Material Type

Artifact

Other Name

BATTLEDRESS "RCEME"

Date Range From

1941

Date Range To

1945

Materials

WOOL, COTTON

No. Pieces

1

Height

70.7

Length

68.3

Width

6

Description

KHAKI WOOL SHORT WAISTED BATTLE DRESS JACKET. FRONT CLOSURE HAS THREE METAL BUTTONS PAINTED GREEN. WOOL STRAP BELT STARTS AT SIDES AND BUCKLES ON RIGHT. TWO BREAST POCKETS WITH BOX PLEATS & POINTED FLAPS. CUFFS HAVE ONE METAL BUTTON EACH PAINTED GREEN. EPAULETTES HAVE RED STITCHING ON BLUE FABRIC THAT READ, “14 RCA.” SHOULDER FLASHES HAVE YELLOW INK ON BLUE FABRIC THAT READ, “R.C.E.M.E. CANADA.” HEAVILY FADED 3RD CANADIAN INFANTRY DIVISIONAL BADGES ON EACH SLEEVE UNDER SHOULDER FLASHES. FOUR YEARS SERVICE CHEVRON AT RIGHT FOREARM WITH FOUR SMALL RED CHEVRONS. LEFT FOREARM HAS INVERTED RANK CHEVRON DENOTING RANK OF CRAFTSMAN. RIBBON BAR ABOVE LEFT POCKET WITH THREE RIBBONS FROM LEFT TO RIGHT: 1939-1945 STAR, FRANCE AND GERMANY STAR, VOLUNTEER SERVICE MEDAL AND CLASP. SMALL STAIN AT LEFT ELBOW. REVERSE HAS FOUR SMALL HOLES WITH REINFORCED EDGES. TWO AT LEFT AND TWO AT RIGHT SIDE. INSIDE FRONT LEFT SIDE HAS WRITTEN IN BLACK INK, “M60150 CFN. KIEVER F.A..” INSIDE FRONT RIGHT HAS STAMPED, “BATTLE DRESS, BLOUSES SERG, SIZE 6, HEIGHT 5’ 5” TO 5’ 6”, BREAST 38 - 39, TIPTOP TAILORS LTD., AUGUST.” UNDER IS STAMPED , “C” WITH BROAD ARROW. WRITTEN IN BLUE PEN ABOVE STAMP IS, “3/67.”

Subjects

CLOTHING-OUTERWEAR

Historical Association

MILITARY

History

BATTLE DRESS WAS ISSUED TO FREDERICK ALEXANDER KEIVER DURING HIS SERVICE IN WWII. IT CAME INTO DONOR JIM KEIVER’S POSSESSION AFTER HIS FATHER’S DEATH IN 1975. STATED ON HIS ATTESTATION FORM, “FREDERICK ALEXANDER KEIVER ENLISTED IN THE ROYAL CANADIAN ORDNANCE CORPS. ON APRIL 3, 1941 AT LETHBRIDGE. HE WAS ISSUED THE REGIMENTAL NUMBER M60150.” AS EVIDENCED BY HIS OCCUPATIONAL HISTORY FORM, “PRIVATE KEIVER WORKED WITH THE #13TH D.D. (R.C.O.C.) AND THEN DID BASIC TRAINING WITH THE #41 B.T.C. (R.C.O.C.), ON AUGUST 16, 1941, KEIVER’S ATTACHMENT WITH THE ROYAL CANADIAN ORDNANCE CORPS ENDED AND HE BECAME ATTACHED TO THE #3 ARMY FIELD WORK SHOP AT DEBERT. ON SEPTEMBER 15, 1941 KEIVER EMBARKED FOR LIVERPOOL VIA HALIFAX WHERE HE LANDED ON SEPTEMBER 29, 1941. ON SEPTEMBER 11, 1942, KEIVER SERVED WITH THE #34 LAD 14TH FIELD REGIMENT.” RECORDED ON HIS DISCHARGE CERTIFICATE, “CRAFTSMAN FREDERICK ALEXANDER KEIVER ENLISTED IN THE ROYAL CANADIAN ORDNANCE CORPS. HE SERVED IN THE UNITED KINGDOM AND CONTINENTAL EUROPE AND WAS DISCHARGED UNDER ROUTINE ORDER 10-9 (5-0-1) BY REASON TO RETURN TO CIVIL LIFE ON DEMOBILIZATION. HE WAS AWARDED THE 1939-1945 STAR, FRANCE AND GERMANY STAR, DEFENSE OF BRITAIN MEDAL AND THE CANADIAN VOLUNTEER SERVICE MEDAL AND CLASP. KEIVER WAS DISCHARGED ON DECEMBER 5, 1945.” ACCORDING TO HIS OBITUARY PUBLISHED IN THE LETHBRIDGE HERALD, “FREDERICK (FRED) KEIVER PASSED AWAY ON MARCH 3, 1975 AT THE AGE OF 53 YEARS. KEIVER WAS BORN, RAISED AND EDUCATED IN LETHBRIDGE. HE SERVED OVERSEAS DURING WWII WITH THE ROYAL CANADIAN ELECTRICAL AND MECHANICAL ENGINEERS 14TH DIVISION. HE WAS EMPLOYED WITH TAYLOR PEARSON AND CARSON FOR TWENTY-THREE YEARS AS A MANAGER AND FOR SIX YEARS IN THE MOBILE HOME INDUSTRY.” FOR MORE INFORMATION, INCLUDING SERVICE RECORDS RETRIEVED FROM LIBRARY AND ARCHIVES CANADA, PLEASE SEE PERMANENT FILE. GALT ARCHIVES HAS A GROUP PHOTOGRAPH (20081074002) THAT DEPICTS KEIVER ON A HOCKEY TEAM WHICH PREDATES HIS MILITARY SERVICE.

Catalogue Number

P20100022001

Acquisition Date

2010-07

Collection

Museum

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