JACKET

Description: WAISTLENGTH, OLIVE WOOL. THERE IS A FLAPPED, PLEATED, PATCH POCKET ON EACH BREAST. FRONT OPENING CLOSES WITH FOUR OLIVE PAINTED, STEEL BUTTONS. LEFT BREAST POCKET HAS A POPPY PINNED TO IT WITH A SMALL CANADIAN FLAG IN THE CENTRE. ABOVE THIS ARE FIVE RIBBON BOARDS, ONE WITH A SILVER MAPLE LEAF IN THE CENTRE. ABOVE THIS IS A PATCH, WITH A BLACK BACKGROUND. THERE IS A SMALL GOLD MAPLE LEAF EMBROIDERED ONTO PATCH, WITH A WHITE WING ON EITHER SIDE OF IT AND A PARACHUTE ABOVE IT. THERE IS A RED WHITE AND BLUE BRAIDED LANYARD ATTACHED TO LEFT SHOULDER. THE ARMS OF JACKET HAVE VARIOUS PATCHES ON THEM. STAMPED INSIDE COAT, IN GREEN, IS "BATTLE DRESS BLOUSE SERGE SIZE NO. 9" .. "FEB 1943".

History: THE DONOR OF THIS ARTIFACT, JOHN LLOYD KNIGHT, SERVED AS A MEMBER OF THE FIRST SPECIAL SERVICE FORCE (ALSO KNOWN AS THE DEVILS BRIGADE) DURING THE SECOND WORLD WAR. BELONGS TO UNIFORM P20000036002-5-GA. KNIGHT ALTERED THE COLLAR ON JACKET, PERHAPS TO RESEMBLE MORE CLOSELY THE AMERICAN IKE JACKET. THE UNIFORM WAS RECEIVED WHEN KNIGHT COMMENCED STUDIES AT SANDHURST MILITARY COLLEGE IN JAN, 1945. THE WOUND STRIPE ON THE UNIFORM’S LEFT WAS RECEIVED AFTER HE WAS IN ENGLAND. KNIGHT CLAIMED THE UNIFORM REFLECTED AN “EISENHOWER MAKE-OVER”. THE ENGLAND-PERIOD UNIFORM ALSO REPRESENTS THE FIRST TIME THAT KNIGHT WORE - AND WAS ISSUED - CANADIAN JUMP WINGS. THE LANYARD WAS COLOURED THE SAME AS HIS WEDGE CAP’S PIPING AND REPRESENTS ONE OF KNIGHT’S EARLIEST ISSUED BELONGINGS, HAVING BEEN RECEIVED BY AUGUST, 1942. IT’S PRACTICAL USE WAS FOR ATTACHMENT TO HIS SIDEARM. SEE RECORD P20000036001-GA FOR DONOR BIOGRAPHY AND BRIEF HISTORY OF THE FSSF.