RAF tunic and dress coat -- opinions

[streptile]

Hi guys,

I am very far out of my area here so I appreciate any and all help on these two items. Here's what I know: Wing Commander RAF, years of service c. 1970-2000, medical officer.

Can anyone help me identify and value these items beyond what I already know?

If you don't care to put a value in the thread, please PM me.

Many thanks for your help in advance, Trevor

[streptile]

Button, insignia.

[streptile]

Really no one can help me?

[skypilot]

The larger tunic is referred generically as "Service Dress". You are correct that it is the former property of a Wing Commander within the medical branch of the RAF.

The other jacket is his mess dress jacket, worn, as the name suggests for Mess functions. You will notice that it is very thick and lined with silk/satin.

To identify the former owner you will need a name. RAF officer's uniforms were generally privately tailored, certainly Mess Dress was and still is a private purchase item or "at own expense". Therefore if you search carefully, you will quite often find a tailors label inside one of the pockets, most commonly one fo the inside ones however I have occasionally found them in the tunice exterior pockets.

It is not uncommon to find the name of the person the jacket(s) were made for along with a date.

Without any name, you have absolutely no other way of narrowing it down any further in respect of the recipient.

Value? That's always subjective! Mess Dress costs between £6-900 new and even second hand it costs several hundred pounds - but that's for those who want it for it's proper purpose. As a collector, I always found Mess Dress hard to sell as people tend to want "proper" uniforms for some reason. I would suggest that due to the slightly higher rank (equivalent to a Lt Col), you could get £50 or so for the Mess Dress and £30-50 for the service dress tunic. If you get more, then I think you have done well.

Even with a name, I don't think you will add much more value but it may rise above the others out there for sale.

[streptile]

Many thanks for such a detailed and informative reply

Really appreciate your taking the time to write it all out for me.

[skypilot]

No problem at all - glad to assist.

If you do find a name, pop it in a reply and I'll see what I can dig out for you on the recipient.