Description
Physical description
Blue-grey single-breasted battledress blouse, with two pleated patch pockets to the breast. Blouse features a stand and fall collar with two black metal hook and eyes attachments sewn to the collar. There are five concealed black vegetable ivory (plastic) buttons to the fly front, one to each concealed cuff, pocket flaps, and one to each plain shoulder strap. Internally the blouse has no pockets, and blue dyed drill reinforcing material is limited to around the inside collar, waistband, verticals of the openings and above the inside of the breast pockets. Cuffs are also lined, as are the inside flaps of the two breast pockets. A sliding blued metal prongless buckle, fitted with a roller, to the right waist secures the drill-lined belt tab.
Above the left breast pocket is sewn an embroidered pilot's qualification brevet; a crown above a wreath, with initials RAF within, and wings either side of the centre. The crown, initials and wings are worked in buff coloured cotton; the wreath in brown, & the whole on a dark blue backing. Beneath the brevet, and 1" below the point of the pocket flap is attached a brass metal eagle Pathfinder badge; its wings outstretched and head angled to the (wearer's) left. This badge is attached to the pocket by two threaded posts, each passing through a brass plate via the cloth and secured by two domed threaded discs. At each lower cuff is sewn cloth embroidered rank badges featuring the Royal Arms, indicating the rank of a Warrant Officer; the details are worked in light blue cotton with highlights picked out in scarlet, all on a dark blue backing. At the top of both shoulders can be seen where RAF eagle patches were once sewn but these have been removed, presumably when the wearer was promoted to Warrant Officer.
Label
Service Dress was found not to be efficient for flying duties, and as a result Air Ministry Order (AMO) A909 of December 1940 announced that blue-grey versions of the army's Battledress would be permitted to be worn, referred to as, 'Suits, Aircrew'. By October 1943 this uniform (with minor modifications) was issued on a greater scale and was redesignated, 'War Service Dress'. WSD was identical for all ranks; non-commissioned personnel wearing rank, shoulder eagle patches (up to Warrant Officer rank), trade and flying badges as before on the Service Dress. Officers wore rank lace to their shoulder straps. Medal ribbons continued to be worn in the same fashion as before as appropriate.
The blouse was intended to be worn with an open collar, displaying a black necktie on a blue collared shirt. Intended as a working dress, the WSD was not permitted to be worn for parades or when off station. Personnel who served in the Pathfinder squadrons (whose task it was to identify and indicate targets for oncoming bombing formations over hostile territory) wore their own badge. This was identical to the officer's forage cap badge, but minus the Royal Crown, fitted to the flap of the left breast pocket. In this case, the Pathfinder badge is incorrectly fitted to the pleat of the left breast pocket, contradicting official regulations.
(a) Printed in black ink onto white linen label (sewn to inside right of blouse breast pocket).
(b) Stamped in black ink to inside right of blouse drill lining.
(a) WAR, SERVICE DRESS
BLOUSE
Size No.10
Height 5'9" to 5'10"
Breast
. 36" to 37"
Waist 32"
VERNER & BAXTER Ltd.
1944
(broad arrow mark)
(b) M
W (broad arrow) D
757
