Material Type

Artifact

Other Name

LETHBRIDGE GARRISON (MILITIA) BADGE COLLECTION

Date Range From

1955

Date Range To

1961

Materials

PAPER, GLASS, ALUMINUM, BRASS

No. Pieces

1

Height

3.4

Length

56.4

Width

52.6

Description

FRAMED COLLECTION OF BADGES, IN A SHADOW BOX. BADGES ARE MOUNTED ON A WHITE MATTE BOARD. A CUTOUT IN CENTER OF BOARD REVEALS A BLACK AND WHITE PHOTO OF THREE MEN IN UNIFORM. BELOW PHOTO READS "MAJ. R.A. LANE 32 TECH SQN RCEME MAJ.A. ASPESLET 33 FD SQN RCE LT.COL. P. WALKER 18 FD REGT RCA". COLLECTION CONSISTS OF 12 METAL BADGES, OF VARYING TYPES, AND SIZES, AND FOUR FELT SHOULDER PATCHES OF DIFFERENT COLOURS AND TYPES. AT TOP OF MATTE BOARD, IN CALLIGRAPHY, IS "LETHBRIDGE GARRISON (MILITIA) LETHBRIDGE, ALBERTA 1962". MATTES AROUND COLLECTION ARE RED AND BLUE. HAS A BLACK METAL FRAME.

Subjects

PERSONAL SYMBOL

Historical Association

MILITARY

COMMEMORATIVE

History

THIS IS THE THIRD FRAME DONE IN A SERIES BY DONOR. THE PHOTO WAS TAKEN AT CAMP SARCEE. THE FRAME WAS PUT TOGETHER IN THE EARLY 1990S, AND WAS ENTERED INTO THE LETHBRIDGE & DISTRICT EXHIBITION. (SEE PRIZE RIBBONS P20000091007-9-GA). SEE P20000091002-GA FOR MORE HISTORY. *UPDATE* IN 2014 COLLECTIONS ASSISTANT JANE EDMUNDSON CONDUCTED A SURVEY OF MILITARY OBJECTS, INCLUDING THOSE DONATED BY MIKE PROKOP. INFORMATION ABOUT THE DONOR WAS RETREIVED FROM HIS FUNERAL PROGRAM: "MIKE PROKOP, BELOVED HUSBAND OF LYDIA PROKOP OF LETHBRIDGE PASSED AWAY PEACEFULLY AFTER A LENGTHY ILLNESS ON MONDAY, DECEMBER 13, 2004 AT THE AGE OF 71 YEARS... MIKE WORKED MANY YEARS AT LETHBRIDGE BATTERY PRIOR TO OPERATING HIS OWN BUSINESS, GENERAL TOY & HOBBY CRAFT. MIKE WAS A MEMBER OF THE 32ND TECH SQUADRON R.C.E.M.E. AND THE 18TH INDEPENDENT FIELD BATTERY REGIMENT... HE ALSO DEVOTED MANY YEARS TO THE ROYAL CANADIAN SEA CADET CORP AS COMMANDING OFFICER AND BAND INSTRUCTOR. HE WAS A LIFETIME MEMBER OF THE ROYAL CANADIAN LEGION SERVING AS POPPY CHAIRMAN AND FIRST VICE." FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, SEE PERMANENT FILE. THE FOLLOWING BRIEF HISTORY OF THE LETHBRIDGE MILITIA GARRISON WAS DEVELOPED WITH INFORMATION FROM LETHBRIDGE HERALD ARTICLES FROM 1961, 1968 AND 1973, AND CHRISTOPHER R. KILFORD'S BOOK 'LETHBRIDGE AT WAR' (1996). THE LETHBRIDGE MILITIA GARRISON WAS COMPRISED OF THE 18TH FIELD ARTILLERY REGIMENT, 33RD FIELD ENGINEER SQUADRON, AND 32ND TECHNICAL SQUADRON ROYAL CANADIAN ELECTRICAL MECHANICAL ENGINEERS. THE THREE MEN PICTURED IN THE SHADOW BOX ARE MAJORS LANE AND ASPESLET AND LT. COL. WALKER. MAJOR R.A. LANE WAS THE OFFICER COMMANDING OF THE RCEME SQUADRON, MAJOR (LATER LT. COL.) A.O. ASPESLET COMMANDED BOTH THE 33RD SQUADRON AND 18TH ARTILLERY REGIMENT OVER HIS YEARS WITH THE GARRISON, AND LT. COL. P.H. WALKER WAS THE COMMANDING OFFICFER OF THE 18TH ARTILLERY REGIMENT (PRECEEDING ASPESLET IN THAT ROLE). KILFORD WRITES: "WITH THE OUTBREAK OF THE KOREAN WAR IN 1950, INTEREST IN THE MILITIA GREW... IN 1954 THE 9TH TECHNICAL REGIMENT RCEME WAS FORMED WITH THE HEADQUARTERS IN LETHBRIDGE. THE REGIMENT CONSISTED OF 'A' SQUADRON IN CALGARY, THE 31ST TECHNICAL SQUADRON IN BLAIRMORE AND THE 32ND TECHNICAL SQUADRON IN LETHBRIDGE... MAJOR ROY LANE, A POSTAL CLERK IN LETHBRIDGE WHO HAD SERVED OVERSEAS DURING THE SECOND WORLD WAR WITH THE ARMOURED CORPS, WAS GIVEN COMMAND OF THE 32ND TECHNICAL SQUADRON... FROM 1954 TO 1962 THE REGIMENT AND ITS SQUADRONS TRAINED AT SARCEE [CAMP] IN CALGARY AND LOOKED AFTER THE MAINTENANCE REQUIREMENTS OF THE OTHER UNITS IN LETHBRIDGE... IN 1962 THE REGIMENTAL HEADQUARTERS WAS DISSOLVED FOLLOWED BY THE 32ND TECHNICAL SQUADRON IN 1964... ON APRIL 1, 1946 [THE 6TH FIELD PARK SQUADRON RCE] WAS REACTIVATED AS THE 33RD FIELD PARK SQUADRON RCE... ALONG WITH THE 33RD SQUADRON, THE 142ND LAD AND NUMBER 43 ELECTRICAL AND MECHANICAL PLATOON WERE ALSO FORMED. ALL THREE UNITS TOOK UP RESIDENCE IN THE OLD MUNICIPAL AIRPOT HANGAR ON 5TH AVE NORTH IN LETHBRIDGE. THE UNITS [TRAINED NEW RECRUITS] AS FIELD ENGINEERS, CARPENTERS, ELECTRICIANS, MECHANICS... THE UNIT'S NAME WAS CHANGED IN 1952 TO THE 33RD FIELD SQUADRON RCE... IN FEBRUARY 1960... MAJOR A.O. ASPESLET BECAME THE NEW SQUADRON COMMANDER... WHEN THE 32ND TECHNICAL SQUADRON RCEME WAS DISBANDED IN NOVEMBER 1964 MANY OF THE OFFICERS AND MEN TRANSFERRED TO THE REMAINING RESERVE UNITS IN LETHBRIDGE [INCLUDING] MAJOR ROY LANE... IN 1968 ANOTHER ROUND OF CUTBACKS RESULTED IN [THE 33RD FIELD SQUADRON'S] DISBANDMENT AS WELL... ONLY THE 18TH FIELD ARTILLERY REGIMENT WAS LEFT TO CARRY ON THE MILITIA TRADITION IN LETHBRIDGE... THE 18TH FIELD REGIMENT RCA WAS FORMED IN APRIL 1946 [OUT OF THE 18TH FIELD BRIGADE RCA]... IN JULY 1955, COMMAND OF THE REGIMENT WAS HANDED OVER TO LIEUTENANT COLONEL PAT WALKER... [HE] WOULD REMAIN IN COMMAND UNTIL JANUARY 1962, AFTER WHICH LIEUTENANT COLONOEL ANTHONY ASPESLET TOOK OVER... IN THE 1960S THE UNIT TITLE BECAME THE 18TH FIELD ARTILLERY REGIMENT RCA... IN APRIL 1970 THE REGIMENT WAS REDUCED TO A SINGLE BATTERY, THE 20TH INDEPENDENT FIELD BATTERY... IN 1992 THE 20TH INDEPENDENT FIELD BATTERY BECAME THE 18TH AIR DEFENCE REGIMENT AS PART OF THE 'TOTAL FORCE' INITIATIVE, [WHICH] RESULTED FROM A DESIRE TO BETTER INTEGRATE THE REGULAR AND RESERVE ELEMENTS OF THE CANADIAN FORCES RATHER THAN HAVING TWO SEPARATE ENTITIES... 'TOTAL FORCE' IN LETHBRIDGE RESULTED IN NUMEROUS CHANGES [INCLUDING A SUBSTANTIAL INCREASE IN SUPPORT STAFF, INVESTMENT IN] THE JAVELIN ANTI-AIRCRAFT MISSILE SYSTEM AND MILLIONS OF DOLLARS... ALLOCATED TO IMPROVE THE EXISTING ARMOURY AND BUILD SEVERAL OTHER NEW FACILITIES... THE UNIT WOULD ALMOST DOUBLE THE PREVIOUS NUMBER OF PART-TIME SOLDIERS... THROUGH 1994 AND 1995 THE REGIMENT CONTINUED TO PARTICIPATE IN NUMEROUS EXERCISES [INCLUDING UNITED NATIONS PEACEKEEPING MISSIONS IN THE FORMER YUGOSLAVIA]". ACCORDING TO THE CANADIAN ARMY WEBSITE, THE 18TH AIR DEFENCE REGIMENT WAS REDESIGNATED AS THE 20TH INDEPENDENT FIELD BATTERY IN 2011. SEE PERMANENT FILE FOR HARDCOPIES OF LETHBRIDGE HERALD SOURCE ARTICLES.

Catalogue Number

P20000091003

Acquisition Date

2001-07

Collection

Museum

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