This week’s local history feature wraps up our visit to the community at the beginning of the Second World War. Museum director-curator Karen Bachmann tells us that the Algonquin Regiment was asked to send all of its uniforms and equipment down south. That led the Algonquins to fear they were being disbanded.
“The Ministry of Defence said ‘No no, we need the uniforms now for the bigger regiments down south. Don’t worry, you’ll get new kit in the new year,’ and that’s what happened.”
LOCALS ON TORPEDOED CRUISE SHIP
Bachmann also tells us about five people from the Porcupine who were on the first UK civilian ship sunk by the Germans.
The Athenia was sailing to England. The declaration of war on September 3rd, 1939 made cruise liners targets. And on September 7th, it was sunk by two torpedoes.
The five locals among the 14-hundred passengers were Mrs. Thomas Flynn, Mrs. Rose McMahon, James Cullen, Mrs. McKie and Alfred Snow. Bachmann reports that they survived, made it to England and were then brought home.
“The Porcupine Advance has wonderful interviews with them, who talk about their experience of being torpedoed in one of the first ships torpedoed during the Second World War. So we have a connection to that as well.”
We must thank Karen Bachmann and the Timmins Museum for such fascinating stories of our past.
