Material Type

Artifact

Date Range From

1920

Date Range To

1930

Materials

WOOD, GLASS, PAPER

No. Pieces

1

Height

1.6

Length

45.8

Width

38.9

Description

PHOTO OF KING GEORGE V OF ENGLAND WITH HIS SONS GEORGE VI AND EDWARD VIII. PHOTO IS IN RECTANGULAR WOOD FRAME WITH FLAT GLASS PANE. THE KING AND HIS SON ARE IN ROYAL AIR FORCE UNIFORMS, THE KING BEING IN THE MIDDLE HOLDING A CANE. HANDWRITTEN ON BACK IS "GEORGE 6TH", "KING GEORGE V" AND "DUKE OF WINDSOR EDWARD 8TH". AT BOTTOM OF BACK IN BLACK FELT INK IS "DONATED TO THE 20TH INDEPENDANT FIELD BATTERY BY THE FAMILY OF CAPT. ROY MEREDITH. 112TH FIELD BATTERY ARTILLERY" AND "5 APR \ 90". WOOD FRAME HAS NUMEROUS SMALL SCRATCHES.

Subjects

DOCUMENTARY ARTIFACT

Historical Association

MILITARY

History

DONATED TO 20TH INDEPENDENT FIELD BATTERY IN 1990 BY CAPT. MEREDITH'S FAMILY. MR. MEREDITH APPARENTLY SERVED IN THE 112TH FIELD BATTERY WHICH WAS IN SERVICE FROM 1920 TO 1946. *UPDATE* IN 2014 COLLECTIONS ASSISTANT JANE EDMUNDSON CONDUCTED A SURVEY OF ART OBJECTS. THE FOLLOWING BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION ON ROY FREDERICK MEREDITH WAS FOUND IN HIS MILITARY SERVICE RECORDS AND OBITUARY FROM THE DECEMBER 26, 1981 ISSUE OF THE LETHBRIDGE HERALD. MEREDITH WAS BORN IN LETHBRIDGE ON JULY 26, 1912 AND SERVED IN THE UNITED KINGDOM AND CONTINENTAL EUROPE WITH THE 112TH BATTERY OF THE 6TH LIGHT ANTI-AIRCRAFT REGIMENT DURING THE SECOND WORLD WAR, ACHIEVING THE RANK OF LIEUTANANT. HE WAS WOUNDED IN 1945 AND MENTIONED IN DISPATCHES, EARNING THE 1939-45 STAR, FRANCE AND GERMANY STAR, AND CANADIAN VOLUNTEER SERVICES MEDAL. MEREDITH WORKED AS A STOCK BROKER FOR OVER 50 YEARS AND WAS ONE OF THE FOUNDING MEMBERS OF THE RINGLAND MEREDITH COMPANY. HE PASSED AWAY ON DECEMBER 24, 1981. FOLLOWING HISTORY ON THE 112TH BATTERY AND 20TH INDEPENDENT FIELD BATTERY EXCERPTED FROM THE BROCHURE 'ALL FIRED UP', WRITTEN BY LINDSAY VANDERBERG AND PRODUCED BY THE GALT MUSEUM & ARCHIVES IN 2009: "IN 1937. THE 112TH FIELD BATTERY WAS FORMED IN LETHBRIDGE AND JOINED THE OTHER TWO BATTERIES [THE 20TH AND 39TH] AS PART OF THE 18TH FIELD ARTILLERY BRIGADE... THE 112TH BATTERY WAS MOBILIZED FOR WAR ON OCTOBER 22, 1941 RECEIVING DESIGNATION AS A LIGHT ANTI-AIRCRAFT BATTERY UNDER THE COMMAND OF THE 6TH LIGHT ANTI-AIRCRAFT REGIMENT. THE BATTERY WAS DEPLOYED TO PRINCE RUPERT AND ALASKA BEFORE LANDING IN FRANCE IN JULY 1944. IN FRANCE, THEIR TASK WAS TO PROTECT CANADIAN SOLDIERS FROM AIR ATTACK AND, AT WAR'S END, THE BATTERY WAS CREDITED TO TWO AND A HALF CONFIRMED AIRCRAFT KILLS AND THREE AND A HALF SUSPECTED KILLS... THE 112TH BATTERY WAS DISBANDED IN JUNE 1945... [POST-WAR] WITH A LACK OF FUNDING AND NO CLEARLY DEFINED ROLE FOR THE MILITIA, LETHRBIDGE' MILITARY PRESENCE UNDERWENT A SERIES OF REORGANIZATIONS BETWEEN 1964 AND 1970. BY 1970 ONLY THE 20TH INDEPENDENT FIELD BATTERY REMAINED. IN NOVEMBER 1992, THE 20TH INDEPENDENT FIELD BATTERY WAS RE-DESIGNED THE 18TH AIR DEFENSE REGIMENT WITH TWO BATTERIES, THE 20TH AND 39TH... THE 39TH WAS NOT INITIALLY MANNED DUE TO INADEQUATE RESOURCES AND FUNDING, BUT BECAME A RECRUITING AND TRAINING ORGANIZATION IN 1995. SOLDIERS FROM THE REGIMENT HAVE SERVED ON PEACEKEEPING MISSIONS IN CYPRUS, CROATIA, AND THE FORMER YUGOSLAVIA, AND IN ACTIVE DUTY IN AFGANISTAN." FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, INCLUDING COPIES OF ROY MEREDITH'S SERVICE RECORDS, SEE PERMANENT FILE.

Catalogue Number

P19960033001

Acquisition Date

1996-06

Collection

Museum

Less detail