'41 dated French uniform (para-military?)

[NickG]

Is this a French military uniform of the Vichy period?
Its 1941 dated and tailored in Lyon (unoccupied Vichy-France)

or some kind of para-military piece?
Youth movement? Labor movement?

It has strange cuff straps and non military leather "football buttons"
(sometimes seen on UK officers mulitary garments)

[NickG]

more

[NickG]

cuff, button and collar details...

[NickG]

1941... Vichy Regime?
Thoughts?

[NickG]

Anybody? Maybe early Vichy Labour service officers tunic? (Chantiers de La Jeunesse) patterned after
their French Army uniforms, before they switched to blue?

[NickG]

or a youth movement like "Compagnons de France" which had army officers as troop leaders.
(boy scouts - HJ ).

[coloprimus]

Hello,
clearly a 1938 military type cut, and these buttons may be for reserve officer, or
perhaps private use for the civil life. Nice uniform piece, apart from the
moth's damages.
Cheers, Pierre

[NickG]

Hello,
clearly a 1938 military type cut, and these buttons may be for reserve officer, or
perhaps private use for the civil life. Nice uniform piece, apart from the
moth's damages.
Cheers, Pierre

Merci Pierre, I might buy it... even in this condition, because of the 1941 label date + Lyon (Vichy) France!
But the cuff straps are not typical for French military...(unless its an overgarment of some sort, wind-breaker)...
It should have had fake French cuffs and an area for rank insignia which now would be hard to display with the cuff straps...
hence my theory its ww2 para-military in the non occupied part of France. The CJF had rank bars above the right chest pocket...

[Garulfo]

Don't forget that until november 1942 there's still a french army in France. The Germans authorized a 100 000 men army (remember the Reichswehr) under the control of the Vichy's government and troops were still active in the colonies, so that's certainly an army uniform.

New uniforms were designed for this army.

[NickG]

Don't forget that until november 1942 there's still a french army in France. The Germans authorized a 100 000 men army (remember the Reichswehr) under the control of the Vichy's government and troops were still active in the colonies, so that's certainly an army uniform.

New uniforms were designed for this army.

Yeah that is true, the Vichy army. It did have a new uniforms designated Model 1942 for enlisted troops
The Milice had similar cut new style M42 uniforms but I am not sure what changes the officers uniforms went through...
its more like a prewar cut, even though its dated 1941, but those strange sleeve cuff straps I can not explain...

Anyway I did not get it... I posted the opening bid at $24.99 (it was really tattered) and it sold for a buck more...

It was described as a Boy Scout uniform so it went for cheap...
and it had post war Catholic boyscout unit insignia on the sleeve, which I removed from the images.
Post war recycled for a scout troop leader...

[coloprimus]

Hi,
the vichy years cut (1939-1945) is slightly different. This one came first,
in my opinion. It's a good example, but you shoud'nt spend a fortune on it...
Cheers, Pierre

[NickG]

Is was listed on ebay in the boyscouts section.... Its 1941 dated and the Germans banned scouting activities but in Vichy it was allowed
but the scouting movement was politicized under the Vichy regime (along the lines of German youth movements)

but in my veiw this tunic was recycled and post war re-used for a scout troop leader (Catholic scounting organization).
This is the insignia that is on it (hand-stitched) and the reason why it was not listed in the military section: