Material Type

Artifact

Other Name

PARATROOPER BOOTS

Date Range From

1939

Date Range To

1945

Materials

LEATHER, COTTON, STEEL, BRASS

No. Pieces

2

Height

28.7

Length

29.2

Width

11.3

Description

ONE PAIR OF RED LEATHER LACE UP BOOTS. EACH BOOT IS SQUARE TOED WITH 9 EYELETS UP EACH SIDE FOR LACING. TOP OF BOOT REACHES LOWER CALF AREA AND HAS FASTENING STRAP WITH 5 HOLES AND BRASS BUCKLE ON OUTER SIDE OF BOOT. ALL LEATHER IS MACHINE STITCHED WITH THREE LAYER LEATHER SOLE. EACH HEEL HAS 1CM OF RUBBER ATTACHED WITH THREE PLUGS FOR REMOVAL OF FASTENING NAILS. EACH SOLE HAS NUMEROUS SMALL NAILS FOR FASTENING. EACH BOOT ALSO HAS RED COTTON LACES WITH STEEL TAGS. THE EYELETS ARE MADE OF BRASS. LEATHER IS WELL BROKEN IN BUT NOT BADLY WORN. SLIGHT CRACKING OF LEATHER ON TOP OF TOES AND AT HEELS. MODERATE CRACKING ALONG INSIDE TOP OF BOTH BOOTS. RIGHT BOOT HAS TWO RED PAINT SPLATTERS.

Subjects

CLOTHING-FOOTWEAR

Historical Association

MILITARY

History

SEE RECORD FOR P19930066001-GA *UPDATE* IN 2012 COLLECTIONS ASSISTANT DAVID SMITH CONDUCTED A SURVEY OF MILITARY OBJECTS. HE WAS ABLE TO DISCOVER NEW INFORMATION ABOUT THE ORIGINAL OWNER. HE LEARNED THE FOLLOWING: ACCORDING TO HIS OBITUARY IN THE LETHBRIDGE HERALD, REED WILSON AINSCOUGH WAS BORN IN CARDSTON ALBERTA ON JUNE 21, 1918, WAS EDUCATED IN MACLEOD AND PASSED AWAY ON OCTOBER 20, 1993. IN THE WOLFORD AREA HISTORY BOOK TITLED: FROM LUMPY BUTTE, MEMORIES LIVE FOREVER, AINSCOUGH’S WIFE (BUCK CRAIG) WROTE, “AINSCOUGH JOINED THE 93RD BATTERY IN 1940. (ANOTHER ACCOUNT WITHIN THE SAME HISTORY BOOK SUGGESTS THAT AINSCOUGH ENLISTED AT CALGARY IN JANUARY OF 1942.) THE BATTERY INCLUDED A TROOP FROM CARDSTON AND GRANUM. BEN HIGGS AND REED JOINED UP TOGETHER AND WENT TO VICTORIA TO QUALIFY FOR THEIR COMMISSIONS AS LIEUTENANTS IN THE ARTILLERY. AFTER A FEW MONTHS IN BRANDON, HE AND BEN WENT THEIR SEPARATE WAYS. BEN WENT TO ITALY AND REED FIRST SERVED IN BORDEN, ENGLAND AS A GUN POSITION OFFICER AND THEN JOINED THE “E” TROOP OF THE 91ST BATTERY, WHICH SERVED IN NORMANDY AND N.W. EUROPE. HE DID TAKE SOME TIME IN JULY 1942 TO MARRY BUCK CRAIG. REED SERVED AS A FORWARD OBSERVATION OFFICER WITH THE ARTILLERY. HE WAS WOUNDED IN THE NORMANDY REGION. AINSCOUGH’S OBITUARY IN THE LETHBRIDGE HERALD STATES THAT HE WAS WOUNDED NEAR CAEN, WHILE THE DESCRIPTION WRITTEN BY HIS WIFE IN THE WOLFORD HISTORY BOOK CLAIMS HE WAS WOUNDED NEAR ROUEN. BOTH LOCATIONS ARE IN THE NORMANDY REGION OF FRANCE. AFTER SPENDING TEN MONTHS IN THE HOSPITAL, HE RETURNED TO THE FIELD AND SERVED IN HOLLAND WITH THE 110TH BATTERY, 15TH FIELD REGIMENT JUST BEFORE ARMISTICE. AINSCOUGH RECEIVED SIX MEDALS AND WAS DISCHARGED WITH THE RANK OF CAPTAIN. AFTER RETURNING TO FORT MACLEOD, HE WAS PERSUADED TO COMMAND THE 93RD BATTERY. HE ALSO COMMANDED THE FORT MACLEOD CADET CORPS AND FORMED THREE OTHER CADET CORPS – IN PINCHER CREEK, ST. PAUL’S AND ST. MARY’S CORPS ON THE BLOOD RESERVE. AFTER THE CONCLUSION OF WWII, HE RETURNED HOME TO FORT MACLEOD. HE LATER MOVED TO MEDICINE HAT AND HELD THE RANK OF LIEUTENANT COLONEL WITH THE SOUTHERN ALBERTA LIGHT HORSE REGIMENT." FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE SEE PERMANENT FILE.

Catalogue Number

P19930066002

Acquisition Date

1995-05

Collection

Museum

Less detail