Material Type

Artifact

Other Name

R.F.C. JACKET

Date Range From

1914

Date Range To

1918

Materials

WOOL, COTTON, BRASS

No. Pieces

1

Length

85.0

Width

41.0

Description

KHAKI DOUBLE BREASTED (WRAP-STYLE) ROYAL FLYING CORP JACKET W/ 4 BUTTON & 3 SNAP FRONT CLOSURE. PLEATED BACK. STANDING COLLAR W/ HOOK & EYE. 2 OUTER WAIST POCKETS. SATIN (KHAKI) BODY LINING, ARMS LINED W/ STRIPED COTTON. FABRIC2 SHOULDER BOARDS. 1 HAS STITCH ATTACHMENT TO JACKET BODY TEARING. LINER STITCHING TO COLLAR DETERIORATING. 1 SNAP FOR FRONT CLOSURE MISSING. SHOULDER BOARDS DENOTE RANK OF CAPTAIN. RAISED "RFC" WING BADGE ON LEFT BREAST.

Subjects

CLOTHING-OUTERWEAR

Historical Association

MILITARY

History

R.F.C., ROYAL FLYING CORP, FORERUNNER TO ROYAL AIR FORCE (R.A.F.). *UPDATE* IN 2012 COLLECTIONS ASSISTANT DAVID SMITH CONDUCTED A SURVEY OF MILITARY OBJECTS. HE WAS ABLE TO SPECULATE THE ORIGINAL OWNER TO BE CAPTAIN HYDE SIDDOWAY TAYLOR. HYDE SIDDOWAY TAYLOR WAS BORN ON NOVEMBER 12, 1981 IN SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH. HE CAME TO MAGRATH, ALBERTA WITH HIS PARENTS IN 1893. HE SPENT THREE YEARS WITH THE MILITIA IN THE 23RD MOUNTED RIFLES WHICH BECAME THE SOUTHERN ALBERTA LIGHT HORSE CAVALRY REGIMENT. ACCORDING TO TAYLOR’S ATTESTATION PAPER, HE ENLISTED IN THE CANADIAN OVER-SEAS EXPEDITIONARY FORCE ON JULY 3, 1914, A MONTH BEFORE CANADA AND BRITAIN OFFICIALLY DECLARED WAR. ACCORDING TO TAYLOR’S PAY BOOK WHICH CAN BE FOUND IN THE GALT ARCHIVES, HE WAS PROMOTED TO THE RANK OF LIEUTENANT ON FEBRUARY 14, 1915 AND LATER TO THE RANK OF CAPTAIN ON JANUARY 1, 1917. THE BOOK ALSO OUTLINES HIS EXPERIENCE WITH THE CANADIAN CAVALRY FROM JUNE 1, 1915 TO JULY 25, 1916. TAYLOR WAS SERVING WITH THE CANADIAN CAVALRY WHEN HE WAS CALLED TO SERVE OVERSEAS IN FRANCE ON DECEMBER 12, 1915. AFTER LANDING HIS CHARGE SAFELY IN ENGLAND HE WAS ORDERED TO CANTERBURY WHERE HE BECAME ATTACHED TO THE CAVALRY DIVISION OF THE IMPERIAL ARMY. TAYLOR SERVED WITH THE ROYAL FLYING CORPS OVERSEAS FROM JULY 25, 1916 TO DECEMBER 15, 1916. ACCORDING TO THE MAGRATH AND DISTRICT HISTORY BOOK IRRIGATION BUILDERS, TAYLOR WAS ALSO AWARDED THE MONS STAR. ACCESSIONED AT THE SAME TIME AS THE ANONYMOUS DONATION P19739414000, ARE ADDITIONAL ITEMS WHICH LACK UNIQUE IDENTIFIABLE MARKINGS. IT IS SPECULATED THAT THESE ITEMS (P19739407000, P19739408000, P19739410000, P19739411000, P19739412000, P19739413000) ALSO PREVIOUSLY BELONGED TO CAPTAIN HYDE SIDDOWAY TAYLOR. THESE ITEMS INCLUDE TWO FLYING CORPS UNIFORMS DISPLAYING THE RANK OF CAPTAIN. THIS IS CONSISTENT WITH THE FACT THAT TAYLOR HELD THE RANK OF CAPTAIN AT THE CONCLUSION OF WWI. ADDITIONALLY THE ARCHIVES DEPARTMENT HAS AN ALBUM WITH PHOTOGRAPHIC DOCUMENTATION OF TAYLOR’S EXPERIENCE DURING THE WAR. PICTURES IN THE ARCHIVES EXIST WHICH SHOW TAYLOR IN A MILITIA UNIFORM AND TWO DIFFERENT R.F.C. UNIFORMS THAT ARE VISUALLY IDENTICAL TO THE ONES WE HAVE. ANOTHER PICTURE DEMONSTRATES THAT THE R.F.C. JACKET P19739411000 WHICH IS MISSING A BELT WAS WORN WITH A LEATHER BELT LIKE THE ONE MARKED L.H.T. P19739414000. FROM THE EXTENSIVE FILE OF MILITARY PAPERWORK HE DONATED TO THE ARCHIVES, IT IS EVIDENT THAT TAYLOR SAVED MANY OF HIS ITEMS ASSOCIATED WITH HIS MILITARY CAREER. THE ACCESSIONS LEDGER FROM 1966 SHOWS A DONATION BY CHRIS GIBSON OF TWO FIRST WORLD WAR TUNICS THAT DISPLAY CAPTAIN’S RANK. FOR MORE INFORMATION, INCLUDING BRITISH AND CANADIAN SERVICE RECORDS, PLEASE SEE P19739407000.

Catalogue Number

P19739410000

Acquisition Date

1973-09

Collection

Museum

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