i came across all of these at an antique shop in my area they were fairly cheap so i bought them all. some are dated and some arent. i know some buttons on 2 have been replaced and a US LT bar doesnt make sense but i am showing them exactly how i got them. with so many variations in patterns does anyone know of a good way to date them, or have a good reference guide?there are 8 in total and each picture has a number in the top right corner so all 1s are of the same tunic ETC. thank you in advance.
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there is the 2nd tunic -
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They are all late 1930s to early 40s make. Some have Indian makers marks, such as the Shah dated 1941. The stand collar ones may be for the Royal Marines, the fall collar for Army. All appear to have had shoulder titles at one time.
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thank you i do appreciate it. do you know what country of manufacture the SHAH marking would indicate?Comment
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British India. Shah made many of these KD tunics, short pants etc. That is where all these type of tunics were primarily worn. I might add that issue seems to have ceased by 1941 or so, in favor of just khaki shirts. Even before the war, these tunics were reserved mostly for dress occasions, shirts being worn in the field.Originally posted by mattplatt View Post
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This is actually quite a find. 1, 3, 4 and 8 are WW1 production. 1 is the prewar and WW1 pattern identifiable by the scalloped pocket flaps and 2 rear vents. 3, 4 and 8 are a simplified WW1 pattern with pointed pocket flaps, 2 rear vents, stand collar and plain cuffs. All appear to have been issued in WW2 and I say that because collar badges were not commonly worn by Other Ranks in WW1 and some of these have a similar issue mark to some of the others. All are British except 2 which is Indian made. 2, 5, 6 and 7 are WW2. I think the large circular stamp is from a theatricals company.
1 is quite a scarce pattern. 3 4 and 8 are less rare but still collectable and all these are worth decent money even with the holes in the collars. The others aren't worth much but you've still hit a mini jackpot with these.Comment
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None of those tunics are pre ww1, all post war including tunic 1. The pre and early war had very different pocket flaps, which were distinctly pointed below the button hole as in tunic 3, and small holes for small pocket size buttons on the front fly. Large tunic buttons were not worn at that time.
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The simplified pattern did have pointed pocket flaps as you state, but the prewar pattern that carried on into wartime was made with both pointed and scalloped pocket flaps. Square pocket flaps are an indicator of postwar production on British-made tunics, but Indian-made ones seem to have had them in WW1 so they are not a reliable guide to dating. Large buttons were not worn during the Boer War but they were certainly worn down the tunic front during WW1; anyway buttons can be added at any time so this doesn't prove anything. The rear venting went over from two side vents to one central vent not long after WW1. Any tunics with two side vents are pre WW2. [Add: According to Chris Pollendine's book Campaign 1915, the change from two side vents to one central took place in 1924.]Originally posted by cpbuehler View PostComment
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Yes, two vents indicative of earlier tunics. I grant you are likely correct in that tunic No1 is the likely the earlier ww1 era Indian made example, albeit damaged by the holes in the shoulder straps by someone incorrectly adding officer insignia. However all the others are interwar period without doubt, the exception being the dated Shah example. The stand collar post war tunics were Royal Marine only to my research.Originally posted by John Bonnell View Post
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