One of the very rare artifacts in the collection of the Manitoba Curling Museum dates back to 1946 in Germany, just after the end of World War 2. The parts of the artifact are apparently much older!
The item is a set of four tiles approximately 6 inches square, framed into a set about a foot square.
An engraved plate on the wood frame states: Presented to the Dominion Curling Association – By the Curlers of 3 Infantry Division, C.A.O.F. – Germany 1945-46
How this rare piece came to be in the Manitoba Curling Museum collection is unknown. A web search has turned up the following, mainly gleaned from a curling history blog authored by Bob Cowan, a Scottish curler/historian who represented Scotland in the 1983 Silver Broom in Regina.
The Allied Occupying Forces in Germany after the cease of hostilities, included Britain, USA, France & Russia. The British contingent included the (C.A.O.F) Canadian Allied Occupying Force’s 3rd Infantry Division and the Scottish 51st Highland Division.
Cowan’s blog describes how he had stumbled onto the story in newspaper archive research. A specific Scottish Curling Club was responding to an appeal by the Royal Caledonian Curling Club and providing a pair of stones to be shipped to Germany.
As he searched further, Cwan found a November 8, 1945 newspaper letter to the editor by A.H. Hamilton, Secretary of the RCCC in which described communications from the Commanding Officers of the 51st Highlanders and the Canadians. Each was looking for 50 pairs of curling stones.
The appeal succeeded with 70 pairs being shipped to the Scots and 60 pairs to the Canadians.
Cowan admits in his blog that he didn’t learn much about where/how the Scots made use of their stones but he found the story of a six-sheet rink being constructed by the Canadians. Cowan reports “it was constructed in a hanger at the Oldenburg airport in Germany and an artificial ice plant was improvised by men of the Royal Canadian Engineers and the Corps of Royal Canadian Electrical and Mechanical Engineers in the Canadian Occupation Force.”
Apparently as many as 400 members of the Canadian Occupation Force took part in the curling. It seems obvious from Cowan’s research that the curling stones came from Scotland. So, what did the Dominion Curling Association do to merit the thanks of the curler-soldiers?
Perhaps they played a role in arranging for brooms. Cowan’s blog goes on to report “corn brooms could not be procured in Europe, so these were purchased by Canadian Auxiliary Services in Montreal and ‘rushed by fast steamer to Germany for the opening of the season’!”
As for the individual tiles, an identical gift was presented to RCCC Secretary Hamilton. A Lieutenant Jobson, who made the actual presentation to Hamilton, explained where the tiles came from – they were ‘secured from’ a gentleman who had been a collector of old & ancient tiles. He had only eight of them left at the time and “due to the misfortunes of war” had to sell them.
Four each went to the RCCC and to Canada. Apparently, they are very old. The images represent an ancient game called Pele-Mele which might be suggestive of curling but is more likely a lawn game similar to croquet.
One of the Canadians who was instrumental in helping to organize the curling efforts was Brigadier General Colin “Collie” Campbell. He later became the President of the International Curling Federation.
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The complete detail on this strange story in Canadian curling (and military) history can be found at https://curlinghistory.blogspot.com/2019/11/