Material Type

Artifact

Other Name

MILITARY HIGH TOP BOOTS

Date Range From

1914

Date Range To

1918

Materials

LEATHER, WOOD, COTTOM, STEEL, BRASS

No. Pieces

4

Height

41

Length

28

Width

9.5

Description

1. BOOTS: ONE PAIR OF KNEE-HIGH LEATHER BOOTS. REDDISH-BROWN LEATHER IS MACHINE SEWN TOGETHER IN THREE PIECES; TOE, HEEL AND TOP. SINGLE STRIP OF LEATHER 1.5CM WIDE IS DOUBLE STITCHED DOWN BACK SEAM OF TOP. LEATHER SOLE IS SEWN TO BOOT WITH 1.5 CM HEEL FASTENED TO SOLE WITH IRON NAILS. BOOT IS NARROW IN THE TOE AND SLIGHTLY ROUNDED. TOP OF BOOT IS NARROW AT THE ANKLE AND WIDENS AS IT LENGTHENS TOWARDS THE KNEE. ON EITHER SIDE OF TOP'S INTERIOR ARE LOOPED STRAPS (BROWN WITH THREE WHITE STRIPES) SEWN TO HELP PULL BOOT ON. AS WELL STAMPED TO FRONT OF INSIDE IS "7 C 5709". BOTH BOOTS ARE BADLY WORN AND CRACKING. BOTH BOOTS HAVE TEARS AS WELL ON TOE PORTIONS. THE INTERIOR OF TOP IS CRACKING BADLY AND TORN ALONG SEAMS. 2. SHOE-FORMS: TWO WOODEN SHOE FORMS, ONE RIGHT, ONE LEFT. EACH SHOE IS HINGED WITH STEEL PIN AT ARCH OF "FOOT". LATHE TURNED HANDLE 5CM IN LENGTH EXTENDS FROM HEEL OF EACH. STAMPED INTO BOTTOM OF EACH IS TWO ARROWS WITH "THE IRE-DALE TREE" ETCHED INTO WOOD. ON TOP SIDE OF EACH IS ETCHED "7 1/2 D". RIGHT SHOE-FORM HAS 3.7CM CRACK IN TOE. BOTH FORMS ARE IN GOOD CONDITION WITH MINOR AMOUNT OF SURFACE DIRT WORN INTO FINISH.

Subjects

CLOTHING-FOOTWEAR

Historical Association

MILITARY

History

PROBABLY USED IN FIRST WORLD WAR AND COLLECTED BY DONOR'S FATHER. 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

P19930066003

Acquisition Date

1995-04

Collection

Museum

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