Original 1941 Dated First Pattern ATS Battledress Blouse - Size 2

A hard to find original first pattern Auxiliary Territorial Service Battledress Blouse in good condition. 

This pattern of jacket was introduced alongside the matching trousers at the beginning of the Second World War as a working dress for members of the ATS. The design is modelled on that used for the men's battledress uniform but is made from a finer, lighter weight barathea wool. The blouse features chest pockets with covered buttons and an unlined collar, in keeping with its male counterpart. The waist belt is fastened with a chromium plated buckle as was introduced on men's battldress from 1941 onwards. 

Inside the jacket is a single interior pocket to which the original issue label is affixed. It bears the title of 'Blouse Battledress, Serge, A. T. S' and the size of 2 which is designed to fit a 36" - 39" bust and a 28" - 31" waist. The maker's name is stated as 'AKett LTD' below which is the date of December 1941 and the War Department broad arrow. 

Below the label is the War Department acceptance stamp which is surmounted by the letter 'P' which confirms 1941 as the year of issue. 

The overall condition of the jacket is excellent. It is very fresh and shows next to no signs of wear or use. There is however a small hole to the left breast pocket as shown in picture 4. There are also a few very small moth holes including one to the cuff and one to the inside of the collar, although these are only noticeable on very close inspection. Overall the jacket displays very well and aside from a couple of small, hard to notice faults is in extremely good condition. 
 

A nice example of this scarce pattern of battledress which would make a great addition to any WW2 collection!