Object Record
Images
Additional Images [16]
Metadata
Object ID # |
1964.005.047 |
Object Name |
Tunic, Military |
Title |
Patrol Jacket c. 1912 |
Lexicon category |
3: Personal Artifacts |
Date |
c. 1912 |
Year Range from |
1910 |
Year Range to |
1914 |
Made |
W. E. Sandford, Wholesale Clothiers |
Place of Origin |
Ontario |
Description |
A scarlet patrol jacket (coat / tunic) that was worn by a member of the 31st Grey Regiment c. 1912. This militia regiment was based in Grey County, Ontario. The man's right sleeve has three white chevrons on it. This shows that his rank was that of Sergeant. The scarlet sleeves are plain, with no cuff decorations. There are seven brass buttons down the front. There are two breast pockets, each with a slightly-pointed flap, secured with a single brass button. The buttons have CANADA above a crown, above a garter that encircles a maple leaf with the motto HONI SOIT QUI ...PASSE. The shoulders have plain black wool shoulder straps, each secured with a brass button. The lower area of the jacket does not have side pockets, but the man's left side has an imbedded brass hook to hold a belt. The collar has two large hooks and eyes to fasten it up. There are two collar badges (collar dogs) still attached. They have the insignia of the 31st Grey Regiment, which includes the number 31, the Grey County crest (based on the crest of the Earl of Grey) and the lettering DE BON VOULOIR SERVIR LE ROY [variant spelling of De Bon Vouloir Servir Le Roi, French for "To Serve the King with Goodwill"]. Inside the collar is a shiny black leather, tongue-shaped tab. Its non-black side is brown, and is printed with the manufacturer's horizontally-oval mark: W. E. SANDFORD / WHOLESALE CLOTHIERS / 1909-10 / HAMILTON, ONT." See RELATED for other items manufactured by this company, or that have a connection to the history of the 31st. Inside this particular jacket, there is a coarse linen rectangular area of lining that has a black-printed or stencilled C with broad arrow mark (=a Canadian-issued tunic). The interior red wool fabric is stencilled with 5 F 56 / 3S, and above that there appears to be a faint large 12 numeral in black. Not original to the piece, but added at some point, is a hand-inked notation on the lining: "COAT WORN BY 31ST GREY REGIMENT NIAGARA-ON-THE-LAKE ABOUT 1912 SIMILAR WORN BOER WAR". Note: It lacks its original belt. |
Makers mark |
Oval mark is printed on the inner side of black tab at collar and has W. E. SANDFORD / WHOLESALE CLOTHIERS / 1909-10 / HAMILTON, ONT." It also has a broad arrow with C mark that shows it was a Canadian-approved military issue item. |
Provenance |
The patrol jacket was manufactured in Canada, and was sold via the W. E. Sandford Wholesale Clothiers business of Hamilton, Ontario. It belonged to an unknown Sergeant of the 31st Grey Regiment, circa 1912. Afterward, it was kept by the Dobie family of Sullivan Township, Grey County, and then Margaret Dobie. |
Collection |
Military, 20th-c Collection |
Material |
Wool/Brass/Fabric/Linen/Leather/Thread/Inks |
Dimensions |
W-49 L-68.5 inches |
Found |
Sullivan Township (formerly), Township of Chatsworth, Grey County |
People |
Dobie, Joseph B. |
Subjects |
Militias Buttons (Fasteners) |
Search Terms |
31st Grey Regiment |