Old Bofors gun to be donated to museum

The 40mm Bofors gun, used in a wide range of roles on Maritime Coastal Defence Vessels, are being replaced during upgrades. Photo by Sandy McClearn, smcclearn.smugmug.com

Rachel Lallouz, Staff Writer ~

After its most recent upgrade is completed, HMCS Nanaimo will donate its decommissioned 40 mm Bofors gun to the Vancouver Island Military Museum in Nanaimo.

Director General Maritime Equipment Program Management (DGMEPM) and Director of Surplus Acquisitions and Loans (DDSAL) in Ottawa have been working since 2007 to donate surplus or unneeded equipment and weapons to museums across Canada as naval memorabilia.

“This is in keeping with our theme at MEPM to preserve as much naval history as possible, and continue the close relationship and ties between the home cities and their warships,” says Wayne Yetman, Naval Ordnance.

Life Cycle Material Manager with Director Naval Combat Systems. “It allows the RCN to preserve a valuable piece of naval history in each namesake home city with their ship’s 40mm gun for display,” he adds.

Navy staff contacted city councillors in Nanaimo several months ago to see if the city would be interested in keeping the gun for historical purposes. Shortly after, the city contacted the museum. All parties unanimously agreed the gun would make an excellent addition to the artefacts, weaponry, and memorabilia already housed at the museum, and serve to honour veterans of the first HMCS Nanaimo and serving members of the current HMCS Nanaimo.

“These guns have been in operation for a very long time and have certainly proved their worth,” says Petty Officer (Retired) Brian McFadden, who served in the Royal Canadian Navy for nine years, and is Vice President of the museum. “I am especially happy because a number of ships I worked on had this particular type of gun.”

McFadden says once the gun has been stripped, sandblasted, and repainted by DND, it will be shipped to Nanaimo and mounted on a cement pad next to the museum at Piper Park. In this location, the museum’s annual 5,000 visitors will be able to view the gun.

Guns have been ­donated to museums across the country including the former HMCS Terra Nova 3”70 gun to the Naval Museum of Alberta, in Calgary, and the former HMCS Qu’ Appelle 3”50 gun to the Canadian War Museum in Ottawa.

In Nanaimo, those anticipating the arrival of the decommissioned gun can set their sights on viewing it later this year. A Freedom of the City ceremony will take place May 17, 2017 to coincide with the 20th anniversary of HMCS Nanaimo.

For more information about the museum, please visit www.vimms.ca.