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summer2017

8/29/2017

“Summer 2017”

Summer is winding down a little too quickly and our summer students are finished this week. Thank you to our three outstanding students, for a great summer: Matthew Gamble, Hayden Johnston and Olivia McLean. We had a very busy summer, starting with visiting school classes, Sussex Summerfest and numerous visitors in for tours. We have received very positive feedback from the general public informing us of how pleasant of an experience their visit was because of the knowledgeable and pleasant staff.

The 8th Hussars Museum has summer student opportunities each year, funding is dependent upon grants from Young Canada Works, Community Museums Summer Employment Program and Canada Summer Jobs. Today we had the opportunity to thank Alaina Lockhart MP for Fundy Royal for our funding through Canada Summer Jobs and Young Canada Works. As well we thank the Province of New Brunswick Heritage Branch for their support through Community Museums Summer Employment Program.

A Few Words from Matthew :
I was pleased to have been able to spend another summer with the 8th Hussars Museum in Sussex this year.

This fall I will enter my third year of studies at St. Thomas University in Fredericton where I am pursuing a double-major in International Relations and Economics.

For the majority of the summer, I spent time doing archival work on photographs of the Regiment from the Cold War era. Hopefully some former or current Hussars will be able to visit the museum and take a look. Some pictures will definitely bring back some fond memories and cause a few laughs!

I was also happy to play a part in the creation of the Camp Sussex Presentation given at the museum as a part of Sussex Summerfest 2017. Through my research for this project, I learned some very interesting details about life in Camp Sussex around the turn of the century.

Along the way I had the opportunity to speak with many veterans and many other interesting people who were able to stop into the museum. Especially as many of our WWII veterans continue to grow older, I make it a personal mission to learn as much as possible from these extraordinary men and preserve their crucial contributions for future generations.

All and all, I am thankful to have the opportunity to have a summer job in a field that I am passionate about, and one where I can learn from the life experiences of the Greatest Generation.

A few words from Hayden
I'm grateful for the opportunity to come and work at the 8th Hussars Museum for a second year. I am currently entering into my third year of university, working towards the completion of a double-major in political science and psychology. This is in preparation for graduate school, were I intent to study law. In light of this, working at the Museum has provided me with experience applicable to my area of study, especially related to understanding differences between individuals.

My main focus at the Museum this year was on archival preservation. Over the course of this summer, I have had the opportunity to examine numerous historical photographs pertaining to Canadian Forces Operations in Canada and throughout the world. These photos provide insight into the operation of the Canadian Military Machine and the ever evolving doctrines employed by the Military Establishment.

Additionally, Museum staff participated in the Town of Sussex's Summerfest program; this saw the Museum host a presentation pertaining to the former Military Camp, Camp Sussex. I was fortunate to be able to participate and learn about this often neglected part of New Brunswick history.

Besides this, I have been fortunate to meet a plethora of individuals, ranging from veterans to tourists from across the continent. Many of these people were kind enough to share their experiences, both in and out of the armed forces.

A message from Olivia
Thank you Carol for an amazing summer. I have had so many enjoyable learning opportunities over the course of the summer. Yesterday , I gave a tour to a past member of the 8th Hussars, it was a nice challenge to expand my knowledge and share everything I learned over the course of the summer. I have met some very interesting life changing people over the summer. Working at the museum was an experience that I was very fortunate to have been able to share with every new person I met. The world is a small place and it was amazing to see people who did not have knowledge on the world be opened up to a new concept and realize the pain and suffering people went through. You guys were amazing people to work with. Thanks again for an amazing experience that I will certainly never forget.

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Merit

8/4/2017

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The 8th Hussars Museum has been selected as a recipient of the 2017 New Brunswick Day Merit Award, which is designed to provide the opportunity for the community to honour our unsung heroes and recognize achievements in six different fields of endeavor: Arts and Culture, business ,community leadership, environment, sport, recreation, active living and volunteer service.

We were chosen to receive the New Brunswick Day Merit Award for Arts and Culture, for the preservation and display of the military regiment and and connections to the community.On behalf of the Town of Sussex and Members of the Council we were invited to attend the New Brunswick Day Ceremony today for the 2017 New Brunswick Celebrations at O'Connel Park. On this special occasion , we, the Members of the 8th Hussars Museum are very honored and proud to have received the Merit Award for Arts and Culture.

The 8th Hussars Museum was founded in 2004 under a Memorandum of Understanding between the Town of Sussex and the Association of the 8th Canadian Hussars (Princess Louise’s) Inc. The opening of the museum was held in support of the 100th Anniversary of the Town of Sussex. The museum functions both as a museum with 3645 artefacts nationally registered and as an archive with documents dating back to 1793 and over 14,063 historical photographs scanned and saved.

The source of many of the museums numerous artefacts is the 8th Canadian Hussars (PL) regiment which is one of Canada’s oldest continually serving cavalry/armoured regiments, having been established in Kings County in 1848. The museum also has a mandate to preserve and share the history of Camp Sussex, one of the first permanent military camps established in Canada after Confederation. By focusing on these two roles, it allows the museum to provide a venue to share the rich military heritage of the southern part of the province and the many local military personnel who have volunteered to fight for peace and freedom and often paid the Supreme Sacrifice.

The museum has actively engaged with numerous partners across Canada and Internationally to better improve the quality of our displays. All artefacts received by the museum are accessioned and uploaded to the Canadian Heritage Information Network for national access, and all archive materials are registered and uploaded to the Council of Archives of New Brunswick database. Due to their efforts in digital preservation the museum was asked in 2015/2016 by CHIN to volunteer as a trial archive to develop a nationally accepted standard for digital preservation of photographs for small museums. This very successful trial resulted in the development of a national preservation policy and plan that was provided to all small museums in Canada. Other programs of note include the development of “The Story of Camp Sussex, A Century of Service to Canada” which is available nationally on the CHIN Virtual Museum and our support to the Faces to Graves project currently underway in the Netherlands which is attempting to put a face to every soldier’s head stone in that countries Canadian War Graves. This program came about due to the museums efforts in supporting the Twinning of Towns between Sussex and Tynarloo NL celebrating the anniversary of the end of WW II and the subsequent presentation of a gold medal to the Regiment in 1952.
The 8th Hussars Museum is operated by museum committee of 10 volunteer members and an additional six volunteers assist in planning, development and construction of new displays.

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CampSussex

8/2/2017

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Lead-up to the Creation of Camp Sussex

In 1794, the first New Brunswick Parliament created its own Militia Act. Men from age 16 to 60 were to attend annual musters to train for few days. No funds were provided, but absentees were fined

Camp Sussex became a focal point for militia around the province because of its central location, easy access to rail, long flat stretch of soil, and proximity to clean water for horses

In 1876, a soldier's daily pay started at 50 cents, but horses were paid 75 centsPay was not always available, and many times militia volunteers did not expect it or the provision of rations
At the time, soldiers were so short of rucksacks and other equipment that men had no method of carrying their daily rations
Due to the chronic lack of government funding, the Hussars built their own stables for the horses by collecting money from members of the regiment

The Brighton Engineers were formed in Woodstock in 1881. The following year, equipped only with five augers, seven axes, one handsaw and one crosscut saw, the Engineers cut 450 trees over two days, going on to build a 111 ft bridge across Trout Creek in just over four hours. The bridge was then tested by a horse pulling an artillery cannon across

Whereas soldiers were often transported by rail, sudden movements of railcars could give horses concussions and other injuries. As a result, many soldiers were against the rail transport of horses

The Heyday of the Militia

In 1891, the area around what became Camp Sussex was thoroughly examined by military planners and became a potential candidate for the establishment of a military camp

Prior to the formal establishment of Camp Sussex, much of the land in the area was rented out for military use

In the Spring of 1893, the Dominion of Canada purchased Morrison Farm, a 344 acre site just east of the present-day Town of Sussex, to be used for militia training. This date marked the formal establishment of Camp Sussex

1894 - 1914 saw the greatest growth of the Canadian militia. In this time period, more men and horses were trained than ever before

The typical day of the militiaman began at 0530 and continued on until 2200 hours. A archetypal daily routine was as follows:

-Reveille: 5:30 AM
-Collection of Daily Rations: 6:00 AM
-Breakfast: 6:30 AM
-First Drill 7:30 AM - 9:00 AM
-Officer Hour: 9:00 AM
-Second Drill: 10:00 AM - 12:00 AM
-Dinner: 12:30 PM
-Third Drill: 2:00 PM - 4:30 PM
-Tea: 5:00 PM
-Rations - Groceries: 5:30 PM
-Guard Mounting: 5:30 PM
-Retreat: 5:30 PM
-First Post: 9:00 PM
-Last Post: 9:30 PM
-Lights Out: 9:45 PM

Sick parade for ill soldiers was at 11:00 AM, but horses were to be attended to at 06:30 AM regardless of any ailments a soldier may have been suffering from

The loss of a horse would prompt an investigation and possibly even corrective action, as the animals were so valuable to the militia at the time. Nevertheless, there was a marked lack of veterinary kits

1893 was the first year since 1881 that the Hussars could come to camp to train as a single unit. Before then, financial troubles made this difficult

The caretaker house was built in 1896, and permanent armouries in 1901. The rifle range was completed in 1906, and was in operation during both World Wars. During the same period the officer's mess, known as the Bungalow, was constructed and went on to become a major social hub in the Town of Sussex

In 1895, there were 395 horses stationed at Camp Sussex, but by the eve of WWI, that number increased to just over 1000

In 1897, members of the Militia represented the area at Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee

As the camp became larger, brush clearing was conducted and dykes were built along Trout Creek. The Officers Bungalow

In 1913, no less than one-hundred automobiles visited the camp. The automobiles spooked horses, and many soldiers were sceptical of the new technology. Within three years, plans to manufacture tanks were being discussed

A company of 2nd (Special Service) battalion 2RCR was raised for the Boer War and consisted of 1000 men. Following the end of the Second Boer War, Camp Sussex served as one of the first military instillations to teach lessons learned from the conflict

Camp Sussex artillery fired a "feu de joie" for the Coronation of George V in June, 1911

In July 1914, on the eve of the First World War, military planners started to realize the size limitations of Camp Sussex and began to discuss construction of a new, larger military base in New Brunswick at either Gagetown or McGivney. However, the outbreak of the Great War in the following month shelved these plans for almost 40 years

The Interwar Years

The first summer camp after the First World War took place in 1920; however, given that the public viewed the First World War as "the war to end all wars", there was very little support from the general population for any military activity

Soldiers would sometimes go on half pay to double the number of camp attendees. On one occasion all pay was forfeited to cover the expenses of the camp. This went on until the mid-1930's

In the summer of 1931, only the 8th Hussars and the 74th Battalion (New Brunswick Rangers) trained at Camp Sussex

Camp repairs were funded at the expense of unit officers, and the Federal Government gave only partial reimbursements

Between 1923 - 1926 funds were so restricted that camp attendance was often limited to officers and NCOs

Between 1931 - 1936 volunteer soldiers continued the military presence without pay

Nevertheless, the 8th Hussars traveled to a machine-gun competition in Valcartier and won the national competition, all at the expense of the commanding officerThe first training on motorized vehicles took place in 1936. Vehicles (mostly Model T Fords) were rented from local owners for $10.00 a day. Bootleggers'' cars that had been seized by the Mounties were also used. Many had rumble seats that the officers would stand up on. Naturally, many accidents occurred

WWI and WWII

Shortly after the First World War broke out, Camp Sussex was established as the 1st Training Depot Battalion, under the command of Lieutenant-Colonel James McAvity

Units established or trained in Camp Sussex during WWI included the 40th Battalion (Moncton), the 64th Battalion (Moncton), and the 104th Battalion (Sussex)

During the First World War, Camp Sussex hosted the Serbian Mobilization Camp, where Serbs recruited in Canada were mobilized before being sent overseas to fight in the Serbian Army.

During both World Wars, the camp rose to prominence due to its easy rail access and proximity to Halifax. Troops could be transported by rail from Sussex to Halifax in a single night, under the cover of darkness to aid in secrecy

During WWII, the camp was built to hold 10 000 men, so entire divisions could be moved in and out easily

Units trained in Camp Sussex during this time included the 3rd, 4th, and 5th Divisions

During WWII, it was common knowledge that once your husband was posted to Camp Sussex, it was not long until he was deployed overseas

By 1944, the camp focus changed to individual training of soldiers and became the A-34 Special Officers Training Center, under the command of Brigadier Milton Gregg, VC

At the conclusion of the Second World War, a significant portion of Camp Sussex was soon decommissioned. This meant that a large portion of the Camp infrastructure was sold or else demolished

Many of the buildings were towed across the frozen Trout Creek during the winter, as there was no bridge crossing Trout Creek until the 1970s. Other buildings were repurposed as homesteads on Peter Street

The larger buildings, including the Drill Halls, were repurposed as Sports Centres. One became the King's County Stadium, and the other was taken to Fredericton were it became the York Arena.

The Headquarters of Camp Sussex became the King's County Hospital.

The death of Camp Sussex was not swift, it continued until 1971, which saw the majority of the land that was formerly Camp Sussex sold to the Town Sussex. This land became what is today the Industrial Park, our ball parks, and the 8th Hussars Sports Centre.

The only remnants of Camp Sussex are the Gregg Armoury, which houses B Squadron of the 8th Hussars.

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Hirschfeld

8/1/2017

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Lieutenant-Colonel (Retired) Herman Marland Hirschfeld, CD, PSC, PLFC -

Lieutenant-Colonel Hirschfeld was born on the 5th of August, 1941 in Goldenville, Nova Scotia. In 1962, he joined the Canadian Army and graduated from the Armoured Corps School in Camp Borden, Ontario, as a Second-Lieutenant in 1963.

During his thirty-four year military career, Hirschfeld served with both the Royal Canadian Dragoons and the 8th Canadian Hussars. His duties included Troop Leader, Battle Captain, Squadron Commander, and Regimental Second-in-Command. He was also a member of Canada's Olympic National Biathlon Ski Team.

He also served extensively at the Combat Training Centre at CFB Gagetown, being one of the first officers to serve at the newly formed Combat Arms School.

Hirschfeld took part in a year-long Australian Army Command and Staff Collage Course in Queenscliff, Australia in 1981. While Outback, Hirschfeld made many new friends and enjoyed his time. The Slouch Hat on display was given to him by his Australian friends.

Notably, Hirschfeld served with NATO's Central Army Group HQ in Germany as the Senior Canadian Liaison Officer from 1987-1990. He retired from the Army in June 1996 and currently lives with his wife in Oromocto, New Brunswick

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summer2017

“Summer 2017”

Merit

CampSussex

Lead-up to the Creation of Camp Sussex

The Heyday of the Militia

The Interwar Years

WWI and WWII

Hirschfeld

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