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| Pre-War Regulation RAAF Service Dress Uniform to Flight Lieutenant Gordon | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| The RAAF had a uniform that was unique from their RAF commonwealth colleagues. First, the uniform was of a much darker blue color, more like the French Air Force. Second, many RAAF (vs. the RAF) officers wore their government issued uniforms made under government contract, and AVMs to Pilot Officers wore the same quality. The fabric is commonly a ribbed wool as opposed to the finer wool broadcloth found in the RAF. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| In the background is a Brewster Buffalo, a pre-war US Army Air Force fighter that was obsolete by WWII. The two countries that put them to any use were Australia and Finland. The Finns had much more success with this fighter than the RAAF did against Japanese Zeroes. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Another key feauture was the addition of a blackened metal eagle and crown over the rank. This is a remnant of the RFC and early RAF that the RAF had disbanded by this time. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| This is the most typical style of RAAF wing during the war as issued by the RAAF. There were many other styles as the RAAF were posted abroad and wings were made locally whether in the Middle East, England or while training in Canada. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| The officer's side cap was of the same dark blue fabric as the uniform and the eagle and crown were bronze instead of gilt in the RAF. There was also a corresponding visor hat although pictures seem to show that this hat was not as popular or available as most officer's are shown with the side cap. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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This close-up of the sleeve shows the blackened metal eagle and crown as well as the two rank rings denoting a Flight Lieutentant. The red chevrons are for overseas service, each chevron denoting 6 months of active service. The chevrons are simply cut out of long emboridered silk or rayon roll and stitched on.
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| F/L Gordon's Nametag | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| © Tod Rathbone | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||