Description
Physical description
Single-breasted jacket of khaki cotton drill, featuring an open notched collar, button-down shoulder epaulettes, front fastening of four buttons (top button missing), pleated breast pockets with scalloped button flaps, large bellows skirt pockets with rectangular button flaps, rear belt hooks to either side of the waistband and a rear vent. The buttons are mismatched, with brass General Service buttons to the epaulettes, black painted metal buttons to the front fastening and both types to the pocket flaps. The lining of the jacket has been covered in grey wool cloth to resemble a civilian coat when turned inside out, with grey cloth-covered buttons fitted to fasten at the front.
Sewn above the left breast pocket is the RFC pilot's brevet, or 'wings', while directly below is sewn the ribbon for the Victoria Cross. To the cuffs are three-point false 'slash' flaps outlined in khaki chevron braiding, with worsted rank insignia of two stars sewn inside, denoting the rank of Lieutenant. Bisecting each flap is one ring of the same braiding.
History note
This Royal Flying Corps officer's uniform tunic worn by Insall during his third escape from Strohen POW camp in August 1917. Double-sided, it could be turned inside out to resemble a civilian jacket. Nine days after tunnelling out of Strohen, Insall reached neutral Holland.
History note
Second Lieutenant G S M Insall VC MC Royal Flying Corps (14 May 1894 - 17 Feb 1972)
Gilbert Stuart Martin Insall was born in Paris. He joined the Royal Fusiliers, transferring to the Royal Flying Corps in March 1915. After training as a pilot he was posted to No 11 Squadron in France. On 7 November 1915 during a patrol over the Western Front he attacked a German aircraft, forcing it to land. He destroyed it with an incendiary bomb but his own aircraft, a Vickers FB5, was then hit by anti-aircraft fire. Insall managed to land just inside Allied lines where he soon came under sustained German artillery fire. Together with his observer, Air Mechanic T H Donald, he spent the night repairing his aircraft and at dawn was able to fly it back to his base. On 14 December 1915, nine days before the award of Insall's Victoria Cross for this action was announced, he was shot down and captured. He made two unsuccessful attempts to escape before he succeeded in reaching neutral Holland in August 1917, a feat for which he was awarded the Military Cross. Insall served with the Royal Air Force during the Second World War. He retired in July 1945 and became an archaeologist specialising in aerial photography. He died in Yorkshire in 1972 aged 77. Items of interest relating to Insall's various attempts to escape are held by the Museum (Ref: EPH 839; EQU 2772; UNI 12094-12095).