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Canadian Ex-servicemens Association - Birmingham Branch

superdad3

master brummie
I was given a box of old books on Birmingham a while ago & among them was this framed certificate of authorisation for the Birmingham Branch of the Canadian Ex-Servicemens Association. Nothing on google -.

Anyone know anything about them? It's a lovely hand drawn item and clearly very old. Next question has anyone any suggestions of who I could give it to so that it is
is preserved for the future?
 

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The 'beaver hut' in Thorpe Street - home from home for Canadian servicemen in 1940. Viv.

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Still have the framed certificate. Sadly the BHam Museum not interested & Post & Mail didn't reply to me about it.

Well, I guess it will have to go inthe loft with everything else. Don't want to throw it away. Anyone got any thoughts?

PS Belated thanks to Vivienne14 for press cuttings - very interesting.
 
Even if nobody wants to pick up on it, well done for keeping it safe.

Chris
 
My belated thanks too, superdad3 and Viv! I must have missed this thread. My ancestors were publicans at the Lord Nelson, (Thomas Pressdee and later Francis R. Blakemore) and my grandmother was born there in 1900 but they left soon afterwards. I haven't heard of the "Beaver Hut" before.
I wondered if there are any more pictures please?
Perhaps the Black Country Museum might be interested in the Certificate, they seem to be having more recent exhibits lately.
rosie.
 
Still have the framed certificate. Sadly the BHam Museum not interested & Post & Mail didn't reply to me about it.

Well, I guess it will have to go inthe loft with everything else. Don't want to throw it away. Anyone got any thoughts?

PS Belated thanks to Vivienne14 for press cuttings - very interesting.
There were many Canadian/Canadien fire fighters that spent some while in Birmingham (and others places) during WW2.
There is a newspaper cutting in this thread that refers to Canada and firefighters.
https://birminghamhistory.co.uk/forum/index.php?threads/national-fire-service-ww2.43315/#post-615554
Maybe a fire service museum or similar might be interested. Keeping it to Birmingham, maybe the new Police museum in Steelhouse Lane could help.
 
Superdad3,

Bang an email off to the Imperial War Museum including a scan. Even if they don't want it themselves, they have the contacts to know who might want to hold it.

Maurice
 
Just so that the names on the certificate image are made googleable/searchable, they seem to be:
W.H. Bayley Chairman
S.M. Steel Hon. Secretary

Chris
 
Birmingham and District Canadian Ex-Servicemen's Association
1st Annual Dinner - Farcroft Hotel - November 11th 1938
President: J. Murphy
Far right rear: Frank Trebble
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Hi, sorry I am struggling to use this site and forum. I have interesting photographs I want to share before they are lost. I have found no information on this society other than what you have posted.
 
Thanks very much for your interesting contribution, David. There has been a previous thread on this subject, here, with a little bit of further information about this organisation, of which the main contribution was this certificate in the possession of another member, superdad, who has been trying to find out further information about it and also an appropriate home for it.

Cert.jpg

The whole subject ties in nicely with a further thread about hospitality to overseas servicemen in Birmingham only a few years later, during WW2. One wonders about the extent to which some of the men on your photograph were involved in that good work.

Do please post any further information which you have. I assume Frank Trebble was a family member.

Chris
 
Wonderful images, David!

Frank Trebble is present in the last (third) image.

FrankTrebble.jpg

But I can't see him in the preceding one. Also, with that second one, there are no medals and the flowers on the table are spring ones. Looks like a different venue as well. Probably a separate occasion?

Chris
 
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