Korean War exhibit pays tribute to HMCS Iroquois

“The Long Reach: The Royal Canadian Navy’s role in the Korean War” exhibit is currently on display at the HMCS Alberni Museum and Memorial. Photos supplied

Peter Mallett
Staff Writer
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The HMCS Alberni Museum & Memorial (HAMM) in Courtenay marks the 70^th anniversary of the Royal Canadian Navy’s involvement in the Korean War with a new exhibit.

The exhibit and memorial, titled The Long Reach: The RCN’s role in the Korean War, is on display at the museum’s Education Centre.

Lewis Bartholomew, HAMM Executive Director, says the exhibit is currently on loan from the Naval Museum of Manitoba with additional materials and artifacts supplied by local families of Korean War veterans.

“The hostilities on the Korean Peninsula are significant and highly relevant today because they ended without an actual peace treaty,” said Bartholomew. “The lack of a stable conclusion affected world events afterwards and continue to affect us to this day.”

The combat phase of the Korean War ended 70 years ago, on July 27, 1953, with the signing of the armistice. It began on June 25, 1950, when North Korean Armed Forces invaded South Korea. More than 26,000 members of Canada’s military participated in the United Nations force, with 1,200 wounded and 516 paying the ultimate price.

Three members of HMCS Iroquois are among the deceased and are memorialized in the exhibit. A shell struck the Tribal-class destroyer while its sailors were busy bombarding a rail line on the east coast of the peninsula when the shell hit the starboard side of Iroquois near its ‘B’ Gun, killing two instantly and injuring 11. A third sailor later died of his injuries.

The exhibit closes on Nov. 11. The museum is located in downtown Courtenay and is operated by the Alberni Project Society. HAMM’s goal is to celebrate the lives and stories of those who served with Canada’s military from the First World War to the present day, says Bartholomew.

For more information about its exhibits, programs and hours of operation, visit its website: I Will Remember – Je Me Souviendrai alberniproject.org

“The Long Reach: The Royal Canadian Navy’s role in the Korean War” exhibit is currently on display at the HMCS Alberni Museum and Memorial. Photos supplied