Material Type

Artifact

Other Name

EFFICIENCY MEDAL

Date Range From

1945

Date Range To

1945

Materials

SILVER, RIBBON, CARDBOARD

No. Pieces

2

Height

1.3

Length

8.5

Width

5.6

Description

EFFICIENCY MEDAL, BOXED,INCLUDES GREEN STRIPED RIBBON, 2 PIECES. 1. MEDAL, SILVER, FRONT DEPICTS KING GEORGE VI, BACK MARKED “FOR EFFICIENT SERVICE”, MARKED ON EDGE “…SHIPPOBOTHAM…”, TARNISHED THROUGHOUT. 3.6 CM WIDE BY 5.5 CM LONG BY 0.5 CM DEEP. RIBBON, DARK GREEN WITH YELLOW EDGED BORDER, SOILED THROUGHOUT WITH PIN HOLES AT BOTH ENDS, FRAYED AT BOTH ENDS. 10.02CM LONG BY 3.4 CM WIDE. 2. BOX, CARDBOARD, WHITE, YELLOWING WITH EDGE WEAR, SOILED THROUGHOUT. 5.3 CM WIDE BY 7.7 CM LONG BY 1.2 CM DEEP. LID, CARDBOARD, WHITE, YELLOWING WITH EDGE WEAR, 2 OUT OF 4 CORNERS RIPPED SOILED THROUGHOUT, PAPER LABEL AFFIXED TO TOP OF LID MARKED “ …SHIPPOBOTHAM…” 5.7 CM WIDE BY 8.5 CM LONG BY 1.1CM DEEP.

Subjects

PERSONAL SYMBOL

Historical Association

MILITARY

History

THIS 12-YEAR LONG SERVICE EFFICIENCY MEDAL WAS AWARDED TO 20TH FIELD BATTERY QUARTERMASTER SGT. FRANK SHIPPOBOTHAM (DONOR'S PATERNAL GRANDFATHER) IN MAY 1945 - SEE HERALD AWARD ARTICLE ON FILE DATED 16 MAY 1945. THE HERALD ARTICLE STATED THAT SHIPPOBOTHAM “WAS A MEMBER OF THE MILITIA HERE FOR TEN YEARS PRECEEDING THE OUTBREAK OF THE SECOND WORLD WAR”. HE ENLISTED FOR ACTIVE SERVICE WITH THE WAR-MOBILIZED BATTERY IN 1939, BUT WAS FORCED TO RETURN TO THE RESERVES AFTER SUFFERING MEDICAL COMPLICATIONS RELATED TO HIS BOUT WITH POLIO. FOR THE BALANCE OF THE WAR HE VOLUNTEERED WITH THE 2/20TH BATTERY, KEEPING LETHBRIDGE’S WARTIME MILITIA ALIVE AND TRAINING NEW OFFICERS AND GUNNERS FOR SERVICE OVERSEAS. IN 2010 DONOR BOBBIE FOX (SHIPPOBOTHAM’S PATERNAL GRANDDAUGHTER) STATED, “MY DAD SURMISES HIS FATHER'S MOTIVATION TO ENLIST CAME FROM TWO SOURCES: THE FIRST WAS BECAUSE FRANK'S FATHER, CHARLES CHRISTOPHER ROBERT (C.C.R.), HAD FOUGHT IN THE GREAT WAR AND THE SECOND CAME FROM HIS FAMILY’S FRIENDSHIP WITH GENERAL STEWART.” THE POLIO HE CONTRACTED IN HIS YOUTH AFFECTED HIS LEFT ARM, MAKING IT WEAK AND UNSTEADY. SAID DONOR FOX, “HIS ROLE DURING HIS MILITARY CAREER CHANGED FROM GUNNERY SERGEANT TO STORES. HE SERVED AT CAMP SHILO IN MANITOBA, CAMP SARCEE IN CALGARY AND HERE IN LETHBRIDGE AT THE BARRACKS. BECAUSE FRANK WAS KEPT IN THE LETHBRIDGE BARRACKS TO TRAIN SOLDIERS HE WAS NEVER ABLE TO FIGHT OVERSEAS LIKE HIS YOUNGER BROTHER, VICTOR WHO FOUGHT IN ITALY. THE POLIO ALSO AFFECTED HIS EMPLOYMENT OPTIONS AFTER HIS MILITARY CAREER AS AN ADULT.” FRANK ENJOYED HIS TIME IN THE MILITARY AND SHARED MANY STORIES WITH HIS ONLY SON ROBERT. DONOR BOBBIE FOX STATED, “MY DAD HAS ONE MEMORY IN PARTICULAR THAT HE BELIEVES MAY HAVE BEEN NEAR THE END OF GRANDPA’S (FRANK’S) MILITARY CAREER. MY DAD WAS ABOUT 2 OR 3 YEARS OLD AND GOT INTO A LARGE MILITARY TRUCK WITH HIS DAD AND THEY RODE OUT TO CAMP 133 AND HELPED TO DISMANTLE IT. MY DAD WAS CHARGED WITH THE TASK OF GATHERING NAILS AND CHASING CRICKETS WHILE MY GRANDPA HELPED TO TEAR DOWN THE BUILDINGS.” FIVE GENERATIONS OF SHIPPOBOTHAMS LIVED AT 427 – 12 ST “A” NORTH. THE DONOR’S GREAT GRANDPARENTS’ BOUGHT THE HOME IN 1925 AND THERE RAISED HER GRANDFATHER AND HIS BROTHERS, DOUG AND VICTOR. STATED DONOR BOBBIE FOX, "ONCE MY GREAT GRANDMOTHER DIED, MY GREAT GRANDFATHER ASKED MY GRANDFATHER AND GRANDMOTHER TO MOVE IN WITH MY DAD. WHEN MY GREAT GRANDFATHER DIED EVERYTHING THAT WAS IN THE HOUSE BECAME MY GRANDPARENTS’ PROPERTY BECAUSE THEY WERE LIVING THERE AT THE TIME. MY DAD WAS RAISED IN THAT HOUSE AND SO WAS I FOR A TIME DURING MY CHILDHOOD." FRANK PASSED AWAY SEPTEMBER 12, 1979. WHEN THE DONOR'S GRANDMOTHER GARNETTE SHIPPOBOTHAM (FRANK'S WIFE) PASSED AWAY IN NOVEMBER OF 2009, THE DONOR, A GALT STAFF MEMBER AT THE TIME OF DONATION, REQUESTED HER DAD ROBERT SHIPPOBOTHAM INFORM HER WHEN HE DISCOVERED ESTATE OBJECTS THAT MIGHT BE OF INTEREST TO THE MUSEUM. THE OBJECTS WERE THEN GIVEN TO HER BY HER FATHER FOR DONATION TO THE GALT. SAID BOBBIE FOX IN 2010, "DUE TO MY BACKGROUND IN MUSEUM STUDIES, IT IS MY HOPE THAT BY DONATING THESE PIECES WE CAN GAIN A RICHER INSIGHT INTO LETHBRIDGE’S HISTORY." FOR FURTHER INFORMATION SEE PERMANENT FILE.

Catalogue Number

P20100004004

Acquisition Date

2010-03

Collection

Museum

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