Chilliwack – Just before 5AM on Sunday (May 15,2022) two thieves using hammers and a grinder, broke into the Chilliwack Military Museum.
There is video of the two, wearing hoodies, and not wasting time in getting into the museum, and taking a deactivated Tommy Gun from a 1942 Vintage Harley as well as bayonets.
Those bayonets all have museum markings.
As FVN/chillTV’s video crew arrived (on Monday afternoon), CFB Chilliwack Historical Society President Gordon Wozencroft was wrapping up an emergency board meeting. They were discussing the damage and the insurance.
As word of the break in hit social media, they have been flooded with help from the BIA, other merchants with video surveillance to augment their own as well as questions about donations to cover costs.
This is a volunteer driven museum.
Donations can be made through cfbchs.com or cfbchs@shaw.ca . The Museum is also on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram or can be dropped off during regular business hours from Wednesday to Saturday.
Wozencroft noted that when they were cleaning up the broken glass from a display case, they noticed blood on some of the glass. RCMP forensics are now examining that evidence. He did recall two men who “cased the place” as they went into the museum just a day or so before and then after a quick look around, soon left. Two laptop computers, a charging phone and the donation box were not even touched, and they were in plain view.
While pawn shops all know that the robbery took place, they may be hesitant to touch the weapons (due to the ID markings). There is a gun show coming up at Evergreen Hall and that could be a place to fence the items.
Anyone with information on this break-and-enter and theft are asked to contact RCMP at 604-792-4611. The file number is 22-16839.
