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| HMCS Haida |
Ok, who ever said that exploring WWII warships is only of
interest to boys? Well, my girls absolutely LOVED exploring HMCS Haida! Built
in England, this destroyer served in the Royal Canadian Navy (hence, Her
Majesty’s Canadian Ship—HMCS) during the Second World War as well as the Korean
conflict and Cold war! This famous ship is now docked in Hamilton’s Bayfront
park. The ship was recently rehabilitated and is well-maintained by Parks Canada.
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| HMCS Haida |
We didn’t expect to have so much fun aboard! We got to explore the decks and to
be more immersed in the experience, each group/crew was sent out on a mission.
Ours was to find two underwater weapons. As I am not really sure-footed,
climbing up and down the ladders was a challenge for me (especially since I was
toting a handbag, a camera bag and a camera!) but each area that I did go to was totally
worth it. We saw the difference between the quarters and mess halls of officers
and regular crew.
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| Officers' quarters with bunkbeds @ HMCS Haida |
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| Mess Hall with some hammocks for rest of crew @ HMCS Haida |
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| Officers' mess hall @ HMCS Haida |
We saw the bakery, the radio room, even toilets.
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| Bakery @ HMCS Haida |
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| washroom shared by 130 men and can be used for about 20min every 2-3 days @ HMCS Haida |
Hubby and
the girls even managed to go to the boiler room. The girls were raving about
their discovered rooms and all the info they gathered. We learned so much about
how a particular piece functioned and the reason for it. There were sound
effects in some rooms and even a video in the mess hall. So cool! We got our
mission solved and got some authentic vintage patches to take home. A good two
hours can be spent exploring.
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| @ HMCS Haida |
Across the Haida, in another building, we also checked out
the 31 Service Battalion museum and no less than the curator toured us.
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| 31 Service Battalion Museum in Hamilton |
The
highlight of the exhibit was the collection of uniforms of the Canadian Women
Army Corps, which was said to be the most extensive ever.
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| Canadian Women's Army Corps uniforms |
The museum also had a collection of medals and other military garb.
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| @ 31 Service Battalion Museum in Hamilton |
It was very interesting to hear special stories surrounding some of the pieces!
Wonderful to know that these historical artifacts have a place for future
generations to see and learn from!
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