Jacket
Object
- Accession Number
- OBJ_0031101
- Classification
- Main garment
- Status Symbols
- Culture
- Canadian
- Date
- 1941 – 1946
- 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 and machine embroidered Canadian Army Pacific Force hexagonal patch, about 7.5cm across, made up of the colours of the five divisions of the Canadian Army, red, blue, French-grey, green, maroon and the colour black on left arm.
- 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 and machine embroidered Canadian Army Pacific Force hexagonal patch, about 7.5cm across, made up of the colours of the five divisions of the Canadian Army, red, blue, French-grey, green, maroon and the colour black on left arm.
- 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.
Raised in 1945 for an anticipated Allied invasion of the Japanese home islands in the last phase of the Second World War, the Canadian Army Pacific Force consisted of three Infantry Regiments (the equivalent of a Canadian brigade), but was disbanded after the atomic bombings brought the war to a swift close in Aug and Sep 1945.The CAPF hexagonal formation patch used the five Canadian division patch colors as well as the color black. Volunteers for the CAPF distinguished themselves by placing the hexagon patch directly on their uniforms, or if already in a formation, placing it overtop of their current formation patch.
http://www.germanmilitaria.com/OtherNations/photos/C034669.html
http://www.canadiansoldiers.com/organization/fieldforces/canadianarmypacificforce.htm - Record Rights
- Digby House
From The Collection Of
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