Anne Seignot
Memories of the Second World War Come in Various Forms
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I moved to Canada from France in June. Before joining the dynamic Memory Project: Stories of the Second World War team at the beginning of October, I worked as an Assistant Conservator at the National French Army Museum (located in the Hôtel des Invalides) in Paris.
As Collections Coordinator, each day I gather new artefacts and memorabilia that Canadian veterans have either sent us by mail or given us in person, during our interviews with them across Canada.
My first event took place two weeks ago in Kelowna, British Columbia. It was three intense days of interviews with WWII Canadian veterans who, for the most part, demonstrated an amazing sense of humour despite the atrocities they experienced.
Each veteran brought along memorabilia, and these items helped us to better understand the context and background of this Historical period. I was able to take pictures and scan various rare and interesting artefacts, such as a navigation device used by Mr. Brown when he was Commanding Officer of the Air Force. During our time in Kelowna, Mr. Holliday showed us an amazing item: a map of Burma printed on silk which was given to soldiers in the event their planes were shot down and they were captured by the enemy. Using this map, which was sewed into their jump suit, they could locate their site of action.
Memories of the Second World War come in various forms; they are passed down orally through interviews and they can also be found in visual artefacts which, I truly believe, are essential in helping us to understand this war.
As Collections Coordinator, each day I gather new artefacts and memorabilia that Canadian veterans have either sent us by mail or given us in person, during our interviews with them across Canada.
My first event took place two weeks ago in Kelowna, British Columbia. It was three intense days of interviews with WWII Canadian veterans who, for the most part, demonstrated an amazing sense of humour despite the atrocities they experienced.
Each veteran brought along memorabilia, and these items helped us to better understand the context and background of this Historical period. I was able to take pictures and scan various rare and interesting artefacts, such as a navigation device used by Mr. Brown when he was Commanding Officer of the Air Force. During our time in Kelowna, Mr. Holliday showed us an amazing item: a map of Burma printed on silk which was given to soldiers in the event their planes were shot down and they were captured by the enemy. Using this map, which was sewed into their jump suit, they could locate their site of action.
Memories of the Second World War come in various forms; they are passed down orally through interviews and they can also be found in visual artefacts which, I truly believe, are essential in helping us to understand this war.
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