We’ve recently had three 16mm films in our collection professionally digitized and I am pleased that they have now been uploaded to our Museum’s YouTube channel and added to our Videos page on the website.
The first is a 15 minute black and white overview of the various activities that took place during the Regiment’s 100th Anniversary in 1960 including events conducted by all three battalions which existed at the time.
The second film is a 26 minute black and white “History of The Queen’s Own Rifles” produced by the CBC and featuring then museum curator Lieutenant Colonel William T. Barnard.
And lastly is a four minute silent “tour” of the of the fairly new Moss Park Armoury including the Officers’ and Sergeants’ Messes. (If anyone is able to help us nail down the date by identifying any of the soldiers in the film, we’d greatly appreciate it. Leave a comment below!)
We’d like to thank the Digital Treasury Group for their excellent and professional work on this project and helping us with the cost!
We have almost a dozen more films which we hope to digitize as the funding becomes available. Unfortunately our storage facilities are not ideal for the storage of films and frankly they are virtually inaccessible now in the 16mm format so we’re very excited to be able to make a start on this important preservation project!
The Queen's Own Rifles of Canada Regimental Museum and Archive 
To the QOR Museum and Archives Curator,
For many years, I have intended to get send photos and information about both my father, Capt. William “Bill” Grant Herbert, MC and my grandfather, Capt. William “Bill” Shelley Herbert, MC. I receive emails from QOR and once left a post on November 11th that didn’t follow up on. November 11th is only days away again and this year, I’m finally contacting you.
Although I have no way of checking it, I grew up with the understanding that my grandfather and father were the first father and son to serve in the Queen’s Own Rifles. I have little information about my Grandfather’s service in the 19th Battalion but as you will see from the photo below, he received the Military Cross from the Prince of Wales. During one battle, my grandfather received a gunshot wound to his left arm and it was amputated. He returned to Toronto on the S.S. “Araguaya” from Liverpool in October of 1918. He remained connected to the QOR and the War Amps throughout his life and died in 1974 in Toronto.
My father, Bill Herbert, attended UTS and Ontario College of Art before enlisting with the QOR in WWII. He too received the Military Cross (from Gen. Montgomery, in picture below) for his action on Juno Beach on D-Day. I have a number of books which cite his action that day, including Valour on Juno Beach by T. Robert Fowler, page 38: “Lieutenant William Grant Herbert commanded a platoon of “B” Company of the Queen’s Own Rifles which was an assault company during the landing at Bernières-sur-Mer at approximately 0800 hours. The company was met with severe machine-gun fire from a pill box 100 yeards to its front and within the first few minutes there were sxty-five casualties. Lieutenant Herbert, himself suffering from a head wound and shrapnel in the leg, ran forward with two of his men and assaulted the pill box with grenades and Sten machine carbine. As a result of this act, the pill box was put out of action and the remainder of the company were able to proceed with their all-important task of eliminating the beach defences. Due to this complete disregard for his personal safety and his bravery and determination to carry out his commander’s intention, the task was successfully completed and the company which followed in the landing on the beach suffered no casualties from the beach defences. For this action, he was awarded the Military Cross.”
Another citati
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who’s the sharp looking Sergeant Major at 3:27?
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Syd Byatt?
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I saw Bob Dunk at 1.40min with an SMG
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Hi John; On the silent reel number three of Moss Park Armoury, I would say it is 1970. I recognized a number of the rifleman on the parade square then to my surprise, saw I was the SMG instructor. If you need assistance in identification of more individuals, please let me know. Bob Dunk.
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