United Kingdom. A Royal Navy Lieutenant's Working Dress Jacket, with Visor Cap and Cover, c. 1945

A very well-preserved Royal Navy (RN) working dress jacket to a decorated serviceman of the Second World War, constructed of dark navy blue wool cloth. It features a turned-down collar and shoulder which are flanked by boards constructed of identical wool with rigid cores. Each measuring 50 mm (w) x 130 mm (l), the boards are topped by rayon cloth Lieutenant rank insignia and are secured in position with stitching at the outer edge of the shoulders, and with gilded brass buttons on the inner edge. Stitched onto both upper arms are Combined Operations insignia, constructed of a dark navy blue wool base with red machine embroidery, each measuring 50 mm (w) x 60 mm (h). A hidden slit set into each cuff fastens closed with a single bakelite button. Two breast pockets closed with triangular flaps perforated with reinforced buttonholes, in turn meeting gilded brass buttons. Stitched onto the upper left breast just above the corresponding pocket is a ribbon bar featuring the 1939-1945 Star, the Italy Star, the France and Germany Star, and the War Medal 1939-1945. The jacket closes with three gilded brass buttons on the right flap meeting an equal number of reinforced buttonholes on the left flap, with a lower strap meeting two bakelite buttons on the waist. The interior waistband retains a manufacturer’s label bearing an inscription of “OFFICERS BLUE WORKING DRESS BLOUSE”, a size mark of “7”, partially-legible dimensions, and a partially-legible maker’s mark for a Plymouth-based firm with a date of 1945. The jacket measures approximately 42 cm across the shoulders, with an arm length of 52 cm, and an overall body length of 50 cm. Issues consistent with age and wear are evident, and include some fraying of the stitching to the shoulder boards, a small hand-stitched repair to the lower right of the exterior cloth, sporadic mothing, and some tarnishing of the buttons. This late-war to early post-war example remains in a near extremely fine condition.

Accompanying the jacket is a Royal Navy Officer’s visor cap, constructed of dark navy blue wool. It features reinforced side walls which are fully lined on the exterior with a ribbed black mohair cap band. Stitched onto the peak is an insignia constructed of a dark navy blue wool backer bearing a gold bullion wire emblem, measuring 85 mm (w) x 60 mm (h). The lower edge of the cap band is flanked on each side by blackened buttons which accommodate an original black leatherette chinstrap. A protruding black vulcanfibre visor completes the exterior features. The interior is encompassed by a black rayon liner, while a brown leather sweatband surrounds the side walls. Unmarked, the cap measures approximately 24 cm (w) x 12 cm (h). It is accompanied by a matching white cotton/rayon blended cloth cover. Issues consistent with age and wear are evident, and include some fatigue to the nap of the wool base, fatigue of the wire insignia with some fraying of stitching, an addition to soiling and fatigue of the interior, the former hardening the liner throughout the crown. This field-worn example remains in a very fine condition.