WW2 RAF Tunic

[Husky43]

This is a WW2 RAF/RCAF tunic that has R.A.S.C. buttons. I know it was common for officers to keep the buttons of their original units on their RFC/RAF tunics in WWI, but was this a common practice during WW2? Many thanks.

[Allan H.]

Husky,

 

Your tunic is a bit problematic for me. I believe that it is an original WWII tunic worn by an officer of the Royal Canadian Army Service Corps, but I believe that the brevet and the ribbon bar have been added in an effort to deceive.

 

For starters, it is rather uncommon to see a brevet sewn to a uniform that could be laundered. Often times, the brevet will have small snaps or hooks sewn to the wing and to the tunic. Additionally, the ribbon bar would never hold up to laundering. The ribbons would fall apart in short order. Secondly, the tunic itself appears to have been worn and laundered, but the brevet looks like the day it was made. Do you see my concerns?

 

Allan

[Mons1914]

I agree with Allan H. It also looks like there was other insignia on the shoulder straps at one time.

[Husky43]

23 hours ago, Mons1914 said:

I agree with Allan H. It also looks like there was other insignia on the shoulder straps at one time.

Yes, they would likely have been removable rank pips, which are no longer present.

On 4/15/2022 at 9:57 AM, Allan H. said:

Husky,

 

Your tunic is a bit problematic for me. I believe that it is an original WWII tunic worn by an officer of the Royal Canadian Army Service Corps, but I believe that the brevet and the ribbon bar have been added in an effort to deceive.

 

For starters, it is rather uncommon to see a brevet sewn to a uniform that could be laundered. Often times, the brevet will have small snaps or hooks sewn to the wing and to the tunic. Additionally, the ribbon bar would never hold up to laundering. The ribbons would fall apart in short order. Secondly, the tunic itself appears to have been worn and laundered, but the brevet looks like the day it was made. Do you see my concerns?

 

Allan

Hello Allan, Yes, I see your points but am thinking it possible that he laundered the tunic and then applied the insignia at the end of his service, hung it up and never wore it again. It is just odd, that this came with what I thought was an untouched RCASC uniform group, with his RCASC peak cap, side cap, shirt ties and a bunch of other things. A bit of a mystery. When I search the web for WW2 RAF KD tunics there are a great many like mine, with brevet and ribbon bar sewn to the breast.

[Allan H.]

One more thing about the pilot brevet on this uniform- The brevet is for a pilot in the Royal Air Force. I would ASSUME that if the veteran were Canadian, that the brevet would more likely be an RCAF brevet. I think this is further evidence that the wing shouldn't be on the tunic.

Allan