Material Type

Artifact

Other Name

AIRCRAFT SAFETY BELT, LAP TYPE

Date

1938

Materials

CANVAS, METAL

No. Pieces

1

Height

6.3

Length

75.2

Width

10.5

Description

MILITARY ISSUE SAFETY BELT. TWO PIECE CANVAS STRAP WITH QUICK RELEASE PULL IN CENTER. TWO CANVAS RELEASE TABS ATTACHED TO HANDLE ARE COATED WITH STIFFENING AGENT AND SHOW MINOR CRACKING. CANVAS IS KHAKI COLOURED WITH VARIOUS STAINS AND DISCOLOURATIONS. TRACES OF GREEN PAINT ON SOME METAL PIECES. BACK HAS BLACK INK STAMPED, “M.E.C2.1938,” AND “G33053,” AND FADED SMALL CIRCULAR MONOGRAMS ON EACH SIDE. SMALLER CANVAS STRAP ATTACHED AT ENDS BY METAL RINGS, JOINED IN CENTER BY TWO D-RINGS AND METAL HINGE.

Subjects

AEROSPACE TRANSPORTATION-ACCESSORY

REGULATIVE & PROTECTIVE T&E

Historical Association

MILITARY

History

SAFETY BELT WAS OWNED BY DONOR’S LATE HUSBAND MATTIS “MATT” SLAVICH. AS STATED IN SLAVICH’S OBITUARY IN THE LETHBRIDGE HERALD, “MATT WAS BORN IN LETHBRIDGE ON AUGUST 10, 1920 AND PASSED AWAY IN LETHBRIDGE ON AUGUST 17, 2010 AT THE AGE OF 89 YEARS.” ACCORDING TO THE LEGION MAGAZINE ONLINE LAST POST, “CORPORAL MATT C. SLAVICH SERVED WITH THE ROYAL CANADIAN ORDNANCE CORPS IN WWII. HIS WAS ASSIGNED THE SERVICE NUMBER M28060.” IT IS UNCLEAR WHY A MAN SERVING IN THE ARMY WOULD POSSESS AN AIRCRAFT SEATBELT. HOWEVER, BASED ON THE BELT’S PRESENCE IN A TRUNK WITH THE REST OF SLAVICH’S ARMY SUPPLIES AT THE TIME OF DONATION, IT WAS LIKELY USED BY HIM DURING WWII. ROG DENNIS WITH KARKEE WEB RESEARCH TEAM HAS SAID, “THE MILLS EQUIPMENT COMPANY WAS INVOLVED WITH PRODUCING WEBBING SINCE THE LATE 1920S. THIS PARTICULAR HARNESS CAN BE SEEN IN THE MILLS EQUIPMENT COMPANY’S GOLDEN JUBILEE BOOK, PUBLISHED IN 1956. SETTING ASIDE A SOLDIER’S SKILL IN ‘ACQUIRING’ ITEMS, AN ARMY MAN MIGHT HAVE AN AIR FORCE ITEM BECAUSE THIS ALL CENTERED ON AIRBORNE EQUIPMENT. PERHAPS THE HARNESS WAS A FITMENT IN GLIDERS AND WAS SOUVENIRED AFTER THE LANDING? FROM THE START R.A.F. PARACHUTE INSTRUCTORS WHO TRAINED ARMY PARACHUTISTS AND I BELIEVE IT STILL IS, ALBEIT THE LAST ‘IN EARNEST’ PARA DROP HAVING BEEN DURING THE SUEZ CRISIS, IN 1956. THERE IS THEREFORE A CROSS-OVER ON THE EQUIPMENT FRONT, WITH ITEMS HAVING STORES CODES BOTH IN THE ARMY’S V.A.O.S., AS WELL AS A SEPARATE CODE IN THE R.A.F.’S AP 1086. LAP STRAPS ARE TYPICALLY WHAT AIRCRAFT PASSENGERS USE, EVEN TODAY. CREW MEMBERS ‘UP FRONT’ USE 4-POINT VERSIONS, THOSE SUCH AS AIR GUNNERS WORE LAP STRAPS.” ACCORDING TO SLAVICH’S DISCHARGE CERTIFICATE, CORPORAL MATTHEW CLARENCE SLAVICH ENROLLED IN THE 15TH L.A.D. R. - R.C.O.C. - C.A. (A) ON APRIL 10, 1941. SLAVICH SERVED IN THE UNITED KINGDOM BEFORE HE WAS DISCHARGED ON APRIL 17, 1946. HIS ATTESTATION FORM LISTS PREVIOUS MILITIA EXPERIENCE WITH THE 112TH FIELD BATTERY R.C.A. BETWEEN 1937-1941. SLAVICH WAS GRANTED LEAVE DECEMBER 12 TO 17, 1945 IN ORDER TO RETURN TO EDMONTON TO MARRY MISS JOAN LILLIAN FORD. ACCORDING TO SLAVICH’S PERSONNEL SELECTION RECORD, “SLAVICH IS A JOVIAL, EASY-GOING INDIVIDUAL WHO HAS NO DIFFICULTY MAKING FRIENDS OF BOTH SEXES. HE APPEARS TO BE VERY WELL ADJUSTED IN HIS PARTICULAR JOB AND EXPRESSES NO DESIRE FOR CHANGE. HIS APPEARANCE IS VERY FAVOURABLE AND HIS PERSONALITY ATTRACTIVE AND SOMEWHAT ENCLINED TO BE EXTROVERTED. STABILITY APPEARS TO BE QUITE ADEQUATE AND HIS MORALE IS DEFINITELY HIGH.” FOR MORE INFORMATION, INCLUDING SERVICE RECORDS, PLEASE SEE PERMANENT FILE.

Catalogue Number

P20110016003

Acquisition Date

2011-06

Collection

Museum

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