelters and CD actions were meant more as a public relations gimmic or as physcological encouragement.

Nice Thought, But...
 

Fixed that for you, Chris "It amazes me that during the Cold War Era that our authorities actually believed places like this would do anything for the welfare of some of its citizens."

Seems we have a lot to learn....
 

Who do we believe..... then and now.......??

The worst nuclear disaster has been the area aroudn Chernobyl....... huge areas have been closed off to human habitation...... radiation contamination to last at least 150,000 years for its half life....... yet....YET....

Recent research ahs shown that inside the closed area animal life is triving.... birds.....insects...... deer and the inevitable wolfe population is reclaiming the isolated towns and abandoned villages. Wild life is so abundant that authorities are fearful poachers will infiltrate the closed areas.

Sure there are piles of abandoned vehicles that literally glow in the dark.....yet pants and animals are triving.

Researchers who were allowed in the closed areas for brief visits have been able to study similar wild life populations in secure areas and found that the animals were just has health inside the contaminated areas as those living outside.

Is there something we do not understand about radiation/contamination....?
..... or is someone misleading us....again????

Japan who got there bacon fried by nuclear bombs in 1945..... and there were huge amount of immediate casualties........ don't seem to be overly pre-occupied with the second largest radiation accident since Chernobyl.....

...... and we have museums ripping vehicles gauges from historical vehicles because of the radium on the instruments dashes.......

Maybe a CMP will just fall on me one day !!!!!

Bob

What is the truth?
 

Bob, I hear what you are saying and I agree. It seems that there needs to be more study done on the subject. A study where there is no bureaucracy.

http://civildefencemuseum.ca/

fred.a@civildefencemuseum.ca

Deifenbunker
 

Fred and Derk:

You may want to contact the Deifenbunker in Carp as they have a good collection of CD material and have reproduced many of the posters and a pamphlet for resale.

http://www.diefenbunker.ca/

Cheers! Mike

Civil Defense air raid alarm test
 

Apropos the CD thread going here, just thought I'd pass this on.

In December 1961 I was on a Callout tasking at the Signal Corps Armoury at 185 Spadina Ave, just north of Queen Street. (Callout is the same as today's Cl B).

I fully remember the air raid sirens going off one afternoon...it was an accepted practice and a way of life then. It was previously announced that it was just a test, so no-one was alarmed.

It struck a chord with me though, having lived through some of the V1, V2 attacks in London...hearing the same sound but under different circumstances.

Air raid siren
 

I volunteer at the Fort Garry Horse Museum & archives when I can and I was on the roof of the McGregor armouries and Gord Crossley pointed out where the Air raid siren once was bolted down to the roof and it must have been big and LOUD!
All of my collection is now at Fred's Civil Defence museum.I figure it will do more good there than on my shelf in my computer room!
Once the museum is done,a trip is planned to visit it.
Regards,Derk.

Sirens
 

If you are feeling nostalgic for the civil defence sirens, stop in and visit the S&P Museum at Kars (south of Ottawa), and we will fire up our CD siren for you.

Siren
 

I thought it was our door alarm now! :cheers:

Alarming News!
 

Tis! Tis! I'll make sure that the family of mice has had time to vacate before deafening the locals...

Civil Defence Museum Support
 

Thank you Derk for your support!

The Shelter is currently in planning and restoration should start shortly.
I have also started as non for profit organisation called the "Canadian Civil Defence Museum Association"
Visit the ECDM vertual museum today

http://civildefencemuseum.ca/

fred.a@civildefencemuseum.ca