“Liberated” RMR Cutlery Returned after 80+ years

RMR officers’ mess cutlery from the Second World War. Photo credit: Ron Zemancik.

Westmount, Quebec – 24 July 2024: The RMR Museum’s Curator, Mr. Ron Zemancik, received an interesting donation along with an explanation and request for pardon for the suspected perpetrator. Four pieces of silver RMR officers’ mess cutlery from when the Regiment was stationed in the UK in  WW2. The cover letter explains the situation quite well, and a museum volunteer has verified the nominal rolls from both 1st and 2nd Battalions RMR for 1939-1945 and no reference of a ‘Fred Charlebois’ could be found. Regardless, we’re grateful for his actions as they inevitably led to the cutlery being preserved from being melted down!

Scotland, UK

12 May 2024

Dear Curator,

I have enclosed the cutlery as a gift to the museum. It is very probable that it was illegally acquired in the first place. It has been lying in my attic for at least 47 years and I can remember seeing it when I was a boy more than 60 years ago. It may have been “acquired” by a soldier called Fred Charlebois and if you find out that he was in the RMR then please let me know. He will be over 100 years old if he is still alive so, please do not try to prosecute him!

I have made no attempt to clean off any corrosion. If the cutlery is sent to a plating company, then they could possibly bring them up almost as good as new.

Please keep safe and thank everyone there for helping to keep the world a safer place.

Yours
[Signature]
Jim McHardy

 

Photo credit: Ron Zemancik

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