Canadian Engineer Cap Badges WWI to Present

Here are a few of my Canadian Engineers (CE) cap badges.

The first badge in the top left corner is an enamel and brass Royal Canadian Engineers cap badge. This badge is marked “BREADNER 84” on the slider, which signifies that it was made in 1984 by the Breadner Company of Ottawa, Canada. The badge consists of a beaver on a log against a red background, surmounted by the St. Edward’s Crown, encircled by blue enamel containing the words “ENGINEERS,” “GÉNIE,” and “CANADA,” partially surrounded by maple leaves with a banner at the bottom containing the unit’s Latin motto “UBIQUE.”

The remaining three are World War I-era CE cap badges. The top right is made of copper-plated brass, the bottom left is made of bronze, and the bottom right is made of brass. I prefer the CE cap badges that are made solely of copper, but I did not include one here. These three badges consists of a beaver on a log, surmounted by the Tudor Crown, encircled by the words “CANADIAN ENGINEERS,” partially surrounded by maple leaves. All three of these badges are unmarked.

Prior to the First World War, there were two components to the Canadian army. There was the permanent active force, to which the Royal Canadian Engineers belonged, and there was the militia, to which the Canadian Engineers belonged. The Canadian Engineers were part of the Canadian Expeditionary Force (CEF) and were raised specifically for overseas military service. I mention this because the Royal Canadian Engineers used a different cap badge before, during, and after World War I, which looked similar to the cap badge used by the Royal Engineers, and included the Cipher of the Reigning monarch until 1967. 

Corporal George Walter Le Cras, Canadian Engineers, 1916 - 1919

George Walter Le Cras was born on May 24, 1894, in Saint Helier, Jersey, to George Henry and Victoire Eugenie (Le Chevalier) Le Cras. As a young man, George worked as a carpenter and served 10 months as a Private with the Royal Militia of the Island of Jersey. George left Jersey and immigrated to Canada in October 1912 and settled in Woodstock, Ontario.

On March 22, 1916, George enlisted in the Canadian Expeditionary Force in Toronto and was drafted into the Canadian Engineers. Upon his arrival in France on July 2, 1916, George was assigned to the 1st Field Company, Canadian Engineers. He participated in the battles of the Somme, Vimy Ridge, and Passchendaele before sustaining a gunshot wound to the head on December 11, 1917. After convalescing for four months, George rejoined his unit on April 13, 1918. He attained the rank of Corporal by the time of his discharge on April 23, 1919.

While initially returning to Woodstock after his discharge, a little over a month later, he immigrated to the United States. According to his naturalization papers, George entered the United States on a Canadian Pacific Railway train at Detroit, Michigan, on May 28, 1919, before moving to Ohio to work as a carpenter. On November 2, 1925, George married the love of his life, Edith Ellen Gray, in Franklin, Ohio. The couple would go on to have two children: a daughter named Ellen Mae Le Cras and a son named Edward George Le Cras. George became a naturalized American citizen on February 4, 1927.

After working in Ohio as a carpenter for more than 40 years, George and his wife retired to Daytona Beach, Florida. He passed away there on May 4, 1978, and was buried in Daytona Memorial Park Cemetery.

(I don't have his actual obituary yet, so I might add more biographical information at a later date.)

Steve Fracul's 1940s Wyandotte County Kansas Sheriff Special Deputy Badge

This is a 1940s Wyandotte County Kansas Sheriff's Special Deputy Badge that belonged to Stephen J Fracul. It is marked as being made by H. C. Liepsner & Company of Kansas City, Missouri. I picked it up a few weeks ago.

Steve's Story:

Stephen John Fracul, known as Steve, was born on December 22, 1902, in Hermansville, Michigan, to Nicholas and Helen (Fratzel) Fracul. He attended Menominee High School until his Junior year before relocating with his family to Kansas City, Kansas in 1920. In Kansas City, he started working at Adler’s Department Store.

On July 9, 1942, Steve left Adler’s temporarily to enlist in the United States Army. He served as a combat medic in Sicily and Italy with the 45th Infantry Division, displaying exceptional bravery during the Battle of Anzio, earning a Silver Star for his unwavering care of wounded comrades amidst heavy artillery fire. He concluded his service on May 23, 1945, holding the rank of Technician Third Grade. Alongside the Silver Star, he received a Combat Medical Badge and three Campaign Stars.

Returning to Adler’s in Kansas City after the war, he worked there until retiring in 1981 at the age of 78. Not slowing down, at 84, he fulfilled his lifelong dream of attending college at Johnson County Community College (JCCC), earning a General Education Development degree in 1986. He also wrote for the JCCC newspaper, performed skits for children, won a statewide writing contest, was an active member of VFW Post 846, held the position of Historian at the American Legion Dwight Cowles Post 370 in Overland Park, and worked as a Special Deputy Sherriff for the Wyandotte County Sherriff Department. He also enjoyed playing golf and attending Chiefs games.

Steve passed away on Friday, August 17, 2001, at Delmar Gardens in Lenexa. He was buried at Mt. Calvary Cemetery alongside his parents and two siblings and was survived by one niece and many friends.