Material Type

Artifact

Other Name

CANADIAN MILITARY

Date

1942

Materials

RUBBER, STEEL, CANVAS

No. Pieces

1

Length

66.0

Width

15.2

Description

SIZE: NORMAL (STAMPED ON MASK) "GAS MASK & CANNISTER SET. NO. 5 MASK. NO. 4A CANNISTER. "GSW NO. 4A 1941 AC/4 E/VI" ON BASE OF CANNISTER. "GSW DONALD PLANT 12/1/42 O SBT 149" ON TOP OF CANNISTER. "38" IN CIRCLE ON MOUTH PIECE FITTING. "NORMAL" "BFG OH/8" IN CIRCLE SPELLED BACKWARDS ON MASK. "NO. 5" ON MASK INTERIOR. CHARCOAL ACTIVATED MASK

Subjects

REGULATIVE & PROTECTIVE T&E

Historical Association

MILITARY

History

USED IN W.W.1.1. *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: ACCORDING TO ROBERT ANKILL’S OBITUARY IN THE LETHBRIDGE HERALD, “ROBERT (BOB) ANKILL PASSED AWAY PEACEFULLY, SURROUNDED BY HIS FAMILY ON SUNDAY JUNE 18, 2006 AT THE AGE OF 84 YEARS. BOB WAS BORN ON JUNE 6, 1922 IN PINCHER CREEK. HE JOINED THE CANADIAN ARMY IN 1942 AND WAS POSTED IN THE R.C.C.S. FIRST ARMORED DIVISION. AFTER TAKING A WIRELESS OPERATORS COURSE, HE WAS POSTED IN ENGLAND. WHILE HE WAS STATIONED THERE HE MET HIS FUTURE WIFE PEGGY. HE WAS THEN POSTED IN ITALY AND TOOK PART IN THE ITALIAN CAMPAIGN FROM SAN VITO TO MONTE CASINO. SHORTLY AFTER HE WAS POSTED IN HOLLAND AND TOOK PART IN MANY “MOP-UP” OPERATIONS AT THE END OF THE INVASION. AFTER HOSTILITIES CEASED HE JOINED AN R.C.A. DANCE AND ENTERTAINED THE TROOPS FOR SIX DAYS. IN JULY OF 1945 HE MARRIED THE LOVE OF HIS LIFE PEGGY SIMS AFTER WHICH HE RETURNED TO EUROPE TO PREPARE FOR HIS RETURN TO CANADA. BOB REMAINED IN THE ENTERTAINMENT BUSINESS AS A VOLUNTEER FOR THE PAST 60 YEARS. HE HAS ALSO BEEN A MEMBER OF THE MASONIC LODGE FOR THE PAST 55 YEARS AS WELL AS A LONGTIME MEMBER OF THE ROYAL CANADIAN LEGION.” ON JUNE 5, 2012, GALT STAFF CONDUCTED AN INTERVIEW WITH JEANNE SHEA WHO WAS THE DAUGHTER OF THE ORIGINAL OWNER AND DONOR ROBERT ANKILL. ACCORDING TO JEANNE, “[ROBERT] WAS BORN IN PINCHER CREEK, ALBERTA ON JUNE THE SIXTH. IT WILL BE HIS BIRTHDAY TOMORROW, 1922. AND HIS PARENTS WERE BEATRICE AND JACOB (HE WENT BY COE, THE CO IN JACOB) ANKILL. HE LIVED MAINLY IN PINCHER CREEK AND THE CROWSNEST PASS AREA, MACLEOD, ALL THAT AREA. HIS DAD HAD A HOMESTEAD IN THE PORCUPINE HILLS. SO THAT’S KIND OF THE AREA HE GREW UP IN. HE CAME BACK [TO PINCHER CREEK AFTER THE WAR]. HE VOLUNTEERED, WHICH MY GRANDMA WAS A LITTLE UPSET ABOUT BECAUSE HE WAS THE ONLY SON ON THE FARM, BUT HE VOLUNTEERED AND WENT. I DON’T KNOW THE DATES OF WHERE HE WAS. I KNOW THAT HE TRAINED IN CURRIE BARRACKS IN CALGARY. THAT’S WHERE HE HAD HIS BASIC TRAINING, AND HE WAS IN NORTH AFRICA, ITALY, SICILY, HOLLAND, BELGIUM. I DON’T KNOW THE ORDER OF WHEN HE WAS IN THOSE PLACES. HE WAS WITH THE RCCS, I BELIEVE, WERE HIS LETTERS. YOU CAN SEE THE SYMBOL THERE. ROYAL CANADIAN CORPS OF SIGNALMEN. SO HE WAS A RADIO OPERATOR AND HE RODE IN A TANK. IT WAS IN A TANK – THAT’S WHERE THE RADIO WAS. HE MET MY MOTHER IN WINCHESTER, ENGLAND, AND SHE WAS WITH THE ATS, AND HE MET HER IN WINCHESTER AND THEY WERE MARRIED IN WINCHESTER. AND THEN MY MOTHER CAME OVER AFTER THE WAR. DAD BOUGHT A HOUSE IN PINCHER SO SHE DIDN’T HAVE TO LIVE ON THE FARM, AND THAT’S WHERE THEY RESIDED, WHERE BOTH ME AND MY SISTER WERE BOTH BORN. ONE STORY THAT HE DID MENTION WAS THAT HE HAD SOMEBODY THAT ORDERED HIM TO STAY IN THE TANK AND THERE WAS SHELLING GOING ON ALL AROUND HIM ALL NIGHT LONG, AND HE WAS SCARED TO DEATH, AND HE STAYED, AND STAYED AND STAYED AND STAYED, AND THEN, IN THE MORNING, NOBODY CAME BACK FOR HIM, NOBODY KNEW HE WAS THERE, AND HE DIDN’T KNOW HOW LONG HE WAS SUPPOSED TO STAY IN THE TANK, AND FINALLY HE JUST LEFT. HE DROPPED OUT OF THE BOTTOM OF IT AND GOT AWAY AND I THINK SOMEBODY GOT IN TROUBLE FOR TELLING HIM TO STAY THERE AND NOT COMING BACK BECAUSE HE WOULDN’T HAVE DISOBEYED BUT IT WAS – AND HE DID LOSE HIS HEARING QUITE BADLY AND THAT WAS BECAUSE OF THE BOMBING AND THE SHOOTING ALL AROUND HIM. [THIS EVENT HAPPENED] SOMEWHERE OVERSEAS. MY KIDS MIGHT KNOW, AND THEY HAD HEARD OTHER STORIES, SO – LIKE I SAID, THEY WERE BOYS, SO I THINK HE SHARED A LITTLE MORE. MY OLDEST SON WAS IN THE RESERVES HERE, SO I THINK – HE TALKED TO HIM MORE ABOUT IT THAN THE REST OF US. BUT THAT’S THE ONLY STORY THAT I REALLY KNOW, OTHER THAN HIM GETTING TERRIBLY SEASICK. THEY USED TO SHIP EVERYBODY OVER ON THE BIG SHIPS. HE SAID HE’D JUST GET DOWN IN THE HOLD AND GET IN A VEHICLE AND JUST BE SICK, AND SICK AND SICK, AND SO HE WASN’T GOOD ON THE OCEAN. AFTER THE WAR, HE WENT TO WORK IN PINCHER CREEK. I THINK HE TRIED TO WORK ON THE RIGS, BUT THAT WASN’T SOMETHING HE CARED TO DO. HE WAS A MUSICIAN. HE SAID HIS FINGERS WERE TOO IMPORTANT TO – NOT A PROFESSIONAL MUSICIAN, BUT HE PLAYED THE PIANO FROM THE TIME HE WAS SIX. SO, HE DIDN’T LIKE THE RIGS AND HE WORKED AT A STORE IN PINCHER THEY CALLED SCOTT’S AND IT WAS A FURNITURE STORE. IT GOT BURNED TO THE GROUND, AND THEN HE WENT TO WORK AT THE COOP IN PINCHER. AND IN 1956, I BELIEVE, WE MOVED TO LETHBRIDGE, WHERE HE WORKED AT EATON’S, AND THEN HE WENT FROM EATON’S A FEW YEARS LATER TO AGT , WHICH IS LIKE OUR TELUS, NOW, AND HE WORKED THERE UNTIL HE RETIRED. THE WAR WAS OVER IN ’45 AND I WAS BORN IN ’48. APRIL OF ’48. [THE FAMILY MOVED TO LETHBRIDGE] IN ’56. ALL OF US CAME. WE MOVED AS A FAMILY IN ’56. WE WERE JUST KIDS WHEN WE MOVED IN, AND IT WAS CALLED DOMINION SQUARE WHEN WE MOVED IN. IT’S JUST THE HOUSES AROUND GALBRAITH SCHOOL, THE NEWER ONES THAT WERE BUILT THEN. WE LIVED OVER THERE, AND THEY LIVED IN THAT HOUSE FROM ’56 UNTIL WHEN MY MOTHER PASSED AWAY. HE DIDN’T FEEL THERE WAS ANY PLACE TO GO, WORKING AT THE CO-OP [SO THAT’S WHY WE MOVED].HE NEEDED SOMETHING MORE THAN THAT. HE WANTED SOMEWHERE WHERE HE COULD MOVE UP A LITTLE BIT AND HE LOVED WORKING FOR AGT BECAUSE AT THE END HE BECAME – HE WAS A STORESMAN, BUT HE WAS ALSO A CULVERT INSPECTOR, SO – ACTUALLY HE BUILT CULVERTS, BUT SOME OF THEM BROKE SO THIS WAS VERY CREATIVE. [HE DIDN’T LOSE HIS HEARING RIGHT AFTER HE GOT BACK, BUT HE’S NEVER HEARD THAT WELL. IT GOT REALLY, REALLY BAD, BECAUSE AS I TOLD YOU, HE WAS A MUSICIAN. HE PLAYED THE KIND OF GUY THAT COULD PICK UP ANYTHING AND PLAY IT, JUST ANYTHING. HE PLAYED IN ORCHESTRAS, ACTUALLY, THAT’S ANOTHER THING IN THE ARMY, HE PLAYED IN THEIR ORCHESTRA OVER THERE, AND SOMEWHERE I’VE GOT PICTURES OF THAT, AND THEY’RE BIG ONES THAT THEY HAD GIVEN THEM. I’M JUST NOT SURE EXACTLY WHERE THEY ARE AT THIS MOMENT, BUT THEY’RE NOT VERY FAR. AND HE PLAYED PIANO IN THAT, AND AFTER THE WAR, THEY ENTERTAINED QUITE A BIT FOR THE TROOPS, TOO. SO HE PLAYED IN ORCHESTRAS AND BANDS AND EVERYTHING, AND AS HE GOT OLDER, PROBABLY INTO HIS MID-SEVENTIES, HE HAD TO STOP PLAYING GROUPS BECAUSE HE COULDN’T HEAR THE CUES OR WHATEVER AND SO HE JUST STARTED PLAYING BY HIMSELF AT NURSING HOMES, THE HOSPITAL. HE PLAYED ORGAN, KEYBOARD, PIANO, THERE, BANJO, VIOLIN, YOU KNOW, AND HE TAUGHT MY MOTHER TO SORT OF PLAY THE SNARE DRUMS TO KEEP THE BEAT. I CAN’T BELIEVE SHE DID IT, BUT SHE DID, PLAY THE SNARE DRUMS WHEN HE WOULD GO TO PLAY AT ALL THESE PLACES. BUT I’D SAY IT WAS INTO HIS 70S WHEN IT GOT REALLY BAD, HIS HEARING. I LOST MY DAD IN 2006 AND MY MOTHER IN 2009. I WAS LUCKY TO HAVE THEM AS LONG AS I DID. HE WASN’T QUITE THAT OLD, BECAUSE IT WAS EARLIER, BUT HE WAS IN HIS 80S. I ALWAYS FIGURE IF THEY PASSED 80 IT WAS A REAL BONUS.” FOR MORE INFORMATION INCLUDING: INTERVIEW, TRANSCRIPTION, PHOTOS AND OBITUARY PLEASE SEE PERMANENT FILE.

Catalogue Number

P19662374000

Acquisition Date

1966-10

Collection

Museum

Less detail