Material Type

Artifact

Other Name

LETHBRIDGE HIGHLANDERS BADGE COLLECTION

Date Range From

1915

Date Range To

1916

Materials

PAPER, GLASS, ALUMINUM, BRASS

No. Pieces

1

Height

3.4

Length

56.5

Width

52.9

Description

FRAMED BADGE COLLECTION IN SHADOW BOX. BADGES ARE MOUNTED ON A BEIGE MATTE BOARD. A CUT OUT IN MATTE BOARD REVEALS THE BLACK AND WHITE PHOTO OF A MAN IN UNIFORM. BELOW PHOTO READS "A.W. PRYCE-JONES LIEUTENANT-COLONEL COMMANDING OFFICER". COLLECTION CONSISTS OF 15 BADGES (COLLAR, CAP, AND SHOULDER FLASHES). ALL BADGES ARE FROM "113TH OVERSEAS BATTALION LETHBRIDGE HIGHLANDERS CANADA". AT BOTTOM OF MATTE BOARD READS "BATTLE HONORS MOUNT SORREL - SOMME - VIMY - HILL 70 - YPERS - PASSC HENDAELE - AMIENS - CAMBRAI - PURSUIT TO MONS - FLANDERS". AT TOP OF MATTE BOARD READS "113TH OVERSEAS BATTALION LETHBRIDGE HIGHLANDERS 22 DEC 1915-15 SEPT 1920". MATTES AROUND COLLECTION ARE RED AND BLACK, ALONG WITH A BLACK FRAME.

Subjects

PERSONAL SYMBOL

Historical Association

MILITARY

COMMEMORATIVE

History

COLLECTION WAS PROFESSIONALLY FRAMED AT FRAMEMAKERS IN THE EARLY 1990S. THE DONOR HAD COLLECTED BADGES FROM HIS EARLY YEARS UNTIL EARLY 1990S. THE FRAME WAS ENTERED IN THE LETHBRIDGE AND DISTRICT EXHIBITION (SEE PRIZE RIBBONS P20000091007-9-GA). *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 HIGHLANDERS IS EXCERPTED FROM CHRISTOPHER R. KILFORD'S BOOK 'LETHBRIDGE AT WAR: THE MILITARY HISTORY OF LETHBRIDGE FROM 1990 TO 1996' (BATTERY BOOKS & PUBLISHING, 1996). "THE 113TH CANADIAN EXPEDITIONARY FORCE, THE LETHBRIDGE HIGHLANDERS, WERE ORGANIZED DECEMBER 22, 1915 [AS] PART OF A CANADIAN RECRUITING DRIVE WHERE MEN FROM THE SAME REGION COULD ENLIST AND SERVE TOGETHER. THIS TYPE OF COMMUNITY SPIRIT RECRUITING WAS VERY POPULAR AS IT DREW IN FRIENDS, NEIGHBOURS, CO-WORKERS, ETC. WITH THE PROMIS OF SERVING TOGETHER THROUGHOUT THE WAR. THE 113TH CONSISTED OF 883 MEN AND OFFICERS AND HAD ITS BARRACKS AT THE EXHIBITION GROUNDS IN LETHBRIDGE... BASIC TRAINING IN THE CEF INVOLVED RIFLE TRAINING, BOMBING OR HAND GRENADE PRACTICE, ROUTE MARCHES, RIFLE DRILL AND MANY INSPECTIONS... IN LATE MAY 1916 THE BATTALION MOVED TO SARCEE CAMP OUTSIDE CALGARY FOR FURTHER TRAINING THAT LASTED UNTIL SPETEMBER... ON SEPTEMBER 26TH 1916 THE 113TH EMBARKED ALONG WITH THE 111TH AND 145TH BATTALIONS ON THE SS TUSCANIA... UPON ARRIVING IN ENGLAND THE BATTALION WAS TAKEN TO A HOLDING CAMP AT SANDLING NEAR SHORNCLIFFE... THE COMMANDING OFFICER LEARNED THAT THE 113TH WOULD BE BROKEN UP FOR REPLACEMENTS AND WOULD NOT SEE ACTION AS A UNIT AFTER ALL... THE 113TH WAS TRANSFERRED TO THE 17TH RESERVE BATTALION CEF, THE NOVA SCOTIA HIGHLANDERS, AFFILIATED WITH THE SCOTTISH SEAFORTH HIGHLANDERS... ON OCTOBER 12, 1916 MOST OF THE OLD 113TH PROCEEDED TO FRANCE... ALMOST IMMEDIATELY 300 MEN OF THE OLD 113TH WERE ASSIGNED AS REPLACEMENTS TO ONE OF THE MOST FAMOUS BATTALIONS IN THE CEF, THE 16TH BATTALION CANADIAN SCOTTISH."

Catalogue Number

P20000091004

Acquisition Date

2001-07

Collection

Museum

Less detail