Material Type

Artifact

Other Name

BATTLEDRESS BLOUSE

Date

1944

Materials

WOOL, METAL, PLASTIC, COTTON

No. Pieces

1

Height

69.0

Length

56.2

Width

132.5

Description

BATTLE DRESS BLOUSE, OLIVE DRAB, WOOL. CLOSED FALL COLLAR FASTENS WITH TWO SILVER COLOURED HOOKS AND EYES, WITH THE HOOKS ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE COLLAR. CLOSES DOWN THE FRONT WITH 5 OLIVE DRAB BUTTONS COVERED BY A PLACKET. BELTED AT WAIST WITH A CLOTH BELT, SECURED WITH A SILVER COLOURED BUCKLE SEWN ONTO THE LOWER RIGHT WAISTBAND. TWO FRONT PLEATED BREAST POCKETS, EACH WITH TRIANGULAR SHAPED FLAP, AND OLIVE DRAB COLOURED BUTTON. JUST BELOW THE SHOULDER SEAM, ON EACH SLEEVE, IS A LIGHT BLUE “CANADA THE CALGARY REGIMENT” SHOULDER PATCH. BELOW THAT IS A RED AND BLACK PATCH: THE BACKGROUND IS A BLACK DIAMOND SHAPE, WITH A RED STRIPE ACROSS THE CENTRE. IN THIS RED STRIPE IS “14 CTR” IN YELLOW. ON RIGHT SLEEVE, JUST ABOVE CUFF, THERE ARE FOUR RED SERVICE CHEVRONS. ABOVE THIS IS A CANADIAN ARMOURED FIGHTING VEHICLE TRADE BADGE, DRIVER MECHANIC: A ROUND BROWN PATCH, WITH “DM” EMBROIDERED IN TAN THREAD ABOVE A TAN AND BROWN EMROIDERED LAUREL WREATH. BACK IS PLEATED AT WAISTBAND. EACH SHOULDER STRAP AFFIXED WITH ONE OLIVE DRAB BUTTON. TWO INSIDE POCKETS, ACCESSIBLE FROM INSIDE JACKET. POCKETS ARE A LIGHT OLIVE DRAB COLOURED COTTON. STAMPED ONTO THE LEFT SIDE POCKET: “WORKMAN UNIFORM CO. LTD. – MONTREAL 1944 – 4 – 5’5” & 6”, 34-36 – 4”. SECOND STAMP BELOW READS: “BATTLE DRESS ____, SERGE” (PRESUMED TO READ BATTLE DRESS BLOUSES, SERGE). THREE BUTTON HOLES ALONG THE INSIDE BACK WAIST BAND. DIMENSIONS ABOVE ARE AS FOLLOWS: 56.2CM FROM COLLAR TO WAIST HEM; 69.0 FROM COLLAR TO SLEEVE HEM; 132.5CM ACROSS, FROM SLEEVE TO SLEEVE. EXCELLENT, LIKE-NEW CONDITION. SOME MINOR FRAYING AROUND SHOULDER PATCHES, ESPECIALLY “14 CTR”. THE THIRD RED SERVICE CHEVRON IS MISSING A COUPLE OF STITCHES ON THE LEFT HAND SIDE – WHITE THREAD IS VISIBLE.

Subjects

CLOTHING-OUTERWEAR

Historical Association

MILITARY

History

THIS BATTLE DRESS BLOUSE WAS WORN BY HENRY ARCHIBALD MCMURREN, WHO WAS BORN JUNE 26, 1915 IN CRANBROOK, B.C. HE MOVED TO WEST LETHBRIDGE WITH HIS FATHER (JOHN MCMURREN) AND THREE SIBLINGS (GEORGE, JESSIE, AND IRENE) IN FEBRUARY 1931. ACCORDING TO “THE BEND” (WEST LETHBRIDGE HISTORY BOOK), HENRY’S MOTHER DIED SHORTLY AFTER GIVING BIRTH TO HIS YOUNGEST SISTER (IRENE) AND JOHN DECIDED TO MOVE THE FAMILY TO WEST LETHBRIDGE TO BE CLOSER TO HIS BROTHER HARRY AND HARRY’S WIFE GOLDIE. HENRY AND HIS FATHER WORKED ON THE JAIL FARMS FOR A TIME, BEFORE THEY STARTED TO WORK FOR AUNT GOLDIE’S FATHER. BOTH HENRY AND GEORGE ENLISTED IN THE SECOND WORLD WAR. ACCORDING TO HIS OBITUARY (LETHBRIDGE HERALD, JUNE 7 1971) HENRY WAS 56 YEARS OLD WHEN HE PASSED AWAY IN PRINCE GEORGE, B.C. HE SERVED OVERSEAS WITH THE CALGARY TANK CORPS, AND RETURNED TO LETHBRIDGE FOLLOWING THE WAR AND REMAINED HERE FOR SEVERAL YEARS BEFORE MOVING TO BRITISH COLUMBIA. ACCORDING TO AN ORAL INTERVIEW WITH UNIFORM DONOR JIM STEGEN (HENRY'S NEPHEW), CONDUCTED BY KEVIN MACLEAN IN APRIL 2015, HENRY IS BURIED IN THE ARCHMOUNT CEMETERY ON THE WEST SIDE OF LETHBRIDGE. THE DONOR RECEIVED THIS UNIFORM FROM HIS MOTHER, JESSIE STEGEN, IN ABOUT 1975 AND BELIEVES IT CAME INTO HIS POSSESSION BECAUSE HE IS THE OLDEST OF HIS SIBLINGS AND ALSO THE ONLY BOY. JIM RECOUNTED THAT HIS UNCLE HENRY “WAS A PAINTER AND HE HAD AN ACREAGE OUT BY NOBLEFORD THAT HE HAD A HOME ON AND WHEN MY FOLKS WERE MOVING FROM ONE HOUSE TO ANOTHER, WE ACTUALLY STAYED ON THE ACREAGE WITH HIM. OTHER THAN THAT, HE WAS A SINGLE MAN, AND BEING A PAINTER HE MOVED ALL AROUND WHERE THE WORK WAS.” HE DID A LOT OF WORK IN THE KITIMAT, B.C. AREA “WHEN THEY FIRST BUILT THAT COMMUNITY.” JIM CHOSE TO DONATE THE UNIFORM TO THE MUSEUM BECAUSE “I THINK THAT THE MEN AT THE TIME DID A GREAT SERVICE TO OUR COUNTRY, AND HE HAPPENED TO BE ONE OF THEM, AND I HAVE THIS FROM HIM.” ADDITIONAL DETAILS OF HENRY’S SERVICE IN THE SECOND WORLD WAR COME FROM HIS MILITARY RECORDS. HE ENLISTED WITH THE 14TH ARMY TANK BATTALION, CALGARY REGIMENT, ON FEBRUARY 26, 1941 AND RECEIVED THE SERVICE NUMBER OF M27061. ACCORDING TO HIS “OCCUPATIONAL HISTORY FORM” HENRY LEFT SCHOOL AT AGE 15, FINISHING GRADE 8. HE WORKED AS A FARM LABOURER FOR J. DAVIS, IN LETHBRIDGE, AND HAD 10 YEARS’ EXPERIENCE WITH SUCH WORK. HE SPENT THE YEAR OF 1940-1941 ON A “3000 ACRE ‘GRAIN MECHANIZED FARM’.” THE FOLLOWING TIMELINE WAS PULLED TOGETHER FROM THE “STATEMENT OF SERVICE OF NO. M27061” AND FROM HENRY’S MEDICAL RECORDS: HE LEFT HALIFAX FOR ENGLAND IN JUNE 1941 AND PARTICIPATED IN OPERATION JUBILEE (THE DIEPPE LANDINGS) IN AUGUST 1942. HE APPEARS TO HAVE BEEN PART OF “C” SQUADRON, WHICH REMAINED IN RESERVE DURING THE LANDINGS AT DIEPPE. IN OCTOBER OF 1942, HENRY QUALIFIED AS A DRIVER MECHANIC (TRACKED) IN GROUP “C”. IN JUNE 1943 HENRY EMBARKED FOR THE MEDITERRANEAN AND BY MAY 1944 IS WITH THE “AAI” (ALLIED ARMIES IN ITALY). HENRY WAS WOUNDED WHILE IN ITALY: IN JULY 1944 HE SPENT ABOUT THREE WEEKS IN THE 15 CANADIAN GENERAL HOSPITAL FOR A WOUND TO HIS LEFT WRIST. IN SEPTEMBER 1944 HE WAS WOUNDED FOR A SECOND TIME, AGAIN IN HIS LEFT WRIST. THIS WOUND WAS MORE SERIOUS AND REQUIRED HIS EVACUATION TO THE UK, WHERE HE REMAINED UNTIL JANUARY 1945. IN FEBRUARY OF THAT YEAR, HE WAS RETURNED TO CALGARY, AND WAS DISCHARGED FROM SERVICE ON JULY 26, 1945. SEE PERMANENT FILE FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION AND MILITARY SERVICE RECORDS.

Catalogue Number

P20150014000

Acquisition Date

2015-04

Collection

Museum

Less detail