Material Type

Artifact

Other Name

ROYAL FLYING CORP TUNIC

Date Range From

1914

Date Range To

1918

Materials

WOOL

No. Pieces

2

Length

81.0

Width

41.0

Description

KHAKI WOOL SERGE WRAP-AROUND STYLE TUNIC W/ 8 BUTTON & 3 SNAP FRONT CLOSURE & A PLEATED BACK. SMALL MENS SIZE. 2 SLASH POCKETS W/ FLAPS AT SKIRT. EPAULETS SECURE W/ BUTTON. 1 BUTTON MISSING. FRAYED ON LOWER RIGHT HEM. CLOTH SHOULDER TITLES READ: "ROYAL FLYING CORPS". LABEL ON INSIDE POCKET MARKED "BEAUCHAMP & ROW LTD., 97 KING STREET, WEST TORONTO, NAME: T.E. BLACK, DATE.". CORPORALS CHEVRON DETACHED & IN ENVELOPE WITH INSPECTION PAPER.

Subjects

CLOTHING-OUTERWEAR

Historical Association

MILITARY

History

WORN BY DONOR'S FATHER GEORGE WATSON SR. OVERSEAS DURING W.W.I. HIS RANK WAS PRESUMABLY CORPORAL BASED ON RANK BADGE IN TUNIC POCKET. GEORGE WATSON’S FATHER, A BLACKSMITH, WAS ENTICED OUT TO COAL BANKS (LETHBRIDGE) BY AR&I MINE SUPERINTENDENT WILLIAM STAFFORD IN 1885. 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. *UPDATE* IN 2014 COLLECTIONS ASSISTANT JANE EDMUNDSON CONDUCTED A SURVEY OF MILITARY OBJECTS, WHICH INCLUDED OBJECTS RELATED TO THE WATSON FAMILY. FROM WATSON SR.'S OBITUARY IN JUNE 30, 1980 LETHBRIDGE HERALD: "WATSON, GEORGE OF 1409 9 AVE SOUTH PASSED AWAY IN LETHBRIDGE ON JUNE 27 AT THE AGE OF 84 YEARS... [HE] WAS EDUCATED IN LETHBRIDGE AND TOOK HIS NORMAL SCHOOL TRAINING IN CALGARY. DURING THE FIRST WORLD WAR HE ENLISTED IN THE ROYAL FLYING CORPS, SERVING AS A FLYING CADET. HE RETURNED TO THIS AREA AND TAUGHT SCHOOL IN SLEEPY HOLLOW, MILK RIVER, COALHURST, COALDALE, AT THE LETHBRIDGE COLLEGIATE INSTITUTE FROM 1930 TO 1950, AND FROM 1950-1961 AS VICE PRINCIPAL OF HAMILTON SCHOOL, THE FIRST JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL IN LETHBRIDGE. HE WAS AN HONORARY LIFE MEMBER OF THE ALBERTA TEACHER'S ASSOCIATION. ACTIVE IN COMMUNITY ASSOCIATIONS, HE SERVED ON THE FOLLOWING: THE FIRST TOWN PLANNING COMMISSION OF THE CITY, THE PARKS AND RECREATION BOARD, THE HEALTH UNIT, AND ONE TERM AS AN ALDERMAN ON CITY COUNCIL. DURING ITS FORMATIVE YEARS HE SERVED AS COMMANDING OFFICER OF THE NO. 1 SQUADRON OF THE ROYAL CANADIAN AIR CADETS. HE WAS A FOUNDING MEMBER OF THE LETHBRIDGE HISTORICAL SOCIETY, AND THE LETHBRIDGE RETIRED TEACHERS ASSOCIATION." ACCORDING TO HER SPOKANE CHRONICLE OBITUARY, THE DONOR, C. HELEN RANKIN, PASSED AWAY IN SPOKANE ON MAY 13, 1992. FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THE WATSON FAMILY, INCLUDING WATSON SR.'S MILITARY SERVICE RECORDS, SEE PERMANENT FILE P19830011000-GA.

Catalogue Number

P19830011000

Acquisition Date

1983-02

Collection

Museum

Less detail