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WWI mystery solved in Lethbridge: ‘I saw the uniform, never knowing it was a part of me’

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Galt Museum WWI Tunic mystery solved
WATCH ABOVE: No one knew who it belonged to, but the origin of a WWI tunic donated to the Galt Museum in 1965 was a mystery, until now. Global’s Sarah Komadina reports – Nov 10, 2016

It’s been a mystery for staff at the Galt Museum and Archives in Lethbridge for over 50 years.  A tunic from the First World War was donated to the museum but information about the soldier who wore it was lost.

Collections Assistant Ruthann LaBlance did a little investigating and found the tunic belonged to John “Jack” Shield.

“I had some clues,” she said. “I knew he was in the 8th battalion, I knew that he was a sergeant and I knew that he received the Distinguished Conduct Medal. So I went into the Lethbridge Herald Digitized online newspaper and was looking for obituaries. [I] found Jack Shield and then I went into the uniform itself to see there was a small detail that had been over looked and it turns out his service number is inside.”

The uniform was actually donated by Jack Shield himself in 1965, but records of the donation were lost resulting in a 50-year mystery.

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“It helps people imagine and put themselves in the shoes of who the uniform belonged to and get the story behind it,” LeBlance said.

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It was a proud moment for Edith Moyes. Jack Shield is her dad.

Shield’s grandson, Michael Stonhouse, didn’t know the uniform existed. He made the trip from Lloydminister to see it in person.

“Photographs are great but to have something tangible, to have the actual uniform that my grandfather actually wore, that is so wonderful,” Stonhouse said.

Shield grew up near Fort Macleod.

He enlisted in the army in 1915. During his service, he was awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal for his efforts in 1918 during the Battle of Ameins, where he was shot in the leg.

His actions were reported in the London Gazette: “When about 80 of the enemy were cut off by his platoon and attempted to break through, he strenuously opposed them, killing four before he was wounded. He continued in the attack until the objective was reached. He showed absolute disregard for danger, and set a fine example to his men.”

“He never did talk about his World War experience and really it was quite horrendous,” Stonhouse said. “The First World War (in) the trench warfare… I’ve got his medical records and I mean it’s quite horrendous what he went through, the fact that he was gassed.”

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He re-enlisted in 1941 and served with the Veteran’s Guard until the end of the Second World War.

Shield passed away in 1975 at the age of 79.

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