Material Type

Artifact

Other Name

FLIGHT BOOTS

Date Range From

1942

Date Range To

1945

Materials

LEATHER, RUBBER, WOOL

No. Pieces

2

Height

25.2

Length

35.8

Width

13.5

Description

LEATHER UPPER SEWN TO RUBBER BOTTOM, WOOL LINED, STEEL ZIPPER ON EACH SIDE. BOOTS ARE MID-CALF LENGTH. RUBBER LABEL ON HEEL: "CANADIAN MADE IN CANADA". WELL WORN, LINING WORN, SOME SURFACE CORROSION ON ZIPPER. "LIGHTENING" ON ZIPPERS.

Subjects

CLOTHING-OUTERWEAR

Historical Association

MILITARY

History

AT TIME OF DONATION, DONOR SAID THE BOOTS WERE GIVEN TO HIM, BUT HE WAS UNSURE. **** AT THE COLLECTIONS DEPARTMENT’S REQUEST, THE DONOR LLOYD TRONE PROVIDED A LETTER TO THE GALT IN 2009, EXPANDING ON HOW HE CAME TO ACQUIRE THE BCTAP DRONE TARGET, P19920057003 AND THE FLIGHT BOOTS P19920057001 DURING WWII. ADDITIONALLY, HE VISITED THE GALT IN SEPTEMBER 2009, MEETING WITH COLLECTIONS TECH KEVIN MACLEAN, IN ORDER TO ANSWER QUESTIONS STILL NOT ANSWERED IN THE LETTER. THE NARRATIVE BELOW IS A COMBINATION OF THE LETTER, ON FILE, AND INFORMATION SOLICITED DURING THE 2009 VISIT. ACCORDING TO THE DONOR, HIS FATHER, LAWRENCE WYOMING TRONE, WAS DISCHARGED FROM THE VETERANS GUARD OF CANADA, HAVING GUARDED GERMAN PRISONERS-OF-WAR AT CAMP SEEBEE IN WHAT IS TODAY KANANASKIS, AB. THEREAFTER, HIS LAWRENCE WAS EMPLOYED AT THE NO. 8 BOMBING & GUNNERY SCHOOL IN LETHBRIDGE AS A SENTRY AS WELL AS PERFORMING KITCHEN AND BOILER ROOM WORK. WHILE AT THE SCHOOL, “HE [THE SENIOR TRONE] BEFRIENDED A COUPLE OF AIRMEN IN TRAINING (AN AUSTRALIAN AND A NEW ZEALANDER) THROUGH MUSIC”. LAWRENCE, A LETHBRIDGE RESIDENT AFTER 1930, ONCE PLAYED IN AN ORCHESTRA AND WAS KNOWN TO PLAY VIOLIN FOR SCHOOL DANCES AT LOCAL SCHOOLS. THE FOREIGN AIRMEN VISITED THE TRONE HOME (910 7TH AVE. SOUTH) ON THEIR DAYS OFF AND ENJOYED LISTENING TO LAWRENCE PLAY HIS VIOLIN. IN EARLY 1943, THE AUSTRALIAN (DONOR COULD NOT RECALL NAME) GIFTED THE BOOTS AND THE DROGUE CHUTE ON TWO SEPARATE OCCASIONS TO THE DONOR THEN 15 Y/O. THE AUSTRALIAN AND NEW ZEALANDER ADDITIONALLY GAVE THE DONOR’S MOTHER EXTRA FOOD STUFFS AND SHE, IN RETURN, PROVIDED THE AIRMEN WITH A HOME-COOKED MEAL. THE DONOR BELIEVED THE BOOTS WERE GIFTED TO HIM IN ORDER TO IMPROVE HIS COMFORT (OVERSHOES) ON HIS TRAVELS TO AND FROM SCHOOL. THEY WERE NOT, HOWEVER, PRACTICAL FOR THAT PURPOSE, BUT WERE FOUND TO BE OF BENEFIT MANY YEARS LATER WHEN THE DONOR USED THEM FOR ICE FISHING. THEY WERE WORN WITH TWO PAIRS OF SOCKS UNDERNEATH. *UPDATE* IN 2015 COLLECTIONS ASSISTANT JANE EDMUNDSON CONDUCTED A SURVEY OF ART OBJECTS, INCLUDING THOSE DONATED BY LLOYD TRONE. THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION ABOUT THE DONOR WAS FOUND IN HIS OBITUARY, PUBLISHED IN THE JUNE 1, 2010 ISSUE OF THE CROWSNEST PASS HERALD. LLOYD TRONE WAS BORN IN 1928 IN MEDICINE HAT, AND MOVED WITH HIS FAMILY TO LETHBRIDGE IN 1930. HE WORKED FOR CANADA PACKERS FOR 25 YEARS AND RETIRED TO THE CROWSNEST PASS, WHERE HE PASSED AWAY IN MAY 2010. SEE PERMANENT FILE P19990049001-GA FOR HARDCOPY OF DONOR'S OBITUARY.

Catalogue Number

P19920057001

Acquisition Date

1992-12

Collection

Museum

Less detail