Militaria Recently Sold
UNIFORM & KIT ISSUED TO THE AIF DURING WW2
This pictorial library is devoted to the recording of "Uniform and Kit" issued to an Australian Soldier of any corps, during the Second World War. Consider it a virtual "Q" Store in Australian militaria. It is not exhaustive and will be added to over time. Any reader who wishes to contribute photographs and text will be recognised and credited with such information. I also invite collectors of other nation's militaria to forward content (please see our other countries listed on the drop down menu) - so that a comprehensive list of "Axis" and "Allies" uniform/kit is detailed.
Royal Australian Air Force Slouch Hat As confusion sometimes occurs for novice collectors, an example of a R.A.A.F (Royal Australian Air Force) Hat - Khaki Fur Felt - has been included. Whilst at a first glance, it may be mistaken for the standard AIF Slouch Hat; it will be noted that the fur felt hat for Air Force usage - in fact has four vent holes on each side of the crown for added ventilation. This is opposed to the AIF hat which only has two vent holes on each side. The inner sweat band also differs in it's mode of attachment to the actual hat. All of these differences were to enable better ventilation for the wearer in the hot, tropical conditions. Inner Sweat Band - R.A.A.F Hat An image showing the attachment method of the leather sweat band; inside the R.A.A.F fur felt hat. It will be noted that the sweat band is attached by way of a 'thonging' (in this case, it is merely string) so that a ventilation gap exists between the actual sweat band and the body of the hat. This is in contrast to the AIF article which had the leather sweat band actually "stitched" to the body of the hat. The four ventilation holes in the crown of the hat can clearly be seen in this image. So by virtue of this information, there should be little confusion when comparing the two different types of headwear. It is evident that this particular hat was once issued to Flight Lieutenant Dudley Furneaux CROCKER whose service number was 284572. He served with number 12 Aircraft Repair Depot before discharging in October of 1945. Date & Manufacturer Stamping - R.A.A.F Hat The date of manufacture for the R.A.A.F fur felt hat. The letter 'V' before the numerals 553, indicate that the item was produced in a factory situated in the state of Victoria during 1943. WW2 Brodie Pattern Helmet.jpg "<img src='/gallery/brodie-pattern-helmet(3).jpg'/>") |
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