Material Type

Artifact

Other Name

GENERAL SERVICE - MILITARY

Date

1946

Materials

SILVER, BRASS

No. Pieces

2

Length

2.2

Width

1.5

Description

SILVER PIN, BRASS LOCK NUT. PIN FEATURES KING'S CROWN OVER SHIELD WITH 3 MAPLE LEAVES (FOR 3 SERVICES) AND THE WORDS AT BOTTOM "GENERAL SERVICE". BACK SIDE OF PIN FEATURES BRASS SCREW, THE NUMBER "753342" AND "PENALTY FOR MISUSE 500 DOLLARS OR SIX MONTHS IMPRISONMENT, STERLING."

Subjects

PERSONAL SYMBOL

Historical Association

MILITARY

History

DISCHARGE PIN GIVEN TO VETERANS OF W.W.II IN CANADA WHO HAD VOLUNTEERED FOR ACTIVE SERVICE, RATHER THAN CONSCRIPTS. ORIGINAL OWNER OF PIN UNKNOWN. DONOR SERVED IN W.W.II & WAS FOR A TIME A GUARD AT P.O.W CAMP 133, LETHBRIDGE. ALSO KNOWN AS A DISCHARGE PIN. *UPDATE* IN 2014 COLLECTIONS ASSISTANT JANE EDMUNDSON CONDUCTED A SURVEY OF MILITARY OBJECTS, INCLUDING ONE DONATED BY DR. ALEX JOHNSTON (P19820062000). WHILE SHE WAS UNABLE TO FIND SPECIFIC INFORMATION ON THE ARTIFACTS DONATED BY JOHNSTON, A TRIBUTE ARTICLE FROM THE APRIL 13, 1989 ISSUE OF THE LETHBRIDGE HERALD PROVIDES BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION. JOHNSTON WAS BORN IN 1920 IN WORKED FOR NEARLY 30 YEARS AS A RANGELAND ECOLOGIST AT THE LETHBRIDGE RESEARCH STATION. HIS CAREER AS A LOCAL HISTORIAN STARTED IN THE MID-1960S, AND BY HIS DEATH HE HAD AUTHORED OVER ONE HUNDRED ARTICLES AND PUBLICATIONS. HE WORKED AT THE GALT MUSEUM AND ARCHIVES, AND SERVED AS THE CHAIRMAN OF THE ARITFACTS AND ACQUISITION COMMITTEE AT THE FORT WHOOP UP INTERPRETIVE SOCIETY. JOHNSON RECEIVED AN HONOURARY DOCTORATE OF LAWS FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF LETHBRIDGE AND WAS INDUCTED IN THE ALBERTA AGRICULTURE HALL OF EXCELLENCE FOR HIS ROLE IN THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE RESEARCH SUBSTATION WEST OF STAVELY - A DEMONSTRATION FARM USED TO DEVELOP THE PRESERVATION OF NATIVE PRAIRIE GRASSES. JOHNSTON WAS A CONFIRMED BACHELOR AND LIVED FOR MANY YEARS AT THE MARQUIS HOTEL. HE DIED ON APRIL 12, 1989. FOR HARDCOPIES OF ARTICLES ON ALEX JOHNSTON, SEE PERMANENT FILE. *UPDATE* IN 2014 COLLECTIONS ASSISTANT JANE EDMUNDSON DEVELOPED THE FOLLOWING BRIEF HISTORY OF PRISONER OF WAR CAMP 133 WITH INFORMATION FROM THE GALT MUSEUM BROCHURE "LETHBRDGE'S INTERNMENT CAMPS" AND THE LIBRARY AND ARCHIVES CANADA WEBSITE. DURING WORLD WAR II THERE WERE 40 PRISONER OF WAR (P.O.W.) CAMPS CONSTRUCTED ACROSS CANADA TO HOUSE THE LARGE NUMBER OF INCOMING POWS - ENEMY MILITARY PERSONNEL THAT WERE CAPTURED IN COMBAT. CAMPS WERE BUILT IN ONTARIO, QUEBEC, THE MARITIMES AND ALBERTA. THE CAMPS IN LETHBRIDGE AND MEDICINE HAT WERE THE LARGEST, TOGETHER HOUSING 22,000 MEN. THE LETHBRIDGE CAMP, NO. 133, WAS BUILT IN THE SUMMER OF 1942, AND BY NOVEMBER OF THAT YEAR HOUSED 13,341 PRISONERS. THE CAMP WAS DIVIDED INTO SIX SECTIONS, EACH WITH SIX DORMITORIES, MESS HALLS, KITCHENS, AND ENTERTAINMENT FACILITIES. MEALS WERE IN SHIFTS WITH PRISONERS SERVING AS COOKS. TAILOR, BARBER AND SHOE REPAIR SHOPS WERE ALSO STAFFED BY PRISONERS, AND NON-COMBAT POWS PRACTICED THEIR PRE-WAR PROFESSIONS AS MEDICAL DOCTORS AND DENTISTS. HOUSING AND RATIONS WERE THE SAME STANDARD AS FOR THE CANADIAN ARMED FORCES, WHICH SOMETIMES CAUSED RESENTMENT AMONG LETHBRIDGE CIVILIAN RESIDENTS, WHO WERE UNABLE TO OBTAIN MANY OF THE SAME SUPPLIES ON THEIR STRICT WARTIME RATION ALLOWANCES. WITH MANY YOUNG LOCAL MEN AWAY AT WAR, LOCAL FARMERS BEGAN TO REQUEST LABOUR ASSISTANCE FROM THE CAMP, ESPECIALLY FOR THE SUGAR BEET INDUSTRY. BY 1943 AN AGREEMENT WAS REACHED AND SOME OF THE PRISONERS WORKED ON FARMS THROUGHOUT SOUTHERN ALBERTA. MOST OF THESE PRISONERS WENT FROM THE CAMP TO THE FARMS DAILY, BUT SOME WERE KEPT AT 'LODGES' AT THE MORE DISTANT FARMS FOR DAYS AT A TIME, WITH MINIMAL GUARDING. FOR THEIR LABOUR, THE PRISONERS WERE PAID 50 CENTS PER DAY. WITH WAR'S END, CAMP 133 CLOSED IN DECEMBER 1946 AND ITS PRISONERS WERE SENT BACK TO GERMANY. THE AREA WHERE THE CAMP STOOD EVENTUALLY BECAME AN INDUSTRIAL PARK AND PART OF THE FEDERAL AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH CENTRE.

Catalogue Number

P19820062000

Acquisition Date

1982-12

Collection

Museum

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