PATCH, MILITARY

Description: PATCH IS QUITE LARGE AND HAS AN IMAGE OF AN EIGHT BALL WITH TWO GOLD WINGS. ON THE EIGHT BALL BETWEEN THE WINGS, THERE ARE THE LETTERS "B&G". UNDER THE EIGHTBALL WITH WINGS, THERE ARE THE LETTERS "R.C.A.F". THE PATCH IS SITTING ON A WHITE BACKGROUND.

History: BELONGED TO DONOR'S HUSBAND, CHARLES COCKBURN, WHO WAS STATIONED AT THE NO.8 BOMBING AND GUNNERY SCHOOL IN LETHBRIDGE DURING THE SECOND WORLD WAR. HE WAS AN AIRFORCE MECHANIC FOR ABOUT 5 YEARS. CHARLES HAD MOVED TO LETHBRIDGE IN 1948 FRON WINNIPEG. DONOR WAS BORN HERE; MET AND MARRIED HUSBAND IN LETHBRIDGE AND REMAINED LIVING HERE. FOR GENERAL INFORMATION ON SCHOOL, SEE 1998 HERALD ARTICLE IN PERMANENT FILE. NARRATIVE BELOW SOLICITED FROM DENNIS COBURN IN EARLY 2010 WHEN THIS ARTIFACT WAS EXHIBITED AS PART OF THE GALT’S TREASURES & CURIOSITIES DISPLAY. THE NARRATIVE BECAME THE BASIS FOR THE ARTIFACT’S LABEL COPY IN THE EXHIBIT. *** THIS PATCH BELONGED TO MY FATHER CHUCK COBURN (DECEASED), WHO TRAINED AT THE 38 BOMBING & GUNNERY SCHOOL AT THE LETHBRIDGE AIRPORT. I REMEMBER THIS PATCH ON HIS JACKET WHEN I WAS QUITE YOUNG. I REMEMBER HIM TALKING ABOUT HIS EXPERIENCES AT #8 B&G, HOW THEY TRAINED AND ATTEMPTED TO SHOOT AT DROGUE TARGETS TO PRACTICE THEIR GUNNERY SKILLS. THIS SCHOOL IS NOT WELL KNOWN AROUND LETHBRIDGE AND I FEEL MORE PEOPLE SHOULD APPRECIATE THE VERY IMPORTANT CONTRIBUTION IT MADE TO THE WAR EFFORT. ***