My wife, seeing how much fun my son and I were having with our museum visits, pulled off a small surprise. On that day, we maneuvered through the streets and avenues of Victoria to wind up at Canadian Forces Base (CFB) Esquimalt. I was here, long time ago, as part of an Army orientation tour, but now I am coming back as a camera flashing tourist.
After showing approved identification to security at the main gate, we followed the "this way to the museum" blue line that was painted on the road. I hadn't looked up any information on where we were going, so I was excited to see what they would have to offer. Plus, the museum wasn't part of my previous visit.
Already, I was starting to get this bad feeling about unmet expectations. I knew that Victoria and the surrounding area was rich in naval and marine history, but I held out hope there would still be some kind of "air element" to what would be displayed. Once I passed through these doors....
....my thoughts returned to the Naval Air exhibits I saw at the British Columbia Aviation Museum. Surely they could top their attempts here?
A long corridor lined with doors greeted me. In just about every small room, on either side of the hall, was sparsely filled with stuff that appeared couldn't be sold at a garage sale. Mannequins wearing old, worn-out uniforms and battle fatigues, salvaged and displayed relics from various land based, mechanized equipment and other stuff that I didn't find overly unique or interesting.
Then, I found that one room that contained what I had been looking for....
....but, I was still disappointed. However, I went in to take a closer look at what they did have to offer, up close and personal.
Although the Fairey Swordfish isn't currently in World of Warplanes, I could see it added to the British tech tree at a future date, perhaps coming in at tier II or III.
Hanging from the ceiling, the model itself was fairly large, well built and detailed nicely. My attention turned to the left side of the room...
....to the glass encased and very large model of HMCS Magnificent, CVL 21. She was a British World War Two era Majestic class carrier that served the Royal Canadian Navy from 1948 to 1956. Maggie, as known by those who served on her, appeared to have a bare flight deck. I looked around the room for any small model aircraft, on aerial maneuvers....
Here is a preserved ensemble of what Canadian Naval aviators would have worn during the war....
....compared to something a little closer to modern times. Ever watch a movie or TV show and wondered what those guys holding flags on carrier decks are saying? Here is a short list of answers....
The bulk of the display was on the right side of the room and the wall. Here are some more pictures I took, along with my usual commentary, starting from the top down....
A nice print of a Grumman CS2F Tracker coming in for an at-sea carrier landing on HMCS Bonaventure. The Tracker is a post-war anti-submarine aircraft that wouldn't fit in well with World of Warplanes.
A display showcasing some of the Naval Air squadrons that Canada had, some are still around.
In my opinion, no display concerning Canadians who served as pilots in a naval service would be complete without this picture. The details surrounding the mortal decision of Lieutenant Robert Hampton Gray, RCNVR is one of those hallmark moments that defines us. I wrote about Lt. Gray once, in brief here http://forum.worldofwarplanes.com/index.php?/topic/28024-out-of-the-blue-starting-from-12/page__st__320__p__406531#entry406531
Although not clearly marked or labeled, I will make the leap as say this could very well be a model of HMCS Bonaventure, CVL 22. Like Maggie, Bonnie was another Majestic class carrier, first laid down as HMS Powerful. The Bonaventure would serve as Canada's last carrier, from 1957 to 1970. Her flight deck was crammed full of models, here are those shots and their cards....
Some of these may come to World of Warplanes, others will never be considered. Once again, I took a moment to appreciate the time and effort these small models required in their construction and details.
Although this one small room was disappointing for me for the lack of quantity, it did make up for it with the quality and dedication of the displays and hours spent putting this collection together.
However, there was one more stop to make, enough eye candy to fill me for a lifetime. Come back soon.
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