The swords and sabres in our collection came mainly from the
Officers' Mess in Virden which was the headquarters for the
XII Manitoba Dragoons.
Included is an infantry officers' sabre from 1791.

The German dagger in this display would have been given by
Hitler to the general officer commanding the
concentration camp at Osterwaggen.
When trooper Brooks jumped out of his car to capture prisoners
there was no enemy there and
the officer had left his dagger and arm band.
The prisoners in the camp were in extremely poor condition.

This Luftwaffe dagger would have been presented by Hitler
to an outstanding air force officer.
It was found in an abandoned airport by Fred Constable who donated it to us.

The military saddle has changed little in the last couple of hundred years.
Even today the ceremonial mounted troops have the
same saddle as the one shown in the picture.
This one has parts made in 1914.

This is a picture from the front of a program showing a mounted soldier
picking up a tent peg with the point of his sabre at the full gallop.
This was part of the show, usually in Winnipeg,
put on by the military to show off their shields.
The regimental bands put on a real good show.
This type of show died out at the time of the Second World War
and is now trying to make a comeback.
Of course there will be no horses or tent pegging.

Copyright 1996-2001 Bill Hillman