On June 10, 2019, the Conception Bay Museum, located in Harbour Grace, discovered some antique firearms were missing since a reported break and enter into the museum that occurred back in March of 2019.
These antiques, which are family heirlooms, were on loan to the museum and have great historical and sentimental value.
The missing items include two dueling pistols, which were manufactured between 1813-1860, a Colt revolver, manufactured in 1855, and a WWI vintage flare gun.
The flare gun was originally owned by Edward Oke of Harbour Grace. Mr. Oke loaned the gun to Captain Erroll Boyd of the Royal Air Force to take with him and Lieutenant Harry Connor of the US Navy Reserve, as a tool to use should they find themselves in distress. The two men were about to embark on the first Canadian flight from Canada to England, departing on October 9, 1930.
The two departed Canada in a monoplane and successfully reached their destination. Captain Boyd engraved the flare gun and sent it back to Mr. Oke with the following inscription "This very pistol was loaned to us by E.L OKE of Harbour Grace and was carried on the first Canadian flight from Canada to England, October, 1930, on the airplane Columbia by Captain Boyd and Lieutenant Connors."
The Conception Bay Museum desperately wants these items returned. If you have any information on this incident, please contact Harbour Grace RCMP at 709-596-5014.
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