Material Type

Artifact

Other Name

MESS JACKET

Date

1980

Materials

WOOL, POLYESTER, COTTON, BRASS

No. Pieces

1

Height

57.5

Length

63

Width

47

Description

RED AND BLUE SPENCER STYLE COAT MADE OF WOOL AND POLYESTER BLEND. COAT HAS HIGH CUT BACK WITH HIGH CUT FRONT THAT HAS POINTED FRONT PANELS. COLLAR CURVES INTO SMOOTH BLUE SATIN LAPEL ALL THE WAY DOWN FRONT OF COAT TO WHERE FLAPS BUTTON OVER. SLEEVES HAVE WIDE BLUE CUFFS THAT COME TO CHEVRON POINT ON SIDES. BLUE CUFFS HAVE GOLD NYLON PIPING BORDER WHICH LOOPS THREE TIMES AT POINT OF CHEVRON FORMING A CLOVER LIKE PATTERN. JACKET HAS BLUE EPAULETS SEWN TO SHOULDERS WHICH HAVE THREE GOLD NYLON BARS SEWN TO EACH. EPAULETS ARE HELD WITH POLISHED BRASS BUTTONS. FLAPS OF COAT HAVE SINGLE HOLES WHICH ARE CLOSED WITH TWO POLISHED BRASS BUTTONS FASTENED TOGETHER LIKE A CUFF LINK. ALL BUTTONS HAVE RAISED QUEEN'S CROWN AND ARTILLERY CANNON ON THEM. EACH LAPEL HAS EMBROIDERED GOLD NYLON COLLAR TITLES. TITLE IS OF A ROUND GRENADE WITH SEVEN FLAMES SPURTING FROM ITS TOP. LINING OF COAT IS RED SATIN. INSIDE FLAPS HAVE WELT OPENING POCKETS WITH BLUE COTTON LINING. POCKET INSIDE RIGHT FLAP HAS SEWN WHITE LABEL WHICH READS "6046 LT. COL. A. ANDERSON APR/80 59192" AND "W 38 L 31 1/2 MESS KIT". ON LINING OF RIGHT FLAP IS BLACK NYLON LABEL THAT HAS "CUSTOM TAILORED LAFLECHE BROS. EDMONTON, ALBERTA" AND A RED SHIELD WITH AN ARRROW THROUGH IT WITH "LA FLECHE" EMBROIDERED ON IT. COAT HAS SEVERAL SMALL STAINS ON FRONT AND A SMALL HOLE ON RIGHT SLEEVE.

Subjects

CLOTHING-OUTERWEAR

Historical Association

MILITARY

History

UNIFORMS AND MEDALS BELONGED TO A.C. ANDERSON WHO WAS MAYOR OF LETHBRIDGE FROM 1968 TO 1986. HE ALSO SERVED AS AN HONORARY LIEUTENANT COLONEL OF THE 20TH INDEPENDENT FIELD BATTERY R.C.A. FROM 1978 TO 1990. THE UNIFORMS ARE FROM THAT SERVICE. *UPDATE* IN 2014 COLLECTIONS ASSISTANT JANE EDMUNDSON CONDUCTED A SURVEY OF MILITARY OBJECTS. BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION ABOUT A. C. ANDERSON WAS RETREIVED FROM GALT ARCHIVES RECORD 20061053009: "ANDREW CHARLES (ANDY) ANDERSON WAS BORN IN 1909 IN SHABBONA, ILLINOIS, THE ELDEST OF SIX CHILDREN OF CHARLES ERIC AND BERTHA ANDERSON (NEE OSTERVIG). THE ANDERSON FAMILY MOVED TO CHAMPION, ALBERTA IN 1912. ANDY ANDERSON WORKED ON THE FAMILY FARM UNTIL 1930, A YEAR AFTER HIS FATHER’S DEATH. HE THEN DECIDED TO LEAVE THE FARM AND ENTER THE UNIVERSITY OF ALBERTA. IN 1934 MR. ANDERSON GRADUATED FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF ALBERTA WITH A PHM.C. (PHARMACEUTICAL CHEMIST) DEGREE. HE APPRENTICED WITH J.D. HENDERSON IN CHAMPION, AND THEN MOVED TO LETHBRIDGE WHERE HE WAS EMPLOYED BY THE R.J. KITSON PHARMACY FOR 14 YEARS. IN 1948 MR. ANDERSON ESTABLISHED ANDERSON’S MEDICAL DENTAL PHARAMCY. THE PHARMACY STILL OPERATES UNDER THE OWNERSHIP OF MR. ANDERSON’S SON MURRAY. ANDY ANDERSON MARRIED HIS WIFE RHETA IN 1938 IN CHAMPION. AS WELL AS THEIR SON MURRAY, THE ANDERSONS HAD A DAUGHTER MARILYN (MARRIED LEW HUTCHISON). ANDY ANDERSON ENTERED PUBLIC LIFE IN 1950 WHEN HE WAS ELECTED TO THE LETHBRIDGE PUBLIC SCHOOL BOARD (LPSB). HE SERVED ON THE LPSB FOR 14 YEARS AND WAS ITS CHAIRMAN IN 1954, 1958 AND 1962. IN 1964, ANDY ANDERSON WAS ELECTED TO LETHBRIDGE CITY COUNCIL AND SERVED AS AN ALDERMAN UNTIL 1968. IN MARCH 1968 MR. ANDERSON BECAME THE MAYOR OF LETHBRIDGE WHEN HE CHOSEN FOR THE POSITION BY THE OTHER MEMBERS OF CITY COUNCIL FOLLOWING MAYOR FRANK SHERRING’S RESIGNATION ON 5 MARCH 1968. ANDY ANDERSON BECAME THE LONGEST SERVING MAYOR IN LETHBRIDGE HISTORY, RETIRING FROM OFFICE IN 1986. HE WON FOUR MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS, AND WAS ACCLAIMED MAYOR TWICE AS WELL. AS WELL AS HIS POLITICAL CAREER AND PHARMACY BUSINESS, MR. ANDERSON WAS INVOLVED WITH A WIDE RANGE OF COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS AS WELL. AMONG THEM ARE THE LETHBRIDGE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, ST. MICHAEL’S HOSPITAL ADVISORY BOARD, UNIVERSITY OF LETHBRIDGE SENATE AND BOARD OF GOVERNORS, LETHBRIDGE RECREATION COMMISSION, THE COMMUNITY CHEST, SOUTHMINSTER UNITED CHURCH, ROYAL CANADIAN SEA CADET CORPS, CANADIAN WESTERN NATURAL GAS, MASONIC LODGE NO. 39, THE KINSMEN CLUB, THE ROTARY CLUB, INDEPENDENT ORDER OF ODD FELLOWS (IOOF), CHINOOK CLUB AND THE BENEVOLENT AND PROTECTIVE ORDER OF ELKS (BPOE). HE WAS ALSO AN HONOURARY MEMBER OF THE LETHBRIDGE AND DISTRICT HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY, GENERAL STEWART BRANCH NO. 4 ROYAL CANADIAN LEGION, AND THE POLISH COMBATANTS ASSOCIATION. ANDY ANDERSON ALSO SERVED AS A MEMBER OF THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL OF THE CANADIAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, THE PROVINCIAL MUNICIPAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE, THE EXECUTIVE OF THE CANADIAN FEDERATION OF MAYORS AND MUNICIPALITIES, THE ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION AUTHORITY COMMITTEE, HONOURARY PRESIDENT OF ST. JOHN AMBULANCE, AND AS THE HONOURARY COLONEL OF THE 20TH INDEPENDENT FIELD BATTERY RCA. AMONG THE AWARDS AND HONOURS ANDY ANDERSON RECEIVED DURING HIS LIFE WERE A PAUL HARRIS FELLOWSHIP FROM ROTARY INTERNATIONAL; CERTIFICATE OF MERIT FROM THE ROYAL CANADIAN LEGION; GOOD CITIZENSHIP AWARD FROM THE IOOF; CITIZEN OF THE YEAR AWARD FROM THE JAYCEES (1985); AWARD OF EXCELLENCE FROM THE ALBERTA URBAN MUNICIPALITIES ASSOCIATION (1983); MERITORIUS SERVICE AWARD FROM THE CANADIAN PHARMACEUTICAL ASSOCIATION (1977); ROBINS COMMUNITY SERVICE AWARD (1963); THE QUEEN’S MEDAL (1977); BROTHER OF THE ORDER OF ST. JOHN (1983), LATER PROMOTED TO OFFICER; HONOURARY DOCTOR OF LAWS DEGREE FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF LETHBRIDGE (1985); AND A MEMBER OF THE ORDER OF CANADA (1985). ANDREW CHARLES ANDERSON DIED ON 23 APRIL 1996 AND IS BURIED IN MOUNTAIN VIEW CEMETERY, LETHBRIDGE. HIS WIFE RHETA DIED IN 2011 AND IS BURIED IN MOUNTAIN VIEW CEMETERY AS WELL. [SOURCE: ARCHIVES VERTICAL FILE, "PEOPLE, IDENTIFIED - A"] *UPDATE (2023)* IN 2019, COLLECTIONS ASSISTANT ELISE PUNDYK CONDUCTED A COLLECTIONS AUDIT, WHICH INCLUDED ARTIFACTS DONATED BY "ANDERSON, RITA." IT WAS CONFIRMED THAT THE CORRECT SPELLING OF THE DONOR'S FIRST NAME IS "RHETA" AND THE DONOR FIELD HAS BEEN AMENDED TO REFLECT THE CORRECT SPELLING. THE SON OF ANDREW AND RHETA ANDERSON, MURRAY ANDERSON, WAS INTERVIEWED BY PUNDYK ON FEBRUARY 2, 2019 TO ADD FURTHER CONTEXTUAL INFORMATION REGARDING HIS FATHER’S ARTIFACTS. ON THE ARTIFACT MURRAY STATED, “IT WOULD BE HIS FORMAL OUTFIT FOR DRESS OCCASIONS. I WOULD SUSPECT HE WOULD WEAR THIS IF THEY HAD A MESS DINNER OUT AT THE ARMOURY? YEAH, THAT’S PROBABLY WHERE I WOULD GUESS HE WOULD WEAR THAT; THAT RED COAT.” ON HIS FATHER’S SERVICE, “MY DAD WAS, TOO YOUNG FOR THE FIRST WORLD WAR. AND HE WAS TOO OLD FOR THE SECOND WORLD WAR. BUT HE WAS INVOLVED WITH THE SEA CADETS HERE IN LETHBRIDGE FOR YEARS. AND DURING THE SECOND WORLD WAR, HE WENT TO VANCOUVER ON A TRAINING. THEY TOOK THEM OUT TO THERE AND THEN HE WAS ON A SHIP, ON A MINELAYER, OR A DESTROYER OR SOMETHING. AND THIS IS JUST A STORY THAT HE TOLD ME. THEY WERE OUT THERE, ONE DAY, AND THEY WERE DOING DEPTH CHARGES PRACTICE. AND THEY LOOSED OFF THIS WHOLE THING OF DEPTH CHARGES RIGHT INTO A SCHOOL OF SALMON. SO, THIS BIG EXPLOSION IN THE WATER AND ALL OF A SUDDEN, THERE WAS ALL THESE DEAD FISH IN THE WATER, SO THEY JUST CALLED THE FISHING FLEET AND THEY CAME AND PICKED THEM UP. BUT THAT’S THE ONLY STORY I GOT FROM HIM DURING THAT TIME. I WOULD HAZARD A GUESS AND SAY THAT THAT PROBABLY FACILITATED HIM MOVING INTO THIS POSITION? BUT THIS POSITION HERE WITH AT THE – WITH THE, ARTILLERY – I THINK IT’S THE ARTILLERY, OR THE FIELD ARTILLERY - I THINK IT WAS AN HONOURARY POSITION. “ PLEASE SEE PERMANENT FILE P19970018000 FOR FULL INTERVIEW AND FURTHER INFORMATION, INCLUDING ARCHIVAL RESEARCH FROM THE LETHBRIDGE HERALD.

Catalogue Number

P19960006003

Acquisition Date

1996-03

Collection

Museum

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