Material Type

Artifact

Other Name

MILITARY TYPE

Date Range From

1940

Date Range To

1945

Materials

CANVAS DRILL, LEATHER, BRASS

No. Pieces

2

Height

22.0

Length

30.5

Width

7.6

Description

SHOULDER SLING ATTACHMENT TORN. BACK ENVELOPE POCKET TORN AND REPAIRED. FLAT STRAPS AND BUCKLES TORN AND MISSING. INKED ON FLAP. RAF INSIGNIA AND LEGEND HARRY WATSON NO. 4224.

Subjects

PERSONAL GEAR

Historical Association

MILITARY

History

*UPDATE* IN 2012 COLLECTIONS ASSISTANT DAVID SMITH CONDUCTED A SURVEY OF MILITARY OBJECTS. HE WAS ABLE TO DISCOVER NEW INFORMATION ABOUT THE ORIGINAL OWNER. HE LEARNED THE FOLLOWING: HARRY WATSON WAS BORN ON MARCH 23, 1910 AND PASSED AWAY ON APRIL 14, 1976. THERE SEEMS TO BE NO RECORD OF HARRY BEING INVOLVED WITH THE MILITARY DURING WWII, HOWEVER HIS FATHER GEORGE WATSON SERVED IN WORLD WAR ONE. IT IS SUSPECTED THAT GEORGE GAVE THE BAG TO HIS SON HARRY TO USE. FAINT EVIDENCE OF A SERVICE NUMBER CAN BE SEEN ON THE EXTERIOR OF THAT BAG WHICH ALMOST MATCHES THAT OF GEORGE WATSON. HARRY WATSON’S GRANDFATHER, A BLACKSMITH, WAS ENTICED OUT TO COAL BANKS (LETHBRIDGE) BY AR&I MINE SUPERINTENDENT WILLIAM STAFFORD IN 1885. GEORGE WATSON SPENT HIS EARLY YEARS IN THE GALT HOME IN THE RIVER BOTTOM UNTIL MOVING UP TOP IN 1902. FOLLOWING HIGH SCHOOL, WATSON TAUGHT SCHOOL EAST OF MILK RIVER AND AT SLEEPY HOLLOW NEAR WRITING-ON-STONE. IN 1917, HE COMPLETED NORMAL SCHOOL AND ENLISTED WITH THE ROYAL FLYING CORP AS A CADET FOR PILOT TRAINING. HE DID NOT HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO SERVE OVERSEAS BUT WAS HAPPY TO HAVE THE TRAINING AND DISCIPLINE THAT THE SERVICE OFFERED. AFTER THE WAR, HE RETURNED TO LETHBRIDGE. WATSON’S PROVIDED LEADERSHIP AS AN OFFICER FOR LETHBRIDGE’S NO. 11 ROYAL CANADIAN AIR CADET SQUADRON. WATSON AND OTHERS WERE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE SQUADRON’S FORMATION IN 1941. HE RESIGNED AS A SQUADRON OFFICER IN MAY, 1960. GEORGE WATSON SR. DIED IN 1980. FOR MORE INFORMATION INCLUDING HARRY WATSON’S OBITUARY IN THE LETHBRIDGE HERALD, AND SERVICE RECORDS FOR GEORGE WATSON’S BROTHER (WILLIAM KERR WATSON) FROM LIBRARY AND ARCHIVES CANADA, PLEASE SEE PERMANENT FILE. *2014 UPDATE* ACCORDING TO HIS LETHBRIDGE HERALD OBITUARY, THE DONOR, GEORGE WATSON JR., PASSED AWAY IN LETHBRDGE ON MAY 16, 2003, AT THE AGE OF 75 YEARS. FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THE WATSON FAMILY, INCLUDING WATSON SR.'S MILITARY SERVICE RECORDS, SEE PERMANENT FILE P19830011000-GA.

Catalogue Number

P19662297000

Acquisition Date

1966-11

Collection

Museum

Less detail