Material Type

Artifact

Other Name

DRESS SERVICE TUNIC

Date

1942

Materials

WOOL, COTTON, BRASS

No. Pieces

2

Length

85.2

Width

62.8

Description

BLUE WOOL SERVICE TUNIC WITH FOUR POCKETS AT FRONT. FLIGHT SERGEANT BADGE ON BOTH SLEEVES (THREE STRIPES SURMOUNTED BY CROWN); WINGS AT TOP OF SHOULDER (WITHOUT "CANADA"). INTERIOR LOWER LEFT POCKET STAMPED "COOK CLOTHING COMPANY LTD. TORONTO 1942 5'9" AND 10" 38 -- 39 22". ALSO HANDWRITTEN "G770 2 PC". TUNIC HAS LIGHT BLUE COTTON LINING WITH WHITE STITCHES ALONG BACK. HANDWRITTEN "DICKSON 529 NORMANDY RD. LETH 329-4452". NUMERICAL STAMP ON REVERSE LOWER LEFT POCKET; ALSO "SIZE 22 5 FEET 9" & 10" B. 38 39 CANADIAN SPORTSWEAR LIMITED WINNIPEG 1942". ALSO HANDWRITTEN "G702 2 PC". C/W BLUE WOOL BELT WITH TWO-PIN BRASS BUCKLE. NO MARKINGS.

Subjects

CLOTHING-OUTERWEAR

Historical Association

MILITARY

History

SERVICE TUNIC, FLIGHT SERGEANT, ROYAL CANADIAN AIR FORCE, CA. 1942-1945. BELONGED TO HUGH M. DICKSON; BORN IN 1918, AFTER GRADUATING FROM UNIVERSITY IN 1940 HE ENLISTED WITH THE R.C.A.F. IN CALGARY. BECAUSE OF HIS POOR EYESIGHT DICKSON NEVER MADE AIR CREW, SO HE ADMINISTERED APTITUDE AND INTELLIGENCE TESTS TO NEW RECRUITS IN CANADA. HE WAS STATIONED IN BRANDON, ST. THOMAS, AND EDMONTON, BUT NEVER WENT OVERSEAS. DICKSON ALSO SERVED IN THE AIRCRAFT RECOGNITION DEPARTMENT OF LETHBRIDGE’S NO. 8 BOMBING AND GUNNERY SCHOOL, ONE OF MANY AIR STATIONS ESTABLISHED IN SOUTHERN ALBERTA UNDER THE WARTIME BRITISH COMMONWEALTH AIR TRAINING PLAN. ITEM WAS ORIGINALLY DONATED TO THE LEGION, WHO THEN DONATED SEVERAL PIECES TO THE MUSEUM WHEN THEIR COLLECTION GREW TOO LARGE. FOR MORE INFO & PHOTO REFER TO ARCHIVAL DONATION MADE IN 1999. SEE P19970073013-GA FOR MATCHING PANTS. *UPDATE* IN 2012 COLLECTIONS ASSISTANT DAVID SMITH CONDUCTED A SURVEY OF MILITARY OBJECTS. HE LEARNED THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION. SEE ARCHIVAL REFERENCE 19991062003 FOR EXISTING COPIES OF DICKSON’S WWII SERVICE RECORDS. FROM THESE RECORDS WE KNOW THAT DICKSON ATTESTED TO THE ACTIVE MILITIA ON SEPTEMBER 26TH 1936 IN EDMONTON, ALBERTA. ON OCTOBER 2ND 1941 HE TRANSFERS TO THE SPECIAL RESERVE R.C.A.F. DICKSON WAS PROMOTED SIX TIMES. HIS LAST PROMOTION WAS TO THE RANK FLIGHT SERGEANT EFFECTIVE MARCH 1, 1943. HIS POSTINGS CHRONOLOGICALLY INCLUDE VALCARTIER, QUEBEC; ST. THOMAS, ONTARIO; LETHBRIDGE, ALBERTA; ROCKLIFFE, ONTARIO; BRANDON, MANITOBA; EDMONTON, ALBERTA, VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA; AND CALGARY, ALBERTA. DICKSON WAS DISCHARGED ON DECEMBER 17, 1944. DICKSON WAS AUTHORIZED TO WEAR THE ST. JOHN’S AMBULANCE BADGE ON DECEMBER 20, 1943 AND AWARDED THE CANADIAN VOLUNTEER SERVICE MEDAL ON JANUARY 15, 1944. HE WAS DISCHARGED TO WARNER ALBERTA AT THE END OF THE WAR. HE PASSED AWAY IN WARNER ON JULY 6TH 1975 AT THE AGE OF 87.

Catalogue Number

P19970073012

Acquisition Date

1997-08

Collection

Museum

Less detail