British Railways black double breasted wool coat with grey and black herringbone wool tweed lining. The coat fastens centre front with six silver coloured shank metal buttons with 'British Railways' embossed on the front around the image of a spoked wheel and with the back mark 'Buttons Limited Birmingham' on the reverse. It has black leather cuffs.
Country of Design: United Kingdom
Country of Manufacture: United Kingdom
Keywords: Railway uniform, civil uniform, work wear, protective clothing, cold weather wear
British Railways
Dark navy blue wool duffle coat which fastens with four wooden toggles and loops. 'GPO' is stitched in red machine embroidery onto dark navy wool patches which are sewn onto each collar front. The toggles are attached with cream cotton cord cords down the right side of the front of the coat. The loops are made of the same cream cotton cord. It has two large patch pockets to lower front. Adjustable strap with button fastening to lower sleeve. Unlined. Size 3.
Country of Design: United Kingdom
Country of Manufacture: England
Keywords: Civil uniform, post office uniform, postal services
General Post Office
Long black wool double breasted coat with turn down colllar and two pockets with flaps at the waist. It has a back vent and is lined in black nylon mesh fabric. It fastens at the front with six buttons and three buttonholes. The plastic buttons have the British Rail double arrow logo design embossed.
Country of Design: United Kingdom
Keywords: Uniform, civil uniform, railway
British Rail
Double breasted greatcoat in heavy black wool. It has a large turn down collar and fastens down the front with ten matched pairs of buttons (five fasten with buttonholes). The large black shank buttons are moulded with 'C D' under the King's Crown. It has a double metal hook and eye fastening at the neck and a storm collar fixing. There are epaulettes on each shoulder which fasten with two smaller black shank C D buttons with crowns and two flapped pockets at the hips. On each outside upper arm are curved black wool badges -flashes - with 'HEADQUARTERS & SIGNALS' embroidered in yellow thread. The back waist has a half belt attached with two large black shank C D buttons with crowns and a deep centre vent. It is lined in dark blue wool. Interior labels with War Department date stamps with letter A. Army Size 8 - for height five foot, ten inches.
Country of Design: Great Britain
Country of Manufacture: Great Britain
CWS Ltd
Black wool duffle coat with fluorescent orange yoke in the style of a donkey jacket. There is a strip of silver reflective fabric on each side of the front yoke and around each cuff. The centre front closes with four wooden toggles attached with black rope. The back of the coat has NCB printed in black letters, which has been coloured over with black pen. Underneath the letters is a strip of silver reflective fabric. The coat has a one piece hood, which is unlined with an over locked seam. The front has a square patch pocket with notched corners. The full body of the jacket is cut from a single piece of fabric, seamed at the shoulder.
Country of Design: United Kingdom
Country of Manufacture: United Kingdom
National Coal Board
Black wool duffle coat with neon/flourescent orange shoulder panels and cuffs made of coated cotton. There is a square black wool badge printed in white with the ICI circular logo stitched onto left chest. It fastens with three wooden toggles and navy cord at the centre front. The orange panels run over the shoulders to the cover the back yoke and are top stitched with black thread. The coat is not finished to a high standard - the inside seams are left raw at the neck. It has two large front patch pockets and neck tabs with button fastenings.
George Key (Rugeley) Ltd
Double breasted greatcoat in a heavy, navy blue wool. Coat has peak lapels, each with a decorative buttonhole. A popper under each lapel enables them to be held in place. Coat is front fastening and has four buttons on either side of the opening. The coat buttons up using three of these buttons on the right side which fasten through buttonholes on the left. The brass buttons [dark, slightly tarnished] are domed, shank buttons with a stylised plant design embellished on them. Either side of the waist are jetted pockets with flaps. At the reverse of the coat there is a half belt running horizontally across the back at waist level. There is a centre seam that runs the length of the back of the coat, becoming a vent 45.5cm up from the hem. The coat is lined in a black satin pocket. There is a large, breast pocket on the inside right of the coat. There is a smaller pocket on the inner left side, level with the second button hole [which was perhaps for a pocket watch]. A chain on the inner collar of the coat enables it to be easily hung on a hook.
Simpson & Son Ltd
Lightweight bomber jacket in a mid blue denim. Jacket is front fastening via a dark blue zip. The jacket has a rounded neckline and ribbed collar and cuffs. The waistband, which is also ribbed, is 13cm in depth at the widest point and features two horizontal seams that run the full circumference of the waistband. The hem of the jacket is lower at the front than the back. The front of the jacket features contrasting white stitching at either side of the zip. A contrasting white seam also runs at an angle from the underarms on each side of the jacket and curves down vertically to meet the hem. At the elbow of each sleeve are four angled seams in white stitching. At the reverse of the jacket, there is white stitch detailing which curves from the underarms and runs vertically to the waistband. This mirrors the stitch detailing on the front of the jacket. The inside of the jacket is lined in a white cotton fabric.
BodyMap
Single breasted jacket in a khaki cotton drill fabric. Jacket has notch lapels and there are two stitched holes on either side of the collar that likely would have been used to fix insignia [badges] to the jacket. The jacket is front fastening via four buttons [missing]. At either side of the chest are box pleated patch pockets with scalloped edged flaps. Popper fastenings are at either edge of the flap. Originally there would have been a button fastening at the centre of each flap but these are missing. Above the pocket on the left side there is a stitched hole, similar to those on the collar, through which a badge or insignia could be attached. Two large, rectangular patch pockets with flaps [non scalloped] can be found at waist level. These would also have originally been fastened via a button. The cuffs are faced in an identical khaki fabric cut in a scallop shape. There is a strap at each shoulder. At the reverse there is a seam that runs down the centre and meets a vent which is 35cm in length from the hem up. The inside of the jacket is unlined.
British Army
Short jacket in olive green cotton fabric with a notched collar. A buttonhole is found on the lapel on the left side. Jacket is front fastening via buttons on a concealed button placket. Strips of velcro are also used on the front of the jacket. A vertical, jetted pocket with a zip fastening is found at chest level on either side of the opening. Each cuff has a popper fastening. Epaulettes are found on each of the shoulders. The waistband of the jacket is elasticated at the reverse.
French Armed Forces
