Material Type

Artifact

Other Name

SKETCH, HMCS LETHBRIDGE CREST

Date

1944

Materials

PAPER, GRAPHITE

No. Pieces

1

Height

27.7

Length

20.9

Width

0.05

Description

41.5 X 27.4 CM CREAM COLOURED PAPER. FOLDED IN HALF WITH HOLES ROUGHLY PUNCHED AT TOP AND BOTTOM OF FOLDED EDGE. OUTSIDE OF UNFOLDED PAPER HAS PICTURE OR AN ANCHOR WITH A FISH WRAPPED AROUND IT; FISH IS USING BINOCULARS. DETAIL BELOW OF THE FISH AND DETAIL TO SIDE OF THE BINOCULARS. RIGHT SIDE OF PAGE HAS A LETHBRIDGE CREST WITH CROWN ON TOP, FISH WITH BINOCULARS IN CENTER. ABOVE CREST AND CROWN IS A DRAWING OF A GRIFFIN LIKE FIGURE. TOP RIGHT CORNER OF PATE SAYS, “PLATE 86”. INSIDE SPREAD HAS ALBERTA CREST DIAGRAM WITH COLOUR BREAK DOWNS, PICTURE OF WHEAT EAR WITH LABEL THAT SAYS, "WHEAT EARS", CREST WITH SHARK IN CENTER AND CROWN ON TOP, DRAWING OF A THE SILHOUETTE OF A SUBMARINE, TWO SKETCHES OF A RIGHT ARM AND HAND OF A SUIT OF ARMOR HOLDING SUBMARINE, GIRL WITH STAR EARRING NEXT TO A LAMB, FLOATING ON A CLOUD.

Subjects

ART

Historical Association

MILITARY

FINE ARTS

History

ACCORDING TO CURATOR CHARLES REEVE, "HELEN BALFOUR (NEE STAUNTON) ATTENDED THE ONTARIO COLLEGE OF ART AND DESIGN FROM AROUND 1928-1932." UPON GRADUATION, SHE WAS MARRIED TO ST. CLAIR BALFOUR IN 1933. HELEN HAD BEEN MARRIED FOR EIGHT YEARS BEFORE THE HMCS LETHBRIDGE WAS COMMISSIONED. IT IS POSSIBLE THAT HER ASSOCIATION TO ST. CLAIR (WHO WAS COMMANDER OF THE VESSEL FROM JUNE 15, DECEMBER 26, 1943) LED TO HER CREATING SKETCHES FOR A CREST. IT IS UNKNOWN IF THE VESSEL HAD AN OFFICIAL CREST, OR IF HELEN'S SKETCHES WERE ACCEPTED FOR THE CREST DESIGN. MANY WWII NAVAL VESSELS HAD COMICAL MASCOTS AND CRESTS. ACCORDING TO NAVAL SERVICE RECORDS, “ST. CLAIR BALFOUR ENLISTED IN THE ROYAL CANADIAN NAVAL VOLUNTEER RESERVE ON SEPTEMBER 29, 1939 AND WAS APPOINTED LIEUTENANT-COMMANDER (G), R.C.N.V.R. ON JUNE 16, 1943.” ACCORDING TO THE NAVAL OFFICERS’ ASSOCIATION OF CANADA TORONTO BRANCH NEWSLETTER (BRUMPH) FROM MAY 2002, “DURING THE WAR, MR. BALFOUR SERVED WITH THE ROYAL CANADIAN NAVY, RISING TO THE RANK OF COMMANDER. HE FIRST SERVED IN THE DESTROYER ST. LAURENT, THEN COMMANDED THE CORVETTE LETHBRIDGE (K160) [FROM JUNE 15, 1943 TO DECEMBER 26, 1943], AND IN OCTOBER, 1944, WAS PUT IN COMMAND OF ESCORT GROUP 27. ESCORT GROUP 27 WAS A HUNTER-KILLER SQUADRON OF FRIGATES AND CORVETTES THAT PATROLLED THE WATERS OFF NOVA SCOTIA WHERE LONE GERMAN U-BOATS WOULD LIE IN WAIT TO SINK CONVOYS OF MERCHANT SHIPS BOUND FOR BRITAIN FROM HALIFAX OR SAINT JOHN. NAVAL HISTORIANS SAY IT WAS UNUSUAL FOR A CANADIAN NAVAL OFFICER TO BE GIVEN SUCH A SENIOR ROLE IN THE BATTLE OF THE ATLANTIC. THE COMMAND WAS A TESTAMENT TO COMMANDER BALFOUR’S LEADERSHIP AND HE RECEIVED THE DISTINGUISHED SERVICE CROSS, AWARDED TO NAVAL OFFICERS FOR ACTS OF EXCEPTIONAL BRAVERY. THE DSC CITATION READS, IN PART: “DURING THIS TIME HE HAS, BY HIS ZEAL, ENERGY, CHEERFULNESS AND WHOLEHEARTED DEVOTION TO DUTY SET AN OUTSTANDING EXAMPLE TO THOSE WORKING UNDER HIM, WHICH IS IN KEEPING WITH THE HIGHEST TRADITIONS OF THE NAVAL SERVICE.” HIS NICKNAME ABOARD HIS SHIP WAS OLD IRON PANTS, AND HE USED HIS STRONG VOICE TO CARRY COMMANDS IN THE DAYS BEFORE THE BATTER-POWERED MEGAPHONE. WHEN FRANCE SURRENDERED IN 1940 SOME OF THE SHIPS OF THE FRENCH NAVY JOINED THE ALLIES, OTHERS REMAINED LOYAL TO THE VICHY REGIME. ONE OF THE LATTER WAS IN HALIFAX AT THIS TIME. IT WAS INTERNED PENDING POLITICAL DECISIONS AS TO ITS FATE. ONE NIGHT A NUMBER OF ITS OFFICERS AND MEN DECIDED TO OVERPOWER THE SMALL GUARD AND RETURN TO FRANCE. THEY GATHERED IN A PASSAGEWAY UNTIL THE COMMANDING OFFICER OF THE GUARD, LT ST. CLAIR BALFOUR, RCNVR, POINTED OUT THAT HE WOULD SHOOT THEM IF THEY PERSISTED IN THIS COURSE OF ACTION. LIKE EVERYONE WHO EVER MET CLAIR, THEY KNEW THAT HE MEANT EXACTLY WHAT HE SAID, AND RELUCTANTLY DECIDED THAT DISCRETION WAS THE BETTER PART OF VALOR. AT THE WAR’S END HE WAS IN CHARGE OF HMCS CORNWALLIS, A NAVAL BASE OF 10,000 MEN AND WOMEN [LOCATED IN HALIFAX]. HE CONSIDERED A CAREER IN THE NAVY BUT DECIDED TO GO BACK TO NEWSPAPERS.” AS WELL AS THE HMCS LETHBRIDGE, BALFOUR WAS ALSO APPOINTED THE COMMANDING OFFICER OF HMCS MEON (RIVER CLASS FRIGATE – K.269) FROM FEBRUARY 2, 1944 TO JANUARY 3, 1945, AND COMMANDING OFFICER OF THE HMCS DUNVER (RIVER CLASS FRIGATE – K.03) FROM MARCH 27, 1945 TO MAY 26, 1945. BALFOUR WAS DISCHARGED ON OCTOBER 6, 1945 AFTER SIX YEARS OF SERVICE. IN 1988, ST. CLAIR BALFOUR WAS BECAME AN OFFICER OF THE ORDER OF CANADA FOR HIS SERVICE TO THE COUNTRY. ACCORDING TO MAJOR CHRISTOPHER R. KILFORD, CD IN LETHBRIDGE AT WAR, “HMCS LETHBRIDGE WAS A ‘FLOWER CLASS’ CORVETTE COMMISSIONED ON JUNE 25, 1941. THE VESSEL WAS CANADA’S RESPONSE TO A GROWING THREAT FROM GERMAN U-BOATS OPERATING IN THE ATLANTIC AND CLOSER TO HOME. THE HMCS LETHBRIDGE BEGAN ITS ATLANTIC SERVICE ON OCTOBER 11, 1941 WHEN IT ESCORTED CONVOY SC.49 BETWEEN SYDNEY, NOVA SCOTIA, AND ICELAND. WHILE ON DUTY, THE ROLE OF THE HMCS LETHBRIDGE WAS TO DEPLOY AHEAD OR ASTERN OF A CONVOY, ALONG WITH OTHER ESCORT SHIPS. USING UNDERWATER RADAR, THE ESCORT SHIPS WOULD THEN CONVERGE ON ANY SUSPECTED U-BOAT POSITION AND ATTEMPT TO DESTROY THE SUBMARINE WITH DEPTH CHARGES. IN 1993, THE HMCS LETHBRIDGE WAS ONE OF 74 SHIPS AWARDED HONOURS UNDER THE BRITISH ADMIRALTY’S DIRECTION, FOR SERVICE IN ANTI-SUBMARINE DUTIES IN INTERNAL CANADIAN WATERWAYS. WITH THE WAR AT A CLOSE, THE HMCS LETHBRIDGE WAS SOLD TO MARINE INDUSTRIES LTD. ON JULY 23, 1945. THE SHIP WAS RESOLD IN 1952, CONVERTED INTO A DUTCH WHALER AND RENAMED THE NICOLASS VINKE. THIS NEW ROLE LASTED UNTIL 1966, AFTER WHICH THE SHIP WAS BROKEN DOWN FOR SCRAP IN SANTANDER, SPAIN. *UPDATE* IN 2015 COLLECTIONS ASSISTANT JANE EDMUNDSON CONDUCTED A SURVEY OF ART OBJECTS. THE FOLLOWING ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE ATTRIBUTED ARTIST OF THIS DRAWING, HELEN GIFFORD BALFOUR (NEE STAUNTON) WAS FOUND IN HER OBITUARY ON LEGACY.COM. HELEN STAUNTON WAS BORN ON OCTOBER 3, 1908, THE ELDEST DAUGHTER OF EDMUND AND MARY STAUNTON. SHE AND HER HUSBAND ST. CLAIR BALFOUR HAD TWO CHILDREN, LISA AND ST. CLAIR IV. HELEN DIED IN 2010 SHORTLY BEFORE HER 102ND BIRTHDAY. *UPDATE: IN JULY 2016, LOCAL MILITARY HISTORIAN GLENN MILLER CONTACTED GALT COLLECTIONS STAFF TO SAY HE WAS IN TEMPORARY RECEIPT OF CORRESPONDENCE FROM THE LATE R.C.N.V.R. COMMANDER ST. CLAIR BALFOUR. THE CORRESPONDENCE WAS ADDRESSED TO COMMANDER BALFOUR’S WIFE HELEN. MILLER WAS GIVEN APPROVAL TO SCAN THE CORRESPONDENCE AND TO DEPOSIT COPIES AT THE GALT. OF PARTICULAR INTEREST TO MILLER – AND BY EXTENSION THE GALT – IS THE CONTENT OF THE CORRESPONDENCE WHEREBY ON 26 JULY 1943, HE WRITES HELEN, ASKING, “HOW WOULD YOU LIKE TO DESIGN A CREST FOR THE [HMCS LETHBRIDGE]?" IN LATER CORRESPONDENCE DATED 2 DECEMBER 1943, COMMANDER BALFOUR REFERENCES THE CREST AGAIN, SAYING, “I SHALL BE SENDING YOU ONE OF OUR CHRISTMAS CARDS, OF WHICH I AM VERY PROUD. YOUR BADGE LOOKS WONDERFUL ON THE FRONT.” H.M.C.S.’ LETHBRIDGE'S 1943 CHRISTMAS CARD, OF WHICH THE GALT ARCHIVES HAS AN EXAMPLE, FEATURES HELEN’S REQUESTED BADGE DESIGN. SEE PERMANENT FILE FOR MORE INFORMATION, INCL. HARDCOPIES OF ONLINE SOURCE MATERIAL.

Catalogue Number

P20110001000

Acquisition Date

2011-01

Collection

Museum

Less detail