Militaria Zone

Dealer Information

Dealer: The Militaria Dealers
Location: Surrey, United Kingdom
Tel: 0777566141701252792432
Email: lannoysimon1@gmail.com

WW1 War British Tank Corps Officer's Tunic

SOLD

Code: 56102

Website: https://www.militariazone.com/uniforms/ww1-war-british-tank-corps-officer-s-tunic/itm40746

A rare late WW1 tunic to a Captain in the British Tank Corps. The tunic has no tailor’s label to date it accurately, however it is tailored in the late WW1 configuration of having its rank shown on the epaulettes and is made of barathea cloth with no integral cloth belt at the waist, so the small “ticket” pocket stands alone. These features typically first made their appearance on British officer’s tunics from 1917 onwards and close inspection of the sleeve lining in the left sleeve with the "wet test" shows the pencil remains of a name, perhaps Pennington and  "A" 1917 or 1918 date.  This if I remember rightly is to show the item was supplied via the Quartermaster supply system.

Over the left breast pocket are three WW1 service medal ribbons for the 1915 Star along with the classic War and Victory Medals. The presence of these indicates the tunic has been also worn post war.

The tunic however also has a full set of rare Tank Corps buttons as well as a matching pair of Tank Corps collar badges to each lapel. This pattern of button and collar insignia was no longer worn after 1923.

To the right arm the tunic bears the Corp’s special cloth insignia of a MK1 Tank viewed in profile. This badge is possibly a replacement as it appears newer than the rest of the tunic. When exactly this was done though is very difficult to tell as the badge is of the correct WW1 type with the barrel of the gun on the tank being embroidered at the horizontal. Post WW1 tank badges of this type have the gun’s barrel embroidered pointing slightly upwards. The badge shown here is one of the many known tailor’s variants of the badge manufactured in WW1. 

The tunic is a large size and in good service worn condition with just the very occasional bit of light moth speckling in places noted at the base of the right lower pocket with four small nips on the back of the Jacket and one very small nip on the left breast pocket, and one inside near the lapel 

A rare item.