Material Type

Artifact

Other Name

COLLAR BADGES

Date Range From

1940

Date Range To

1950

Materials

COPPER, BRASS

No. Pieces

5

Description

5 MILITARY COLLAR BADGES. EACH IS CROWN SHAPED WITH COTTAR KEY FASTENING PINS. EACH BADGE IS COPPER WITH BRASS FINISH. 3 BADGES ARE SLIGHTLY LARGER MEASURING 2.5CM X 2.7CM. THESE THREE HAVE BRIGHT FINISH AND ARE DUPLICATES OF BRITISH ROYAL CROWN WITH FOUR CROSSES AND TWO FLEUR-DE-LIS. THE COTTAR KEYS ARE FITTED HORIZONTALLY ACROSS THE BACK OF BADGE. THE OTHER TWO BADGES ARE SMALLER, MEASURING 2.3CM X 2.5CM. THESE ALSO ARE DUPLICATES OF BRITISH ROYAL CROWN BUT WITH JEWELLED AREAS PAINTED RED, GREEN OR BLUE. THE CLOTH PART OF ROYAL CROWN IS NOT REPRESENTED ON THESE TWO. THE COTTAR KEYS ARE FITTED VERTICALLY ON BACK OF BADGE. ONE OF THESE TWO IS MISSING ITS PIN AND ONE PIN STRUT IS BENT. OTHERWISE, ALL ARE IN GOOD CONDITION.

Subjects

PERSONAL SYMBOL

Historical Association

MILITARY

History

SEE RECORD FOR P19930066001-GA 'S FATHER, REED AINSCOUGH, WHO SERVED WITH CANADIAN MILITARY IN WORLD WAR TWO. MR. AINSCOUGH WAS A MEMBER OF L.U.C.E. AND PASSED AWAY IN 1993. *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

P19930066013

Acquisition Date

1995-04

Collection

Museum

Less detail