Since we finished our private tours in the course, I shifted my focus on what needed to get done for my research paper before my journey back to Canada. My searches periodically pointed in the direction of the National Army Museum, so I decided to go visit the museum on my Independent Research Day. I put a few "feelers" out to classmates, but only one decided to join me. Not everyone wants to be reminded of war and I respect that. This was a personal voyage for me. Yes, I have the paper to do, but it was more than that. My mother's family has lived in Malaysia for over 5 generations. My grandfather was an escaped Japanese POW and my granduncle received an award from the Queen for his efforts in fighting the communists during the Malaysian Emergency. But it is not just my mom's side of the family involved in the army. My grandfather on my dad's side of the family was also a soldier in the British Army. I was searching for something and I found it at the museum.
I was pleasantly surprised with the amount of representation this museum had of soldiers who fought in or were allies of the British Army. My pictures reflect my enjoyment of seeing faces I could finally identify with. In Canada, I only grew up listening to the stories or seeing photos of soldiers with European ethnic backgrounds. Nothing of soldiers who would identify themselves as First Nations, Black, South Asian or East Asian. Maybe I should have researched how the museum was established before I went, but it would have changed my emotional experience of walking through the exhibits and discovering it myself.
I did not know anything about a battle against communism in Malaysia until I came to England. I knew my granduncle was involved, I just did not know where it occurred. It's hard to find out information when families drift apart and generations pass away. But this information I am sharing, ties back to my experience at the museum. Sir Gerald Templer, who founded the museum, was involved in the Malaysian Emergency. His approach of humanitarianism during the Malaysian Emergency won over the people in Malaysia effected by conflict and he was celebrated for it. What I experienced at the museum made sense. His military experience around the world is reflected in the diversity I appreciated at the museum.
I wish I could have personally thanked him for it.
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