Material Type

Artifact

Other Name

SLICKER

Date

1943

Materials

RUBBER, COTTON, BRASS

No. Pieces

1

Length

110

Width

95

Description

PONCHO STYLE RUBBER SLICKER WITH CANVAS LINING. BROWN RUBBER MATERIAL IS SEWN TO FADED GREEN CANVAS LINING. COLLAR HAS BUTTONHOLE ON RIGHT SIDE AND TWO BLACK BAKELITE BUTTONS SEWN ONTO THE LEFT. BRASS HOOK AND EYE CLAPS CLOSES FRONT AT THROAT AREA. FRONT HAS FLY CLOSE WITH FOUR STITCHED HOLES AND MATCHING BLACK BAKELITE BUTTONS. ALONG OUTER SEAMS OF SLICKER ARE 12 BRASS EYELETS (2CM DIAMETER). ALONG INSIDE BACK ON RIGHT SIDE IS RUBBER FLAP WITH TWO ADDITIONAL EYELETS. EYELETS ALLOW SLICKER TO DOUBLE AS A GROUND SHEET. ON INSIDE OF FRONT LEFT STAMPED ON CANVAS IN BLACK IS "C" WITH AN ARROW AND AN OVAL WITH "ST.L.R.C. 1943" INSIDE OF IT. ON INSIDE OF BACK LEFT IS HAND PRINTED IN INK "CHRISTIE HUGH AINSCOUGH 135 MITCHELL CRESCENT PHONE JA(?) 7-2754". TO THE RIGHT OF COLLAR IS 22.5 CM STITCHED SEAM FOR SHOULDER. SLIGHT CORROSION ON BRASS EYELETS. NUMEROUS STAINS AND DIRT ON RUBBER AND CANVAS.

Subjects

CLOTHING-OUTERWEAR

Historical Association

MILITARY

History

SEE 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

P19930066012

Acquisition Date

1994-04

Collection

Museum

Less detail