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Swords

I thought this was the MP pattern?

sword.jpg
 
Have a look here at Canadian Infantry Pattern Swords at Scully:

http://williamscully.ca/gallery2/main.php?g2_itemId=22669

 
Military Heritage has just released a new 1897 Infantry pattern sword at a reasonable price.
 
Do Medical Officers wear ceremonial swords?

If so, could anyone send me a link to the company that sells them?

Cheers!
 
ArmyDoc said:
They do not wear swords.

RomeoJuliet said:
Curious as to what other officers don't wear swords besides M.O.'s and chaplains.

I have, in years long past, been a participant and spectator of numerous parades on which Medical Officers (and other Medical Branch officers) wore swords.  The tradition according to Canadian Forces Medical Service: Introduction to its History & Heritage is:

Bearing Arms

Although CFMS personnel are not combatants, they bear arms to protect
their patients and themselves. Medical officers on parade may carry
swords, but they do not draw them
; non-commissioned CFMS members on
parade in a formed unit may carry personal weapons, but they do not fix
bayonets. On operations, however, all CFMS personnel carry the personal
weapons suitable to their situation and, when not engaged in their primary
duties, perform defensive tasks such as taking their turn at guard duties.

In many of my above noted experiences of being on parade, we drew swords, including the doctors contrary to "tradition".  We just hadn't been told it was a tradition.

And to add.

There was a separate thread about this question.  The definitive answer is at https://army.ca/forums/threads/33487/post-252483.html#msg252483
 
Blackadder1916 said:
I have, in years long past, been a participant and spectator of numerous parades on which Medical Officers (and other Medical Branch officers) wore swords.  The tradition according to Canadian Forces Medical Service: Introduction to its History & Heritage is:

In many of my above noted experiences of being on parade, we drew swords, including the doctors contrary to "tradition".  We just hadn't been told it was a tradition.

And to add.

There was a separate thread about this question.  The definitive answer is at https://army.ca/forums/threads/33487/post-252483.html#msg252483
Thanks BA


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
ArmyDoc said:
They do not wear swords.

Traditions are just that.  Members of the CF Health Services have worn swords in the recent past as part of Remembrance Day, Freedoms of the City Parades and on Change of Command Parades in which I have participated. I cannot specifically remember a Medical Officer actually being on any of those parades.  If you do a Google Image search you will find images such as the one attached of the Nursing Officer in the vigil at a National Remembrance Day ceremony.  She has her sword drawn and 'at rest arms reversed'.
 

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Simian Turner said:
Traditions are just that.  Members of the CF Health Services have worn swords in the recent past as part of Remembrance Day, Freedoms of the City Parades and on Change of Command Parades in which I have participated. I cannot specifically remember a Medical Officer actually being on any of those parades.  If you do a Google Image search you will find images such as the one attached of the Nursing Officer in the vigil at a National Remembrance Day ceremony.  She has her sword drawn and 'at rest arms reversed'.
Let me rephrase my original comment. According to “official tradition”, Medical Officers do not draw swords. Furthermore, the only time I have worn a sword was during BMOC when we were taught sword drill, despite having participated in numerous parades since then. Furthermore, if you do require a sword - such as a sentry for Remembrance Day - one will be provided to you.

All that to say - to the OP, don’t buy a sword expecting that you’ll need it for parades. You won’t.
 
The tradition of Medical Officers and swords.

From the Boer War to the end of the Cold War.

Apparently doctors of the 9th Field Hospital felt it appropriate to wear swords.

c8a5a7818e4ae2e06ec2752ebc2f043c.jpg




Hopefully, in the rather poor reproduction of a page from 4 Fd Amb's history, you can see the drawn sword of the CO (LCol Joe Kotlarz, MD) during the 1992 close-out parade of the unit.

  since it won't show up here, attached below
 

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I am very familiar with a certain Dr that does work for DND, helps our secret squirrels with medical training, etc. When he was on parade, he wore his sword and unsheathed it along with everyone else.
 
ArmyDoc said:
Let me rephrase my original comment. According to “official tradition”, Medical Officers do not draw swords. Furthermore, the only time I have worn a sword was during BMOC when we were taught sword drill, despite having participated in numerous parades since then. Furthermore, if you do require a sword - such as a sentry for Remembrance Day - one will be provided to you.

All that to say - to the OP, don’t buy a sword expecting that you’ll need it for parades. You won’t.

It's ironic that the Officers who probably do the most 'cutting' on the battlefield don't draw their cutlery when off of it :)
 
Perhaps, the medical officers not drawing swords thing is as much as a myth as medical personnel not handling weapons?  At one point in the Royal Navy, surgeons actually carried a specific pattern of sword, unique to them.
 
And for the completely off the wall crowd, I was a guest at the 2 RCHA change of command parade when Greg Ivey turned over the regiment to Dan Bobbitt. All the officers carried drawn swords except the RCEME officer who carried a chromed wrench complete with sword knot.
 
It was a different era.

In 1979, the  naval reserve first year logistics OCDT's, made up of all female members in those days, walked unto the Friday's Ceremonial Division with fixed teddy bears attached to their FN's bayonets ... to great applause, a red faced parade officer marching them off at double quick march and a scrambling parade CPO rushing to delay the arrival of the reviewing officer.  ;D

That was only my first experience with 'stuffed animals".

Many years later, when I was OIC of  HTS St. Croix, I found on my first formal rounds of 1 and 2 messes, set aside for female personnel, that every bunk was properly made in naval fashion, but with a stuffed animal on each pillow. I pointed out that I had no problems with the keeping of stuffed animals in the mess but that, as required by the standards, if they were not tucked under the blanket properly they had to be secure so they could not possibly float free in case of flooding (that's the rule even though if 1 and 2 messes ever flooded, you are already in deep trouble). On my next inspection, every stuffed animal in sight was hanging from a noose over its respective pillow.  ;D

Even in the military we can't mess with strong women.  :nod:
 
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