Material Type

Artifact

Date

1943

Materials

STEEL

No. Pieces

1

Height

22.6

Length

71.2

Width

22.1

Description

RECTANGULAR STEEL BOX, PAINTED OLIVE GREEN. LID OPENS ON 2 HINGES AT BACK AND THERE ARE 2 LATCHES IN FRONT. IMPRESSED INTO TOP OF BOX IS "BSMS/1943 MINE AT MK V". STAMPED ON TOP OF BOX IN YELLOW IS "SPLY/MP/558". STAMPED ON FRONT AND BACK OF BOX IN YELLOW, IS "T.N.T. SERIES 42 BO/C 3/44" "5 MINES CONTACT A.T MK.V/HC" "FUZES NO3MKIA & COVERS" "FUZES LOT 929 SC/C 2/44". STAMPED ON SIDES OF BOX, IN YELLOW, IS "5 MINES A.T.MK.V/HC WITH FUZES". THERE IS ALSO A RED AND WHITE STICKER ON FRONT OF BOX THAT IS ILLEGIBLE.

Subjects

ARMAMENT-ACCESSORY

Historical Association

MILITARY

History

DONOR'S FAMILY PURCHASED THEIR HOME, FROM R. DONALD LIVINGSTONE, AROUND 1945. BOX WAS IN HOME WHEN PURCHASED. R. DONALD LIVINGSTONE, SON OF ROBERT LIVINGSTONE, WAS A SIXTH GENERATION COAL MINER. GRADUATING WITH A BACHELOR OF SCIENCE FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF ALBERTA IN 1939, WITH A MAJOR IN COAL MINING AND COAL PREPARATION, HE BECAME A FULL-TIME EMPLOYEE OF LETHBRIDGE COLLIERIES LTD. IN MAY OF THAT YEAR. HE WORKED UNDERGROUND IN GALT MINE NO. 8 FOR TWO YEARS BEFORE ENLISTING IN THE ROYAL CANADIAN ENGINEERS IN WORLD WAR II. HE SERVED WITH THE 6TH FIELD PARK COMPANY (SQUADRON) R.C.E. THROUGHOUT THE FIGHTING IN THE NORTHWESTERN EUROPE CAMPAIGN, DURING WHICH HE MADE CAPTAIN. FOR HIS SERVICE DURING THIS CAMPAIGN, THE BELGIUM GOVERNMENT AWARDED HIM THE CHEVALIER OF THE ORDER OF LEOPOLD II WITH PALM AND THE CROIX DE GUERRE 1940 WITH PALM. IN MARCH 1946 THE 6TH SQUADRON RETURNED FROM OVERSEAS TO LETHBRIDGE, AND IN APRIL THE UNIT WAS REACTIVATED AS THE 33RD FIELD PARK SQUADRON R.C.E., WITH MAJOR DON LIVINGSTONE AS COMMANDING OFFICER. RETURNING TO GALT MINE NO. 8 AFTER THE WAR, HE SUBSEQUENTLY BECAME CHIEF ENGINEER IN 1946, ASSISTANT GENERAL MANAGER IN 1953 AND GENERAL MANAGER IN 1957. IN DECEMBER OF 1956 MAJOR LIVINGSTONE WAS PROMOTED TO LIEUTENANT COLONEL AND PLACED IN COMMAND OF THE 8TH FIELD REGIMENT R.C.E., WITH SQUADRONS IN LETHBRIDGE, CALGARY, EDMONTON, KIMBERLEY, AND YELLOWKNIFE, AND HE HELD THIS POSITION FOR THE NEXT FOUR YEARS, UNTIL HIS RETIREMENT FROM THE MILITARY IN 1960. AFTER GALT MINE NO. 10 CLOSED IN 1963, HE LED THE COAL EXPLORATION TEAM WHICH ESTABLISHED THE FORDING COAL MINE IN SOUTH-EASTERN BRITISH COLUMBIA BEFORE RETIRING AS GENERAL MANAGER IN JUNE 1973. (SEE ARCHIVES P20011091000 FOR AUTOBIOGRAPHY/BIOGRAPHY OF R. DONALD LIVINGSTONE).

Catalogue Number

P20030006000

Acquisition Date

2003-07

Collection

Museum

Less detail