Secrets of Radar Museum

The Secrets of Radar Museum is a small museum located near Parkwood Hospital in London, Ontario, Canada. Opened to the public in 2003, the museum was created to tell the story of the more than 6,000 Canadian World War II veterans who were recruited into a top-secret project during World War II involving radar. Drawn from every walk of life, and sent around the world, these veterans were held to an Oath of Secrecy that was not fully lifted until 1991.

The museum is an incorporated not-for-profit museum located in London, Ontario. It is committed to sharing Canadian radar history, from its earliest experimentation to recent advances, and most importantly, to the preservation of real life stories and personal experiences of the people who have worked and continue to work in radar, both military and civilian.

Mandate
The Museum's mandate is threefold:
 * 1) To preserve the history and artifacts of the men and women who have served the RADAR division of the Canadian Military
 * 2) To educate the public on the history of RADAR in Canada
 * 3) To provide a therapeutic setting for veterans

About the Museum
During World War II, at the request of the British government, almost 6,000 Canadians were trained on RADAR and sent into every theatre of war. Sworn to an oath of secrecy that was not fully lifted until 1991, it was only recently that these men and women were able to share their experiences. Canadian radar personnel were a crucial part of the war effort. Many of these early radar veterans went on to have leadership roles in the development of radar during the Cold War and in the Canadian electronics industry.

The contributions of the thousands of men and women working on Canadian radar since 1940, both military and civilian, have helped to protect our soldiers on the front lines, our people at home, and helped to create a technological legacy that continues to be part of our everyday lives.

Collection
The Museum's collection includes several thousand photographs, as well as original radar equipment. While most World War II-era radar equipment has long since been destroyed, the Museum has examples of GEE, Fishpond, IFF (Identify Friend or Foe) radars, along with magnetrons, vacuum tubes (known as valves in England) and several hundred personal artifacts of various types.

Programs
The museum offers curriculum-linked school programs related to history, geography, and science & technology for students in Grades 5 to 12. We also offer group tours of the museum and off-site talks to community groups. The museum also makes its archival material and research library available for private researchers.

Tours
The museum is currently open to the public from 10am to 3pm (eastern time) on Fridays and Saturdays. Tours can be arranged by appointment, and the facility is wheelchair accessible.

Events
The museum is an annual participating site in Doors Open London and in 2012 was listed as one of the city's Top Ten sites.

Plans
In the future the museum plans to expand into Cold War radar history, including DEW Line (Distant Early Warning) and Pinetree Line radar history. The museum is also planning to develop a travelling exhibition about Cold War radar and the experiences of the people working in the field.

Affiliations
The Museum is affiliated with: CMA, OMMC, CHIN, and Virtual Museum of Canada.