Material Type

Artifact

Other Name

1914 STAR (1917)

Date

1917

Materials

BRASS, RIBBON

No. Pieces

1

Length

11.1

Width

4.4

Description

"AUG. 1914 NOV. CV" & CROWN, WREATH & CROSSED SWORDS OVER STAR SHAPE ON FRONT. "5821 PTE B. SHORTO DORSET:R." ON BACK. RED, WHITE & BLUE RIBBON. "5TH AUG.-22ND NOV. 1914" ON REMOVABLE BAR.

Subjects

PERSONAL SYMBOL

Historical Association

MILITARY

History

THE 1914 STAR AWARDED TO PERSONNEL WHO SERVED IN FRANCE & BELGIUM BEFORE NOVEMBER 22-23 1914. RECIPIENT, BERTRAM SHORTS WAS DONOR'S HUSBAND. ONLY 100 1914 STARS AWARDED. *UPDATE* IN 2014 COLLECTIONS ASSISTANT JANE EDMUNDSON CONDUCTED A SURVEY OF MILITARY OBJECTS. SHE WAS UNABLE TO FIND MILITARY SERVICE RECORDS FOR BERTRAM SHORTS AND DISCOVERED EVIDENCE IN THE PERMANENT FILES THAT THE DONOR'S NAME WAS INCORRECTLY RECORDED AS "N. SHORTS" AT THE TIME OF DONATION - HER FULL NAME WAS HONORA SHORTO. HER OBITUARY NOTICE IN THE MARCH 15, 1971 ISSUE OF THE LETHBRIDGE HERALD IDENTIFIES HER AS SUCH AND MENTIONS HER LATE HUSBAND, BERTRAM SHORTO (DECEASED PRIOR TO 1919, GIVEN THE MEMORIAL PLAQUE DONATED BY MRS. SHORTO IN HER HUSBAND'S NAME - P19705549000). IT IS UNKNOWN HOW BERTRAM SHORTO CAME TO BE IDENTIFIED AS "BERTRAM SHORTS" ON THE MILITRAY MEDALS AND AWARDS DONTAED BY HIS WIFE. HONORA SHORTO WAS BORN IN ENGLAND IN 1889 AND CAME TO LETHBRIDGE IN 1927 WITH HER ONLY DAUGHTER, FREDA MAY, AFTER THE DEATH OF HER HUSBAND. FREDA MARRIED CARL FRASER OF LETHBRIDGE, AND THEY HAD THREE CHILDREN: MURIEL JEAN, ROBERT BOYD, AND NEILSON MCGREGOR. IN 1943, A GUNMAN BROKE INTO THE FRASER HOME AND SHOT FREDA WHILE HER MOTHER AND THE THREE FRASER CHILDREN WATCHED (SEE PERMANENT FILE FOR NEWSPAPER ARTICLE FROM THE OCTOBER 26, 1943 ISSUE OF THE LETHBRIDGE HERALD). AFTER FREDA'S DEATH, HONORA SHORTO HELPED TAKE CARE OF THE CHILDREN WHILE CARL WORKED FOR THE CITY OF LETHBRIDGE (SEE P19672486000 FOR HISTORY OF FRASER FAMILY). SHORTO DIED ON MARCH 13, 1971. SEE PERMANENT FILE FOR HARDCOPIES OF OBITUARY AND NEWSPAPER ARTICLES; SEE GALT ARCHIVES 19736162000 FOR BERTRAM SHORTO'S COMMEMORATIVE DEATH CERTIFICATE.

Catalogue Number

P19738982000

Acquisition Date

1970-03

Collection

Museum

Less detail