JACKET
https://collections.galtmuseum.com/link/artifact13484
- Material Type
- Artifact
- Other Name
- "SOUTH ALBERTA LIGHT HORSE"
- Date Range From
- 1961
- Date Range To
- 1969
- Materials
- COTTON, POLYESTER, SILVER
- Catalogue Number
- P20160017008
- Material Type
- Artifact
- Other Name
- "SOUTH ALBERTA LIGHT HORSE"
- Date Range From
- 1961
- Date Range To
- 1969
- Materials
- COTTON, POLYESTER, SILVER
- No. Pieces
- 1
- Length
- 58.7
- Width
- 47
- Description
- GREEN MILITARY UNIFORM JACKET WITH FOUR SILVER BUTTONS DOWN RIGHT FRONT SIDE; JACKET HAS SILVER BUCKLE ON RIGHT FRONT SIDE AT HEM AND STRAP EXTENDING FROM LEFT SIDE ALONG HEM. JACKET HAS TWO FRONT BREAST POCKETS WITH, AND BOTH POCKETS HAVE A SINGLE SILVER BUTTON BELOW COVER FLAP; SLEEVES BOTH HAVE ONE BROWN PLASTIC BUTTON AT CUFFS. JACKET SHOULDERS HAVE THREE EPAULETS SEWN ON, INCLUDING: A BROWN AND WHITE CROWN STITCHED ON A YELLOW BACKGROUND; A BROWN CROSS SEWN ON A WHITE AND YELLOW BACKGROUND; A BLACK BADGE WITH RED EMBROIDERED TEXT “SOUTH ALBERT LIGHT HORSE, CANADA” ON A YELLOW BACKGROUND. LEFT SHOULDER HAS A YELLOW, RED, AND BLACK WOVEN CORD ATTACHED BY A SILVER SAFETY PIN AT THE LEFT POCKET, AND LOOPED UNDER THE ARM WITH THE OTHER END ATTACHED TO THE CORD. ABOVE LEFT POCKET ARE TWO COLOUR BARS, FIRST BAR INCLUDES COLOURS FOR THE DECORATIONS: 1939-1945 STAR (NAVY BLUE, RED, LIGHT BLUE); FRANCE AND GERMANY STAR (NAVY BLUE, WHITE, RED, WHITE, NAVY BLUE); DEFENCE MEDAL (GREEN, BLACK, GREEN, ORANGE, GREEN, BLACK, GREEN). SECOND BAR INCLUDES COLOURS FOR THE DECORATIONS: CANADIAN VOLUNTEER SERVICE MEDAL, WITH SILVER MAPLE LEAF PINNED ON (GREEN, RED, NAVY BLUE, RED, GREEN); WAR MEDAL 1939-1945 (RED, NAVY BLUE, WHITE, RED, WHITE, NAVY BLUE, RED); CANADIAN CENTENNIAL MEDAL 1967 (RED, WHITE, RED, WHITE, RED, WHITE, RED, WHITE, RED, WHITE, RED); CANADIAN FORCES DECORATION (RED, WHITE, RED, WHITE, RED, WHITE, RED). INSIDE OF JACKET HAS KHAKI CANVAS LINING UNDER BUTTONS, BUTTON LOOPS, HEM, AND KHAKI INSIDE POCKETS. INSIDE ON RIGHT-WEARING SIDE IS WHITE TAG SEWN ON WITH FADED BLACK TEXT “MILLER & GABBE LIMITED, JACKET, MAN’S, BATTLEDRESS, KHAKI 1954, FEBRUARY 1961, SIZE 19, HEIGHT 5’5” TO 5’6”, BREAST 40-41”. LEFT INTERIOR POCKET IS STAINED; RIGHT-WEARING CUFF HAS FRAYING THREADS; OVERALL VERY GOOD CONDITION.
- Subjects
- CLOTHING-OUTERWEAR
- Historical Association
- MILITARY
- PERSONAL CARE
- History
- ON SEPTEMBER 16, 2016, COLLECTIONS TECHNICIAN KEVIN MACLEAN INTERVIEWED CHRIS AINSCOUGH REGARDING HIS DONATION OF A COLLECTION OF MILITARY OBJECTS. THE OBJECTS BELONGED TO AISNCOUGH’S GRANDFATHER AND FATHER, WILLIAM GEORGE AINSCOUGH (FIRST WORLD WAR) AND REED WILSON AINSCOUGH (SECOND WORLD WAR AND POST-WAR). ON HIS FATHER’S, REED WILSON AINSCOUGH’S, MILITARY SERVICE, CHRIS AINSCOUGH RECALLED, “I THINK THAT THE WAR WAS PROBABLY ONE OF THE BEST THINGS THAT HAPPENED TO MY DAD. HE NEVER SPOKE ABOUT IT MUCH, BUT THE FRIENDSHIPS THAT HE DEVELOPED THROUGH HIS CONTACTS IN THE WAR WENT ON RIGHT UNTIL HIS DEATH…IT’S PROBABLY LIKE BEING ON A TEAM, YOU KNOW, AND I THINK IT’S THAT FELLOWSHIP YOU GET FROM RELYING ON PEOPLE, AND TRAINING WITH PEOPLE, AND GETTING THEIR KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING. I THINK THAT’S SORT OF A BIG PART OF IT.” “WE MOVED [FROM FORT MACLEOD TO MEDICINE HAT] IN 1959…AND I THINK DAD WAS THE [COMMANDER OF THE SALLY HORSE IN MEDICINE HAT] FROM ’64 TO ’68. I’M PRETTY SURE THOSE WERE THE YEARS, SO IT WAS FIVE YEARS, WHERE YOU WAIT YOUR CHANCE/YOU WAIT YOUR OPPORTUNITY; PROVE YOURSELF; AND THEN UP YOU GO.” “[DAD] HAD A PRETTY GOOD LIBRARY. HE WAS FAIRLY WELL-READ. HE KNEW A LOT ABOUT CANADIAN MILITARY HISTORY. I KNOW THAT FOR SURE. ONE THING I KNOW HE WAS PROUD OF WAS THAT TWICE SOUTH ALBERTA LIGHT HORSE WON THE WORTHINGTON TROPHY, WHICH WAS, I THINK, FOR THE BEST MILITIA IN CANADA….HE WAS THE…AIDE-DE-CAMP FOR [GRANT MACEWAN] FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS. I KNOW PRINCESS ALEXANDRA, WHO WAS THE QUEEN’S COUSIN, PRESENTED THE GUIDON TO THEM UP HERE, ACTUALLY, IT WAS…OVER AT THE CURRIE BARRACKS…IT MUST HAVE BEEN 1967 OR SOMETHING.” “I KNOW WE VERY SELDOM WENT ON FAMILY HOLIDAYS BECAUSE HE USUALLY TOOK THE HOLIDAYS THAT HE GOT, AND HE’D EITHER GO TO SHILO, OR HE’D GO UP HERE, AND THEY SPENT A LOT OF TIME OUT AT SUFFIELD, ON THE RANGE OUT THERE, SO HOLIDAYS WERE TIED INTO THAT. WHEN HE WAS LIEUTENANT-COLONEL, THAT WAS ALMOST LIKE A FULL-TIME JOB…WE NEVER SAW HIM. HE WOULD BE TRAVELING ON THE ROAD, AND THEN HE’D COME HOME, I THINK IT WAS THURSDAY NIGHT. THURSDAY NIGHT WAS…YOUNG SOLDIERS…AND THEN TUESDAY NIGHT WAS WHEN THE OFFICERS AND THE NCO’S WOULD DO SOMETHING, SO THOSE TWO NIGHTS WERE TAKEN UP. SATURDAY, HE’D BE OUT THERE. SUNDAY, HE’D BE OUT THERE…HE PUT IN 40 HOURS A WEEK OR MORE DOING THAT, AS A JOB, AS WELL AS HIS JOB AS AN INSURANCE SALESMAN.” AINSCOUGH ELABORATED ON HIS MOTIVES FOR DONATING THE COLLECTION, STATING, “I THINK [THE OBJECTS ARE] A BIG PART OF SOUTH ALBERTA’S HISTORY. DAD WAS VERY ACTIVE IN THE MILITARY AND THE MILITIA FOR MANY YEARS. I THINK THAT’S THE BIGGEST PART [OF WANTING TO DONATE THE OBJECTS]…IT’S DIVESTING, BECAUSE AFTER MY DAD DIED [IN 1992], MY MOTHER STAYED IN THE HOUSE FOR ABOUT 5 YEARS, AND THEN SHE MOVED OUT TO THE COAST. IT WAS AT THAT TIME, WHEN WE WERE GOING THROUGH THE STUFF IN THE HOUSE, THAT WE THOUGHT THIS IS A GOOD TIME TO GET IT DOWN TO SOMEPLACE LIKE THE GALT THAT WOULD LOOK AFTER IT.” THE DONOR’S GREAT GRANDFATHER, WILLIAM THOMAS AINSCOUGH, MARRIED MARGARET A. AINSCOUGH IN 1878 AND EMIGRATED FROM SMITHFIELD, UTAH TO CANADA IN 1898, BRINGING SIX CHILDREN, AGED 1 TO 18, WITH THEM. WILLIAM GEORGE AINSCOUGH, THE DONOR’S GRANDFATHER, WAS AMONG THE CHILDREN (BORN 1885). THE AINSCOUGHS INITIALLY SETTLED IN WHISKEY GAP, ALBERTA, BEFORE RELOCATING TO WOOLFORD, ALBERTA. ACCORDING A RESUME FOR REED W. AINSCOUGH INCLUDED IN THE PERMANENT FILE, REED WILSON AINSCOUGH WAS BORN ON JUNE 21, 1918 IN CARDSTON, ALBERTA. IN 1940, REED AINSCOUGH JOINED THE 93RD BATTERY OF THE ROYAL CANADIAN ARTILLERY [RCA] STATIONED AT FORT MACLEOD, ALBERTA, AND WAS PROMOTED TO A SECOND LIEUTENANT. REED AINSCOUGH WAS POSTED OVERSEAS IN 1942 AND SERVED UNTIL HIS DISCHARGE ON JANUARY 8, 1946. LETHBRIDGE HERALD ARTICLES REPORTED REED AINSCOUGH AS BEING IN THE THICK OF THE FIGHTING IN FRANCE, NOTABLY AT CAEN. IT WAS REPORTED IN THE LETHBRIDGE HERALD IN 1944 THAT REED AINSCOUGH WAS PROMOTED TO CAPTAIN, AND WAS WOUNDED IN HIS LEG IN OCTOBER 1944. REED AINSCOUGH WAS SENT TO BELGIUM FOR SURGERY AND TO BE HOSPITALIZED, AND WAS RETURNED TO CANADA ON THE HOSPITAL SHIP H.M.C.S. LADY NELSON IN 1945. IN 1947, REED AINSCOUGH BECAME THE BATTERY COMMANDER OF THE 93RD BATTERY RCA, AND SERVED AS THE COMMANDER UNTIL 1959, BEING PROMOTED TO MAJOR IN 1951. IN 1959, UPON A TRANSFER WITH HIS EMPLOYMENT AT CANADA LIFE, HE MOVED TO MEDICINE HAT, ALBERTA, AND JOINED THE SOUTH ALBERTA LIGHT HORSE AS A SQUADRON COMMANDER IN 1961. IN 1964, HE WAS PROMOTED TO LIEUTENANT COLONEL AND COMMANDER OF THE SOUTH ALBERTA LIGHT HORSE, AND WAS APPOINTED AIDE-DE-CAMP TO LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR GRANT MACEWAN UNTIL HIS RETIREMENT. REED AINSCOUGH WAS PROMOTED TO BRANCH MANAGER OF CANADA LIFE IN LETHBRIDGE, ALBERTA, IN 1969 AND MOVED TO LETHBRIDGE. REED AINSCOUGH WAS A MEMBER OF THE MASONIC LODGE, LODGE OF PERFECTION, ROSE CROIX, CONSISTORY, SHRINE, ORDER OF THE EASTERN STAR, AND SERVED AS THE MASTER OF THE LODGE OF PERFECTION UNTIL 1977. ACCORDING TO HIS LETHBRIDGE HERALD OBITUARY, REED AINSCOUGH WAS ALSO ACTIVE WITH THE FORT MACLEOD CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, LIONS’ CLUB, HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION, AND FORT MACLEOD MUSEUM DURING HIS TIME LIVING IN FORT MACLEOD. IN MEDICINE HAT, AISNCOUGH SERVED AS PRESIDENT OF THE HEART AND STROKE ASSOCIATION, AND ACTED AS A SENATOR FOR THE UNIVERSITY OF LETHBRIDGE UPON MOVING TO THE CITY. ON OCTOBER 20, 1993, REED WILSON AINSCOUGH PASSED AWAY IN LETHBRIDGE. FOR MORE INFORMATION INCLUDING FAMILY MILITARY SERVICE FILES, NEWSPAPER CLIPPINGS ON WILLIAM GEORGE AND REED AINSCOUGH, A RESUME FOR REED AINSCOUGH, AND THE FULL INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPTION, PLEASE SEE THE PERMANENT FILE P20160017001-GA.
- Catalogue Number
- P20160017008
- Acquisition Date
- 2016-06
- Collection
- Museum
Images
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