Posted 7 years ago
BlackWatch
(65 items)
A nice WWI Canadian Duffle bag to the Winnipeg Rifles. The bag is named on one side to "Sgt. A. J. White" of the "90th Winnipeg Rifles" CEF (Canadian Expeditionary Force). I've never seen one of these to the Winnipeg Rifles before, nor have I ever had another in my collection. To the other side there is more faint writing, but I assume it is also writing that further proves the owner is Sergeant A.J White. The writing is very faint, I think it's named again to A. J and then "W" and then I think it has "90" there too, so perhaps named twice to Sergeant A. J. White of the 90th Rifles, one on each side.
The bag has no holes or anything but is quite stained and dirty. To be expected from something that probably carried this Sergeant's necessities with him off to war.
The "90th Winnipeg Rifles" naming can either mean this soldier was in the 8th Battalion CEF (90th Winnipeg Rifles) or the 90th Battalion CEF (Winnipeg Rifles), both of which are perpetuated by the Royal Winnipeg Rifles.
A nice piece that adds to my slowly growing but still small collection of items that serve as a tribute to the Winnipeg Regiments (Royal Winnipeg Rifles, Winnipeg Grenadiers, Winnipeg Light Infantry, Cameron Highlanders of Canada mainly) contributions to both World Wars.
Overall well used but still a nice piece that probably didn't sit out the war.
Very nice old duffle bag BlackWatch, I really like these old pieces of history, and get them when I can, but I took a look because of Winnipeg, it brought back memories of summers, as a child, that we would visit our mothers relatives in Thief River Falls, Minnesota, then travel up to Winnipeg, Canada, to go shopping there in the "big city"! We would drive there from California, every couple of years, from the 1950s to the 1970s, sometimes as a family, but most times our father would stay home to work, a chore for our mother with 5 children in a station wagon, until our older sister could help with the driving! Always good memories though! :^)
billretirecoll,
Thank you very much for your kind comment. I also like duffle bags as well, they brought the soldier's essentials of life with him to the front lines. I am glad Winnipeg gives you such fond memories, thank you for sharing your lovely story.
Best regards,
-Jamie