The Whitehorse branch of the Royal Canadian Legion gained a unique artifact this week, receiving a Second World War-era grenade.

It was donated by Murray Martin, an 85-year-old Whitehorse resident whose mother, Jane, worked in one of the only plug plants servicing the entire country in 1944.

After receiving it as a teenager in the town of St. Mary’s, Ont., the young Martin had hung on to the dark green grenade ever since – and its history.

“That is a part of the history of the Second World War,” he told the Star last Friday. “I wouldn’t want that just to go to waste to the dump.”

Maxwell’s was the only ammunition and hand grenade plant at that time, staffed by all women, Martin explained.

While he hasn’t served himself, he comes from a family with a background in serving overseas: his father’s brothers perished in the war, with a couple of his own brothers serving when he was still a teen.

“It was quite all right; in those days, my mom just brought it home as a souvenir from working at the plug plant,” he said.

A self-proclaimed history buff, Martin added he will pass down some other artifacts and remnants of the distant time to his grandson, who has also shown an interest in the era, much like a younger version of himself.

Birth certificates, discharge papers and marriage certificates make up part of those remnants.

“I know my history – so those certificates mean more to me than all the money in the world,” Martin said, adding that he joined the air force after college partly out of a feeling of obligation, but also genuine curiosity.

“That’s me; it’s always been a part of me.”

Once working as a conservation officer in Ontario, he said he decided to donate the grenade to preserve the history while ensuring it remains safely taken care of and in the right hands.

It’s something the Legion said it knows is important – especially with such a valuable part of history now officially in its hands.

Joe Mewett, the president of the Whitehorse branch, said the grenade symbolizes a time easily forgotten by many.

Adding that the Legion “is all about remembrance,” he said that “things like this kind of help bring a lot of that to the forefront.

“And people don’t realize all the stuff that went on behind the scenes,” Mewett said.

Those people can include the men themselves who are off in other countries, Mewett said – making it all the more important to preserve memories like these that involve the family back home.

“They don’t know what you’re doing at work – they have an idea, but then they’ve got to keep the home-fires burning.”

Remnants like these are also symbolic of the collaborative war efforts, he added.

“This is the behind-the-scenes stuff that went on while guys were overseas doing their thing.”

That’s also partly why the Legion will be dedicating a space to military history in the coming months, he noted. It will feature artifacts from both World Wars as well as Korea, Afghanistan, Vietnam and the Cold War.

Still, Mewett is grateful to have received the grenade – a possible first for the Legion.

“There’s probably not too many of them kicking around,” he smiled, though the centre has received things like naval guns and artillery artifacts in the past.

“We’ve got a couple things from WW1, but this is probably the oldest piece of armament or weapon that we have.”

The Legion does not currently have any weapons on display.

Serving overseas himself – in Afghanistan, Bosnia and parts of Africa – Mewett said he is thankful to those who recognize the value in such pieces of history: “It’s going to be very well-guarded, let’s put it that way.

“The world don’t stop just because you’re not there!” he smiled.

Martin will also be donating a book detailing an extensive history of the Second World War to the centre through his will.

The Legion expects to have the grenade on display in a glass case by around mid to the end of September, with the aim of having it ready for Remembrance Day ceremonies in November.