Material Type

Artifact

Other Name

R.C.M.P. STRATHCONA TYPE BOOTS

Date

1945

Materials

LEATHER

No. Pieces

2

Height

44.1

Length

31

Width

7.3

Description

BROWN LEATHER UPPERS, SOLE & HEEL (CUBAN TYPE HEEL). LACE FRONT & SIDE AT THE CALF. LACES MISSING. FRONT GUSSET ABOVE LACES. INSIDE CANVAS PULL STRAPS & STAMPED IN INK: "JUL. 11 1945 11928"

Subjects

CLOTHING-FOOTWEAR

Historical Association

SAFETY SERVICES

History

BOOTS ARE BASED ON STRATHCONA STYLE MILITARY BOOT & ARE FOR USE WITH REVIEW ORDER UNIFORM. (ORDERS OF DRESS 1957) SEE P19860112001-GA FOR HISTORY & REFERENCES. *UPDATE* IN 2016 COLLECTIONS ASSISTANT RUTHANN LABLANCE CONDUCTED A SURVEY OF CLOTHING, INCLUDING THE GAUNTLETS DONATED BY BERY ALLAN. THE FOLLOWING BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION WAS COMPILED USING ARTICLES FROM THE LETHBRIDGE HERALD. BERESFORD ‘BERY’ ALLAN WAS BORN NOVEMBER 7, 1907 IN WINNIPEG. RAISED BY HIS GRANDPARENTS, HE SPENT MOST OF HIS YOUTH IN VANCOUVER. HE JOINED THE R.C.M.P. IN 1932 AND WAS POSTED THROUGHOUT CANADA, INCLUDING BRITISH COLUMBIA, ALBERTA, MANITOBA, ONTARIO, AND THE NORTH WEST TERRITORIES. IN NOVEMBER 1937, BERY WAS PART OF THE MUSICAL RIDE AND PERFORMED IN MADISON SQUARE GARDENS IN NYC. HE ALSO SERVED ON THE ESCORT DETAIL FOR KING GEORGE VI AND QUEEN ELIZABETH WHEN THEY VISITED BANFF. BERY MARRIED HIS TRUE LOVE, GRACE HELENA, BEFORE MOVING TO LETHBRIDGE IN 1944. IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING HIS RETIREMENT IN 1959, AT THE RANK OF STAFF SERGEANT, BERY TOOK OVER AS THE CIVIL DEFENCE TRAINING OFFICER IN LETHBRIDGE. HE ALSO SPENT APPROXIMATELY 15 YEARS WITH THE FAMILY COURT DIVISION OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL’S DEPARTMENT. BERY PASSED AWAY AT THE AGE OF 93 ON SEPTEMBER 8, 2001. SEE PERMANENT FILE FOR HARD COPIES OF THE LETHBRIDGE HERALD ARTICLES. *UPDATE* IN 2018, COLLECTIONS INTERN KIRSTAN SCHAMUHN CONDUCTED A SURVEY OF PERSONAL ARTIFACTS. ON 19 NOVEMBER 2018, SCHAMUHN INTERVIEWED ROSEMARY ALLAN REGARDING HER FATHER’S, BERESFORD “BERY” ALLAN’S, DONATION. THE INFORMATION BELOW HAS BEEN EXTRACTED FROM THAT INTERVIEW: WHEN ASKED ABOUT THE BOOTS AND GAUNTLETS BEING PART OF HER FATHER’S SPECIAL OCCASIONS UNIFORM, ROSEMARY ALLAN RECALLED, “YES, THEY WERE.” “THE RED SERGE WOULD COME OUT FROM TIME TO TIME FOR THINGS LIKE PARADES, OR PEOPLE VISITING FOR CERTAIN REASONS. BUT IT DID COME OUT FROM TIME TO TIME.” “I CAN REMEMBER HIM WEARING THEM FROM TIME TO TIME BECAUSE HE WOULD HAVE TO PREPARE TO WEAR THEM.” ON HER FATHER’S CAREER WITH THE R.C.M.P., ROSEMARY ALLAN REMEMBERED “HIS TRAINING HE RECEIVED IN SASKATCHEWAN. I DON’T KNOW WHEN THAT WAS, HE GOT TO LETHBRIDGE AFTER HIS TOUR OF DUTY IN THE YUKON. HE WAS THE ONLY CROWN REPRESENTATIVE IN THE NORTH.” “I DON’T KNOW WHEN THE ALASKA HIGHWAY WAS [BUILT], BUT AFTER IT OPENED HE WAS THERE, MAYBE FOR ANOTHER YEAR, A YEAR AND A HALF OR SO, AND [THEN] HE WAS MOVED AND RELOCATED BY THE R.C.M.P TO LETHBRIDGE.” “HE WAS NEVER MOVED AFTER BECOMING THE STAFF SERGEANT OF THE R.C.M.P. DETACHMENT IN LETHBRIDGE, HE WAS ALWAYS THERE.” “[AFTER LEAVING THE R.C.M.P.] HE WORKED FOR CIVIL DEFENSE FOR A YEAR, AND AFTER CIVIL DEFENSE HE WAS HIRED TO BECOME A PROBATION OFFICER TO WORK WITH THE YOUNG, THE YOUTH OFFENDERS.” PLEASE SEE PERMANENT FILE P19860112001 FOR MORE INFORMATION INCLUDING THE FULL INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPTION AND COPIES OF ARTICLES REGARDING THE FAMILY HISTORY.

Catalogue Number

P19860112005

Acquisition Date

1986-03

Collection

Museum

Less detail