Jacket
Object
- Accession Number
- OBJ_0029731
- Classification
- Main garment
- Status Symbols
- Culture
- Canadian
- Date
- 1939 – 1945
- Materials and Techniques
- Green serge wool, khaki cotton, steel.
- Description
- Green serge battledress blouse with buckle waist; a pocket on each breast; pleated back; metal buttons down front; vented cuffs, secured by hidden buttons; CANADA crest on each shoulder; two embroidered pips denoting a lieutenant on epaulettes and red embroidered two-year overseas service chevrons on right forearm.
- Description
- Green serge battledress blouse with buckle waist; a pocket on each breast; pleated back; metal buttons down front; vented cuffs, secured by hidden buttons; CANADA crest on each shoulder; two embroidered pips denoting a lieutenant on epaulettes and red embroidered two-year overseas service chevrons on right forearm.
- History of Use
- The standard uniform for all ranks of the Canadian Army during the Second World War was Serge Battledress. Adopted by the British in 1937 and by Canada in 1939, it was worn on parades, in the field as combat dress and worn off duty as a walking out dress. Canadian and British made battledresses were generally similar in design however there were major differences in materials and construction. British battledress was made of a brownish wool serge and was closely cut in order to save on material. Canadian battledress was greener than the British and was cut fuller in the waist and shoulders. The blouse had two breast pockets and 5 concealed buttons down the front. Initially, the collar was closed with two small hooks and eyes, but in a version adopted in 1942, the collar is closed with a tab and button. All buttons were pressed steel, except for plastic (rubber) epaulette buttons on early blouses.
Initially, all ranks were to wear the collar of the blouse closed, however it was not long before officers were permitted to wear the blouse collar open, showing a shirt collar and necktie. Blouse collars were often lined with battldress material or khaki cotton. Until late 1944, Other Ranks were not permitted to wear the collar open, even off duty. Although increasingly replaced by open lapel postwar patterns, wartime pattern battledress was still issued until the early 1950s. It was declared obsolete in 1956.
For Canadian service, the red chevron stripe was worn on the lower right sleeve of the Service Dress Jacket and Battledress Blouse--one for each year of service, after 3rd September 1939.
It was printed (rarely in Canada) or embroidered in red on a khaki background, with the chevron 3/16 inch wide with arms 3/4 inch long. A white / silver stripe was worn by those who had entered the service before September 10, 1940.
http://www.britishbadgeforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=9720
http://www.mpmuseum.org/provostbd.html - Record Rights
- Digby House
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