General Information

Serial #

N/A

Part Number

1

Total Parts

1

AKA

N/A

Patents

N/A

General Description

Fibre shell, lining and cord, synthetic buttons and name plate, and metal pins and medal.

Dimensions

Note: These reflect the general size for storage and are not necessarily representative of the object's true dimensions.

Length

74.5 cm

Width

53.0 cm

Height

6.0 cm

Thickness

N/A

Weight

N/A

Diameter

N/A

Volume

N/A

Lexicon

Group

Aviation

Category

Clothing

Sub-Category

N/A

Manufacturer

AKA

Miller Gabbe

Country

Unknown

State/Province

Unknown

City

Unknown

Context

Country

Canada

State/Province

Ontario

Period

ca. 1974

Canada

Lieutenant-Colonel Steven P. Deschamps CD (Ret’d) was born in Cornwall, Ontario in 1956. He served as a Royal Canadian Air Cadet from 1969 to 1974. Deschamps enrolled in the RCAF Reserve in 1975 and in the Regular Forces in 1979. In 1982, Deschamps was discharged from the RCAF for being gay as part of the “LGBT Purge,” the name given to the systematic discrimination by the CAF, RCMP, and federal public service against 2SLGBTQIA+ members from the 1950s until the 1990s. In 1992, the policy that formalized the LGBT Purge in the military was repealed (Ref. 2), and Deschamps rejoined the RCAF as a Reserve Officer, serving with the Air Cadets until his retirement in 2013. In 2022, Deschamps was appointed Honorary Colonel of RCAF 443 Squadron, Victoria, British Columbia. This jacket was Deschamps’ final Royal Canadian Air Cadet jacket, worn circa 1974 (Ref. 3). It provides material evidence of Deschamps’ time as a Cadet. The Cadets introduced Deschamps to the RCAF and were integral to his later career; Deschamps stated, “My world was in the Cadet world […] my service to the country of Canada was fostering and helping our youth” (Ref. 4). The jacket also speaks to the broader history of the Royal Canadian Air Cadets. Founded during the Second World War, the Air Cadets is a youth program, structured after the RCAF, that promotes interest in aviation and good citizenship (Ref. 4), playing a central role in youth engagement with aviation in Canada.

Function

Worn for physical duties where clothing may become soiled or damaged.

Technical

This Royal Canadian Air Cadet working dress uniform jacket was originally manufactured as an RCAF airman’s 5A working dress jacket. As was common at this time, the jacket was repurposed for use by the Air Cadets. The jacket is made from barathea fabric, resulting in a durable and warm cloth, suitable for the wide range of physical duties undertaken by the Air Cadets (Ref. 5). The jacket’s insignia indicate the Royal Canadian Air Cadet Squadron, rank, and qualifications of the wearer, Steven P. Deschamps. The badges on both shoulders represent Royal Canadian Air Cadet 325 Squadron, Cornwall, Ontario. The coat of arms patches on both forearms signifies Deschamps’ rank as Warrant Officer 1st Class. The first aid instructor patch on the left forearm indicates that Deschamps was a qualified first aid instructor. The wings above the right breast pocket signify that Deschamps completed his glider pilot training course through the Air Cadet League and the Canadian Armed Forces. The “L” patch on the right forearm indicates that Deschamps attended the Senior Leaders Course for Air Cadets (Ref. 6). The medal on the right breast pocket is the Lord Strathcona Medal, the highest award bestowed upon an Air Cadet. It was awarded to Deschamps “in recognition of exemplary performance in physical and military training” (Ref. 7).

Area Notes

Unknown

Details

Markings

Embroidered on the shoulder badges: "ROYAL CANADIAN AIR CADETS/ 325/ CORNWALL"/ On the name tag: "DESCHAMPS"/ On the badge above the medal: "G/ CADET"/ On the front of the medal: "AGMINA DUCENS"/ On the two coat of arms badges: "A MARI USQUE AD MARE"/ Badge on left sleeve: "FIRST AID/ INSTRUCTOR"/ Badge on right sleeve: "L"/ Label on interior lining: "MILLER & GABBE LTD./ JACKET, NO. 5A (AIRMAN)/ OCTOBER 1961/ Size No. 7036/ 10"

Missing

Appears complete

Finish

Predominantly dark grey-blue with dark blue buttons, white cord attached over the left shoulder, black and white shoulder badges, a copper-coloured medallion on the right breast pocket, a black, white, gold and red badge above the medallion, black, white, red, and blue badges on both sleeves, a black and white badge on the right sleeve near the cuff, and a black, red, yellow, and white badge on the left sleeve near the cuff.

Decoration

Identical badges on the left and right sleeves of the coat of arms of Canada. Badge above the medallion has two wings outstretched with a letter "G" superimposed in the middle and surmounted by a crown.