ITEM: Service Tunic
ORIGIN: England
PERIOD: WW1 c1919
Enlisted man’s (EM’) ‘coming home’ service tunic,
c1918-1919.
A tailored part-lined woolen tunic complete with integral belt and buckle.
Insignia and rank to a 5th Battalion AIF corporal / lewis gunner with 5 x overseas service chevrons to the lower right sleeve.
The tunic features 5th Battalion patches with ‘A’ (Anzac) brass badges, and has straight AUSTRALIA oxidized brass titles to epaulettes and Rising Sun collar badges.
A brass wound badge found in the breast pocket suggests the wearer was wounded at some stage. This would normally be worn on the lower left sleeve.
The tunic has ‘Turkish Plaid’ buttons and the owner has sewn one British general service (GS) button to secure one of the breast pockets.
Many returning soldiers chose to have tunics tailor-made to replace their worn out service tunics; fading suggests the owner’s rank insignia and (red) 1914-15 service chevron appear to be from his previous tunic.
The uniform includes a pair of heavy woolen, leather reinforced British War Department breeches with pressed tin buttons and leather laces for securing at the calf.