Canada, Commonwealth. A Royal Canadian Engineers Battledress Blouse and Beret

Battledress Blouse: exterior in wool with a green tinge to the darker khaki colour, giving it that distinctive Canadian-look versus the British version, of which the Canadian one is patterned after, adorned with ROYAL CANADIAN ENGINEERS shoulder flashes, the text of which is printed in blue ink on red cotton, along with 75 mm (w) x 45 mm (h) rectangular patches representative of the 1st Canadian Division in red cotton sewn in place on the upper sleeves on both sides. Both shoulders incorporate button down epaulette straps, both straps secured in place via a brownish-green finished magnetic metal button. The front has two pockets, one on each breast which have decorative straps giving them a pleated-look with brownish-green finished metal buttons at the top, each pocket with a fold over flap and when lifted up, exposes a reinforced buttonhole. When the buttons are fastened, they remain invisible to the eye, covered by the flaps. The front has a vertical row of five brownish-green finished metal buttons on the right side, facing an equal number of reinforced button holes on the left side, similarly covered by a full-length flap, again remaining invisible to the eye, the waistline at the front with a strap on the left side, and when fed through the metal belt loop on the right side, ensures a snug fit at the waist. Both sleeves have button down cuffs with brownish-green finished metal buttons on both sides, with three reinforced ventilation holes in each armpit. The forearm on the right sleeve with five embroidered upward-pointing chevrons, the top four are in red representing each complete year of continuous service, the bottom one in silver indicating that the recipient joined in the first year of the war (1939), which is in addition to and placed underneath any red chevrons granted, with all five chevrons on a brownish-green wool field. Inside, the waistline is reinforced with a 65 mm wide cotton band, with three reinforced button holes at the rear, the inside lapel on both sides have deep cotton-lined pockets with side entries, the right side pocket stamped in black ink with the Canadian Broad Arrow production insignia, along with the manufacturer's stamp inscribed "BATTLE DRESS BLOUSE SERGE / HEIGHT 5'3" - 5'4" / BREAST 36 - 37 / HYDE PARK INDUSTRIES LIMITED / MONTREAL 1945". The blouse measures 440 mm across the shoulders and 480 mm in length overall; and Beret: the exterior in wool with a green tinge to the darker khaki colour, the left front with a 45 mm (w) x 47 mm (h) Royal Canadian Engineers cap badge in die-stamped bronze gilt secured in place via lugs and pin, two metal eyelets for ventilation placed at the right rear and backed by a dark brown leather patch stitched in place on the inside, the open edge of the beret trimmed in a 12 mm wide strip of dark brown leather, with a dark brown cotton drawstring for size adjustment emerging from an opening on the strip at the rear. The interior is lined in cotton with a green tinge to the darker khaki colour, the dome stamped in white ink with the Canadian Broad Arrow production insignia and the manufacturer's mark "Dorothea Hats Ltd. TORONTO / "6 3⁄4 / 1944" and framed with by two rows of stitching forming a diamond shape, measuring 210 mm in width x 260 mm in length. The Battledress Blouse exhibits soiling on both 1st Canadian Division patches, with edge wear present on the shoulder flashes, the button on the left breast pocket and the buttons on both cuffs exhibiting surface rust, with a few loose threads on the inside and is free of mothing and holes; the Beret with surface rust evident on the two eyelets, along with four tiny holes evident in the wool exterior on top. As worn.