Item 2023.186.2 - Royal Marines Light Infantry Tunic

2023.186.2

Royal Marines Light Infantry Tunic

Item

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Single breasted tunic made from a red, felted wool. The tunic has a small standing collar with a hook and eye fastening; and is made from a reinforced felt, trimmed with gold ribbon. On each side of the collar there gold, domed button which is decorated with a map of the world. Gold braid surrounds these buttons. The tunic is front fastening via eight, ornate, gold domed buttons, each of which have a different design [including Royal Corps of Signals; Royal Engineers; Royal Army Ordinance Corps; Royal Army Medical Corps; Royal Munster Fusiliers]. The tunic is lightly tailored with slight flaring of the short skirts. the buttons stop at the waist seam which runs the circumference of the tunic. The chest panel is slightly quilted to give a rounded shape. The tunic has long sleeves with a mariner’s cuff that features a black slash, edged in white piping. The cuff has three, gold, domed buttons decorated with the words 'Royal Marines Light Infantry' and a crest with an anchor and crown. The cuffs has faux buttonholes are outlined with gold ribbon. At the reverse there is also a metal hook on the waistband which would have been used to hold a type of pouch known as a sabretache. There are also six slightly smaller, gold domed buttons, embellished with the Royal Marines Light Infantry crest and white piping in the same style as the cuffs. Inside, the tunic is lined.

Label: Hawkes & Co. 14 Piccadilly. W / [Handwritten] Captain J. A. F. Cuffe
Materials: Wool
Measurements: 45cm [Chest]; 68cm [Length]
Details: Embellished buttons; High collar
Physical Condition: Fair

Made to order for the donor’s maternal grandfather who was a Captain in the Marines from about 1900.