Material Type

Artifact

Other Name

1939-1945 WAR MEDAL

Date Range From

1939

Date Range To

1945

Materials

SILVER, RIBBON, CARDBOARD

No. Pieces

4

Height

1.3

Length

8

Width

5.5

Description

1) ROUND NICKEL MEDAL WITH RIBBON BAR AT TOP. OBVERSE HAS IMAGE OF CROWNED GEORGE VI, FACING LEFT; READS "GEORGIVS VI D:G:BR.OMN:REX ET INDIAE IMP:". REVERSE IS EMBOSSED WITH LION STANDING ON THE BODY OF A DOUBLE HEADED DRAGON. "1939 1945" ENGRAVED AT TOP. LOOPED THROUGH BAR IS RIBBON WITH WHITE AND RED NARROW CENTRAL STRIPES WITH THICK DARK BLUE AND RED STRIPES ON THE EDGE. 2) WHITE CARDBOARD BOX, WITH LID. LID HAS RED INK STAMP THAT READS, “WAR MEDAL 1939-45,” WHITE EXTERIOR FOLDS OVER INSIDE. REMAINING UNCOVERED CARDBOARD IS LIGHT BROWN.

Subjects

PERSONAL SYMBOL

Historical Association

MILITARY

History

AS STATED IN AN E-MAIL FROM DONOR BRANDI CAMPISI AT THE TIME OF DONATION, “JOSEPH ‘BARTON’ WATSON GREW UP IN SOUTHERN ALBERTA WHERE HE LIVED IN FOREMOST AND SHAUGHNESSY AND SETTLED IN PICTURE BUTTE, ALBERTA JUST OUTSIDE OF LETHBRIDGE. BARTON WAS 28-YEARS OLD WHEN HE ENLISTED IN THE NAVY IN 1944. SINCE HE HAD A FEAR OF HEIGHTS THE AIRFORCE WASN’T AN OPTION, AND LIKE MANY PRAIRIE BOYS HE MAY HAVE HEARD THE HORRIBLE STORIES OF LIFE IN THE TRENCHES FROM THE GREAT WAR. HIS FAMILY BELIEVES THE FINAL FACTOR IN HIS DECISION TO JOIN THE NAVY WAS BECAUSE THE NAVY HAD AN EXCELLENT BASEBALL TEAM. BARTON WAS AN EXCELLENT BASEBALL PLAYER. HE ENLISTED IN CALGARY AND WAS SENT FOR TRAINING TO THE HMCS QUEEN IN REGINA, SASKATCHEWAN. THOUGH HE LIKED THE WATER HE NEVER LEARNED HOW TO SWIM. HIS NOTES FROM TRAINING SHOW HOW UNFAMILIAR A BOAT AND ITS PARTS WERE TO HIM. AFTER BASIC TRAINING IN REGINA, BARTON WAS COMMISSIONED TO THE HMCS THORLOCK AS SUPPLY ASSISTANT. THE THORLOCK SERVED ON THE HIGH SEAS IN THE ATLANTIC ZONE. THE HMCS THORLOCK WAS A CORVETTE OF THE FLOWER CLASS NAMED AFTER THOROLD, ONTARIO. ITS MAIN TASK WAS IN ANTI-SUBMARINE CONVOYS. ON THE FINAL LEG OF THE SHIPS FIVE CROSSINGS OF THE ATLANTIC OCEAN, THE THORLOCK WAS DIVERTED ALONG WITH HMCS VICTORIAVILLE TO ACCEPT THE SURRENDER OF THE SUBMARINE U-190 ON MAY 12, 1945. THOUGH CAMERAS WERE OFFICIALLY NOT ALLOWED ON NAVAL VESSELS, BARTON WATSON HAD ONE. HIS PHOTOS DOCUMENT LIFE THROUGH THE EYES OF A SAILOR AND SIGNIFICANTLY, THE CLOSE-KNIT RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SHIPMATES. MANY PHOTOS DEPICT THE THORLOCK’S CREW POSING PLAYFULLY IN GERMAN UNIFORMS AND NAZI FLAGS AFTER CAPTURING THE SURRENDERED SUBMARINE. BARTON WATSON WAS DEMOBILIZED ON NOVEMBER 7, 1945 AND RETURNED TO PICTURE BUTTE WHERE HE RAN A SUCCESSFUL BUSINESS AND WAS EXTREMELY INVOLVED IN COMMUNITY ACTIVITIES.” IN WATSON’S OBITUARY PRINTED BY THE LETHBRIDGE HERALD, “WATSON PASSED AWAY IN LETHBRIDGE ON SEPTEMBER 16, 1996 AT THE AGE OF 80 YEARS. WATSON’S RECORD OF SERVICE IN THE ROYAL CANADIAN NAVAL SERVICE REVEALS THAT HE WAS ASSIGNED THE SERVICE NUMBER V-89229. HE ENLISTED ON JUNE 14TH 1944 AT CALGARY ALBERTA. WATSON RECEIVED ONE MONTH DRILL AND SEAMANSHIP TRAINING, ONE MONTH STORE’S ASSISTANT COURSE – ORDERING, STORING, ISSUING, ACCOUNTING FOR NAVAL STORES. WATSON IS DESCRIBED AS HAVING ‘HELD CONSIDERABLE RESPONSIBILITY FOR ORDERING ISSUING AND STORING FOOD SUPPLIES FOR ENTIRE CREW OF A CORVETTE FOR 8 MONTHS – CONSIDERABLE CLERICAL DUTIES INVOLVED.’ WATSON SERVED IN THE H.M.C.S. THORLOCK FROM NOVEMBER 14, 1944 TO JUNE 15, 1945. HE WAS DISCHARGED WHEN HIS UNIT DEMOBILIZED ON NOVEMBER 7, 1945 AT CALGARY ALBERTA. WATSON WAS A RECIPIENT OF THE ATLANTIC STAR, VOLUNTEER SERVICE MEDAL AND CLASP, AND THE 1945 SERVICE MEDAL. FOR MORE INFORMATION, INCLUDING SERVICE RECORDS, PLEASE SEE PERMANENT FILE.

Catalogue Number

P20110005003

Acquisition Date

2011-02

Collection

Museum

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