Material Type

Artifact

Other Name

ROYAL CANADIAN ENGINEERS BATTLEDRESS UNIFORM

Date

1951

Materials

WOOL, CANVAS, TIN

No. Pieces

2

Length

63.0

Description

1. JACKET. ABOVE DIMENSIONS. GREEN WOOL; WAISTLENGTH. HAS TWO FLAPPED, PATCH POCKETS ON EXTERIOR, EACH WITH A BOX PLEAT AND A HIDDEN BUTTON. ABOVE LEFT BREAST POCKET IS A RED AND WHITE RIBBON BAR. THERE ARE 4 METAL BUTTONS DOWN THE FRONT OF JACKET, EACH PAINTED OLIVE GREEN (PAINT WEARING AT EDGES). AT WAISTBAND, JACKET CLOSES WITH A SHORT BELT AND BUCKLE. THERE IS A BLUE AND RED, CLOTH PATCH ON EACH SHOULDER THAT READS "ROYAL CANADIAN ENGINEERS". A ROUND PATCH NEAR CUFF OF EACH ARM IS OLIVE GREEN WITH A BEIGE CROWN FLANKED BY 2 STEMS OF LEAVES. THERE IS A BLUE AND RED LANYARD HANGING FROM LEFT SHOULDER OF JACKET. INSIDE OF JACKET HAS PARTIAL LINING IN CANVAS. STAMPED INSIDE JACKET IS "BATTLE DRESS BLOUSE - SERGE SIZE NO. 13 HEIGHT 5' 11" TO 6' 0" BREAST 38" TO 39" MASTER CRAFT UNIFORM CO. REG'D. 1951". 2. PANTS. GREEN WOOL. HAS 2 SLIT POCKETS IN SIDES OF PANTS. THERE IS A CARGO POCKET ON FRONT OF LEFT LEG; THERE IS ALSO A WELT POCKET ON BACK RIGHT SIDE OF PANTS. FRONT OF PANTS CLOSE WITH 4 HIDDEN BUTTONS (PAINTED OLIVE GREEN). THERE ARE 7 BUTTONS (AS ABOVE) AROUND EXTERIOR OF WAISTBAND. INSIDE OF WAISTBAND AND POCKETS ARE LINED WITH GREEN CANVAS MATERIAL. STAMPED INSIDE WAISTBAND IS "S & G CLOTHING CO. [LTD] TROUSERS, BATTLEDRESS 1951 SIZE N[??] HEIGHT 5'7" TO 5'8" WAIST 32" TO 33" ". ALSO WRITTEN INSIDE PANTS IS "D5091 A9921 D1030".

Subjects

CLOTHING-OUTERWEAR

Historical Association

MILITARY

History

BLOUSE WORN BY SQUADRON SERGEANT MAJOR A. W. ‘JOE’ SCHANDOR. A NATIVE OF EARL GREY, SASKATCHEWAN, SCHANDOR CAME TO LETHBRIDGE AND JOINED THE 33RD FIELD SQUADRON, ROYAL CANADIAN ENGINEERS (RCE) (MILITIA) AS A SAPPER IN 1954. AFTER A JUNIOR N.C.O. COURSE, SCHANDOR BECAME A CORPORAL, THEREAFTER COMPLETING A FIELD ENGINEERING COURSE TO BECOME A GROUP (2) FIELD ENGINEER, AS ONLY 1 OF 5 IN THE MILITIA REGIMENT. HE ROSE THROUGH THE RANKS AND WAS EVENTUALLY NAMED SQUADRON SERGEANT MAJOR, THE HIGHEST NON COMMISSIONED RANK IN THE SQUADRON, IN MAY, 1965. IN 1966, HE RECEIVED THE CANADIAN FORCES DECORATION FOR TWELVE YEARS MERITORIOUS SERVICE IN THE FORCES. HE MAINTAINED THE RANK OF SQUADRON SERGEANT MAJOR UNTIL THE TIME OF THE SQUADRON’S DISBANDMENT IN 1968. DURING HIS SERVICE, HE SPENT TWO WEEKS OF EVERY YEAR - AND SOMETIMES A MONTH - AT CANADIAN FORCES BASE CHILLIWACK -HOME OF THE ENGINEERS - AS WELL AS AT CAMPS SARCEE AND WAINRIGHT. THERE, HE WAS INVOLVED IN BRIDGE BUILDING, DEMOLITION, LIVE EXERCISE FIRING, LEADERSHIP, WIRELESS, AND NUMEROUS OTHER TRAINING EXERCISES. THE 33RD FP SQUADRON, RCE WAS FOUNDED IN LETHBRIDGE IN 1946 AND WAS LOCATED AT THE NORTHSIDE ARMOURIES IN LETHBRIDGE. AT ONE TIME, IT WAS THE LARGEST ENGINEER SQUADRON IN WESTERN CANADA, PARADING OVER TWO HUNDRED SOLDIERS WEEKLY. IT WAS DISBANDED IN 1968 ON ACCOUNT OF A CANADA-WIDE REORGANIZATION OF THE MILITIA WHICH EMPHASIZED A NEED FOR CONSOLIDATION. FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE SEE THE PERMANENT FILE AND ARCHIVES DONATION P20081079000. ADDITIONALLY, SCHANDOR MADE A PRESENTATION AT THE GALT RELATED TO HIS SERVICE IN NOVEMBER 2008.

Catalogue Number

P19990086002

Acquisition Date

2003-05

Collection

Museum

Less detail