Here's a taste of what you can expect to find in our display room.

We intend to develop an extensive online library of our artifacts.

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The Main Room - this is the sight that will first greet you when you arrive. We have several display cases full of memorabilia, and the walls are adorned with many historical documents and certificates of interest.

Here's a closer look at just a few of the displays:

• This soapstone figurine is standing on the vertebrae of a whale. We contracted a well-known Inuit artist at Resolute Bay, NWT, to carve this likeness based on the central figure of our unit badge. The soapstone had to be obtained from Frobisher Bay in the eastern Arctic, since none exists as far north as Resolute.

  Our badge is unique because 418 is the only RCAF or CF flying squadron authorized by the Queen to bear a full human figure as part of our squadron crest.

• The hand carved RCAF wings mounted on the RCAF tartan background serve as a reminder of how things used to be.

  The paddle mounted near the door was awarded to the squadron member who committed the biggest 'faux pas'during the year. The candidate had to be recommended in writing, with two or more witnesses to verify the incident. A committee would select the winner and the Award would be made at our end-of-season social, after several mandatory toasts. The more embarassing the incident, the better. The winner's name was engraved on the paddle for all to see, and was usually accepted in good humour.
  

• The wall-mounted case contains cutouts of the nine aircraft flown operationally, from 1941 to 1994 inclusive, by 418 (City of Edmonton) Squadron.

• The hand-carved wood crest is a copy of the 418 Squadron unit badge, and was made by an RCAF technician in his spare time.

• This RCAF ensign hangs proudly in our display area. The four bars, at left, indicate it is a Group Captain's flag and would be flown in front of Base Headquarters on all RCAF bases where the Commanding Officer held the rank of Group Captain (G/C).

• Items on our feature wall include a polar bear skin, which represents 418 Squadron's connection to the Canadian Arctic. It was acquired in 1953 from Ft. Churchill, Manitoba, during the time the squadron's role was 'Defence of the North'.

• The RCAF crest shown at the top of the photo is mounted on a three-inch thick slab cut from a California Redwood tree and lacquered permanently in place.

• The Twin Otter picture with cutouts of the crewmembers contains a poem telling the story of our worst post-war flying accident, which killed the crew and five civilian spotters during Search and Rescue duties in June, 1986.

• The book on the shelf (bottom centre) contains the names of RCAF personnel who were killed in action during World War II.

• To commemorate the Battle of Britain, the Wilkinson Sword Co. of the United Kingdom made this Silver Anniversary sword. Etchings on the blade identify some of the significant events of this two-month battle and an accompanying scroll identifies the countries who fought on the side of the Allies. There were 67 RAF fighter squadrons manned by Commonwealth pilots as well as American, Polish, French, Belgian, and others. Winning this battle resulted in cancellation of Hitler's plans to invade England and was considered a turning point of the Second World War.

• This four-foot silver alloy sword is truly a work of art and is one of our many treasures.

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These are but a few of the items you will see and learn about during your visit to our museum. We intend to highlight many of the items in our collection.