Description
Physical description
Single-breasted hooded coat made of mustard colour cloth. The coat is secured by four wood toggles and has a button-back straps fitted to the cuffs.. There are two patch pockets without flaps, one at each hip.
Label
This duffle coat is know to have been worn by Captain 'Paddy' Victory during his voyage across the English Channel to Normandy on D+1 of the Invasion.
A veteran of the North African and Italian campaigns, Victory was a Foward Observation Officer (FOO) with 5 RHA, who were equipped with Sexton self-propelled guns. The FOO's were embedded with armoured formations and used Cromwell tanks, and it was in such a vehicle that Victory escaped an encounter with Michael Wittmann's Tiger at Villers Bocage, 13 June. During further actions in Normandy Victory was awarded a Military Cross when he killed the crew of an enemy anti-tank gun, unusually for an artillery observer, with a Bren light machine gun. Later commanding K Battery, he received a Mention in Dispatches for his part in the European campaign. Victory continued to serve until 1964, having held many important senior posts and seeing further distinguished active service during the Korean War.
History note
This duffle coat is know to have been worn by Captain 'Paddy' Victory during his voyage across the English Channel to Normandy on D+1 of the Invasion.
A veteran of the North African and Italian campaigns, Victory was a Foward Observation Officer (FOO) with 5 RHA, who were equipped with Sexton self-propelled guns. The FOO's were embedded with armoured formations and used Cromwell tanks, and it was in such a vehicle that Victory escaped an encounter with Michael Wittmann's Tiger at Villers Bocage, 13 June. During further actions in Normandy Victory was awarded a Military Cross when he killed the crew of an enemy anti-tank gun, unusually for an artillery observer, with a Bren light machine gun. Later commanding K Battery, he received a Mention in Dispatches for his part in the European campaign. Victory continued to serve until 1964, having held many important senior posts and seeing further distinguished active service during the Korean War.