Material Type

Artifact

Other Name

"C.D" - CIVIL DEFENSE

Date Range From

1960

Date Range To

1963

Materials

BRASS, ENAMEL

No. Pieces

2

Length

1.1

Width

1.6

Diameter

0.8

Description

PIN, BRASS AND ENAMEL. DEPICTS ALBERTA COAT OF ARMS, BLUE SQUARES ON EITHER SIDE OF SHIELD RUN FROM TOP OF HORIZONTAL LINE OF CROSS TO BOTTOM OF MOUNTAINS, LEFT SQUARE MARKED “C”, RIGHT SQUARE MARKED “D.” ENAMEL IN EXCELLENT CONDITION. PIN HAS SCREW AND NUT STYLE CLASP.

Subjects

PERSONAL SYMBOL

Historical Association

SAFETY SERVICES

MILITARY

History

GARDNER, BORN IN EDMONTON AND RAISED IN LETHBRIDGE, WAS 33 YEARS OLD WHEN HE JOINED THE LETHBRIDGE CIVIL DEFENSE (C.D.) POLICE IN 1960. HIS AWARENESS OF THE C.D. POLICE AND HIS KNOWLEDGE OF ITS “CALL FOR VOLUNTEERS” LIKELY CAME, HE SAID, FROM AN ADVERTISEMENT IN THE LETHBRIDGE HERALD. HIS MOTIVATION TO VOLUNTEER WAS BASED ON HIS PERCEPTION THAT A FUTURE WAR WAS LIKELY TO OCCUR – ESPECIALLY GIVEN THE PERIOD’S EVENTS WHICH, INCLUDED THE CUBAN MISSILE CRISIS. ADDITIONALLY, HIS FAMILY PARTICIPATED IN WWI AND FRIENDS IN WWII, SAYING, THE “THREAT OF WAR WAS ALWAYS IN [HIS] MIND”. HE DID NOT ENLIST IN WWII ON ACCOUNT THAT HE WAS TOO YOUNG. NO TIME COMMITMENT OR TERM CONTRACT EXISTED WITH REGARDS TO GARDNER’S C.D. VOLUNTEER EXPERIENCE. GARDNER’S RECOLLECTION OF THE C.D. POLICE’S ADMINISTRATION, GOVERNANCE AND RECRUITMENT WAS DOMINATED BY THE ORGANIZATION’S DIRECTOR C.W. CHICHESTER. THE C.D. POLICE OFFICE WAS, HE BELIEVED, IN CITY HALL WITH “LECTURES IN THE COURT ROOM AT THE POLICE STATION”. TRAINING WAS “BASICALLY UNDER POLICE CHIEF CARPENTER” WITH “LECTURES BY CARPENTER, INSPECTOR COPELAND AND DETECTIVE R. MICHELSON. THERE WERE NO COMMUNICATIONS OR WORKING RELATIONSHIPS WITH ANY OTHER MEMBERS OF THE POLICE FORCE”. ADDITIONAL TRAINING WAS PROVIDED BY RETIRED MOUNTED POLICE MEMBERS BARRY ALLEN AND C.D. INSPECTOR A. DICKSON. GARDNER RECALLED RECEIVING TARGET SHOOTING TRAINING IN THE “BASEMENT OF THE R.C.M.P. GARAGE” WHERE THE MOUNTED POLICE OPERATED A PISTOL SHOOTING RANGE. RELATIONS WITH THE CITY POLICE FORCE DID NOT EXTEND BEYOND THE AFOREMENTIONED WITH GARDNER GOING SO FAR AS TO SAY THAT, “THE FORCE’S COMMISSION HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH IT (C.D. POLICE) NOR [DID THEY HAVE] AN ACTIVE ROLE IN IT." ADDITIONALLY, NO C.D. EXERCISES WERE, TO HIS KNOWLEDGE, DIRECTED BY THE POLICE FORCE. GARDNER COULD NOT IN 2009 RECALL ANY DETAILS PER THE END OF THE C.D. POLICE IN 1963 EXCEPT TO SAY, “[THE] POLICE WERE QUIETLY DISBANDED AND WE TURNED IN OUR UNIFORMS”. DURING HIS C.D. POLICE INVOLVEMENT, HE SUPPORTED CIVIL DEFENCE ENGINEERING WORK WHICH INCLUDED CALCULATING THE AMOUNT OF SHIELDING REQUIRED FOR PROTECTION AGAINST FALLOUT IN CASE OF NUCLEAR ATTACK. HE RECALLED BEING SENT WITH CITY OF LETHBRIDGE BUILDING INSPECTOR BILL LOULA TO THE C.D. COLLEGE NEAR OTTAWA TO LEARN MORE ABOUT SUCH ENGINEERING MATTERS. IN 1962 HE INCORPORATED SHIELDING CODE STANDARDS (CONCRETE THICKNESS, ETC.) INTO HIS OWN PERSONAL HOME AT 1314 29TH STREET SOUTH. HE, ALONG WITH BUILDING INSPECTOR BILL LANGMEADE, UNDERTOOK TO DETERMINE THE LEVEL OF FALLOUT PROTECTION RELATED TO THE CITY’S VARIOUS PUBLIC FACILITIES, DETERMINING THAT THE 4TH AVE POST OFFICE WAS THE BEST SITES AVAILABLE. AS BEST AS GARDNER KNOWS, ALL MEMBERS OF THE C.D. POLICE WERE ALTRUISTIC IN THEIR MOTIVATIONS TO JOIN. THEY WERE, HE SAID, “ALL MIDDLE AGED AND STAYED ON DUE TO THE THREAT OF WAR”. HIS FONDEST MEMORIES INCLUDED THE LECTURES BY THE POLICE FORCE, “HEARING THE POLICE TALK ABOUT WHAT THEY WERE UP AGAINST DAY TO DAY.” HE STILL REMEMBERS RALPH MICHELSON SAYING, “IF THERE ARE ANY DEAD BODIES, YOU GUYS HAVE TO LOOK AFTER THEM.” HE WAS DISAPPOINTED FOLLOWING THE C.D. POLICE’S DISBANDMENT ON ACCOUNT THAT HE ENJOYED “THE LECTURES, THE OCCASIONAL EXERCISE, THE CAMARADERIE AND THE TARGET PRACTICE – YOU MISS IT”. HE COULD ONLY SPECULATE ON THE JUSTIFICATION BEHIND THE DISBANDMENT OF THE C.D. POLICE, WONDERING IF IT WAS DUE TO UNREST WITH THE POLICE FORCE’S ASSOCIATION. BUT, HE SAID, HE NEVER HEARD ANYTHING OFFICIAL, SAYING HE “NEVER RUBBED SHOULDERS WITH THE RANK AND FILE EXCEPT FOR DET. MICHELSON”. SEE ARCHIVES FOR SEVERAL PHOTOGRAPHS RELATED TO CD POLICE. SEE PERMANENT RECORD. C.D. RELATED ARTIFACTS SEE P19870044001-2 AND P19970094011.

Catalogue Number

P20090038000

Acquisition Date

2009-11

Collection

Museum

Less detail