Material Type

Artifact

Other Name

R.C.M.P. TUNIC

Date Range From

1944

Date Range To

1952

Materials

WOOL, POLYESTER, BRASS

No. Pieces

1

Length

80.5

Description

NAVY BLUE SERGE. HAS TWO FLAPPED PATCH POCKETS ON WAIST WITH BRASS BUTTONS THAT HAVE R.C.M.P. LOGO ON THEM. ALSO HAS TWO FLAPPED PATCH POCKETS ON BREAST WITH BOX PLEATS, AND SAME BUTTONS AS ABOVE. FRONT OF JACKET HAS 5 BRASS BUTTONS DOWN IT, AS WELL AS TWO BUTTONS ON SHOULDERS. JACKET ALSO INCLUDES COLLAR BADGES (SAME LOGO AS BUTTONS) AND BRASS "RCMP" SHOULDER TITLES. THERE IS A BLUE BAR WITH TWO YELLOW STRIPES ABOVE LEFT BREAST POCKET. RIGHT ARM HAS A CHEVRON WITH A RED BACKGROUND AND 4 GOLD STRIPES (V-SHAPED). LEFT ARM HAS 6 GOLD STARS ON RED BACKGROUNDS AND A PATCH OF TWO CROSSED REVOLVERS (GOLD ON BLACK). INSIDE OF JACKET IS PARTIALLY LINED WITH BLACK MATERIAL, AND SLEEVES ARE LINED IN WHITE.

Subjects

CLOTHING-OUTERWEAR

Historical Association

SAFETY SERVICES

History

ITEMS BELONGED TO THE DONOR'S FATHER, EDWARD BUCHANAN. EDWARD WAS A MEMBER OF THE ALBERTA PROVINCIAL POLICE FROM 1919 UNTIL 1932, WHEN HE TRANSFERRED TO THE ROYAL CANADIAN MOUNTED POLICE. HE WAS A SENIOR STAFF SARGEANT, ROYAL CANADIAN MOUNTED POLICE AT LETHBRIDGE FROM MAY 1944 TO NOV. 1950. HE RETIRED IN 1950, THEN BECAME DIRECTOR OF CORRECTIONS FOR THE PROVINCE OF ALBERTA. FOLLOWING RETIREMENT, EDWARD BECAME A MEMBER OF THE RCMP VETERAN'S ASSOCATION IN EDMONTON IN 1950/51, AND REMAINED A MEMBER UNTIL HIS PASSING; HE ALSO SERVED AS PRESIDENT OF THIS ASSOCIATION. SEE P20020090001-GA FOR COMPLETE BIOGRAPHY OF EDWARD BUCHANAN. *UPDATE* AN INTERVIEW WAS CONDUCTED BY GALT’S COLLECTION TECHNICIAN KEVIN MACLEAN ON JUNE 8, 2018 WITH THE DONOR JEAN I. BUCHANAN IN REGARDS TO A NEW ARTIFACT OFFER SHE WAS MAKING TO THE MUSEUM (P20180014001-2). THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION REGARDING THE CAREER OF SENIOR STAFF SERGEANT EDWARD ETTERSHANK “BUCK” BUCHANAN – THE DONOR’S FATHER – HAS BEEN EXTRACTED FROM THAT INTERVIEW. IN THE INTERVIEW, BUCHANAN REFERS TO THIS TUNIC AS SHE SAID, “[THE RANK OF] SENIOR STAFF SERGEANT WAS THE ONLY ONE FROM A PROVINCE THAT GOT THAT NAVY TUNIC, BECAUSE THERE WAS NOT THAT MANY STAFF SERGEANTS IN EACH PROVINCE.” BUCHANAN EXPLAINED THAT HER FATHER WOULD HAVE ONLY WORN THE NAVY TUNIC ON SPECIAL OCCASIONS. “IT WAS FOR DRESS... [MY FATHER] WAS ALWAYS HANDSOME AND HE LOOKED EVEN BETTER IN THAT,” SHE RECALLED, “BUT HE WOULDN’T WANT TO WEAR THAT EVERY DAY ANY MORE THAN YOUR RED SERGE. THAT’S WHERE THE ‘BROWNS’ WERE; THAT WAS YOUR WORKING STUFF. [IT] ISN’T LIKE THE MOVIES WHERE THEY PUT THEM IN RED SERGE UP IN THE NORTH. THAT’S CRAZY.” PLEASE SEE PERMANENT FILE P20180014001 FOR MORE INFORMATION, INCLUDING FULL INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPTION AND THE OBITUARY COPY.

Catalogue Number

P20020021001

Acquisition Date

2002-11

Collection

Museum

Less detail