A Second War Canadian Scottish Battledress Blouse & Beret

A Second War Canadian Scottish Battledress Blouse & Beret - This battledress blouse is 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. The blouse is adorned with Canadian Scottish shoulders flashes on both shoulders, each flash in blue, green and white embroidery on red wool. Immediately below each flash are 48 mm x 67 mm French gray wool 3rd Infantry Division patches. The left forearm has a Wound Stripe, the lower end of the stripe 110 mm from the bottom of the sleeve, midway between the seams on the outer side of the sleeve, the badge in bronze with a russia braid design, placed upon a French gray wool base, to match the 3rd Infantry Division patches, affixed to the inside of the sleeve via dual prongs and metal support plate. Special recognition for injured soldiers in the Second World War was not implemented until 1944, when orders advised that "His Majesty the King has been graciously pleased to approve the institution of Wound Stripes". The shoulders have button down epaulet straps held in place via metal buttons. There is a button down tab on the left side of the collar and when connected to the button at the right side, ensures a snug fit at the neckline. The front has two pockets, one on each breast which have decorative straps giving them a pleated-look with metal buttons at the top. Each pocket has a foldover flap and when lifted up, exposes a reinforced button hole. When the buttons are fastened, they remain invisible to the eye, covered by the flaps. The front is completed by a vertical row of five metal buttons on the right side, facing an equal number of reinforced button holes on the left, similarly covered by a full-length flap, again remaining invisible to the eye. Along the waistline at the front is 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. It comes with button down cuffs with metal buttons, and when fasterned, again are invisible to the eye, plus three reinforced ventilation holes in each armpit. Inside, the waistline is reinforced with a 75 mm wide cotton band, with three reinforced button holes at the rear. The inside lapel on both sides has cotton-lined pockets, the right pocket stamped in black ink and displaying the maker stamp, "B.450 Battle Dress, BLOUSES, SERGE, SIZE No. 10, HEIGHT 5'9" to 5'10", BREAST 36" to 37", S & G Clothing Co. Ltd., JUN 1945", the left pocket with a Canadian Broad Arrow production mark and numbered "625" below. The blouse itself measures 420 mm across the shoulders and 580 mm in length overall, exhibits scattered mothing, light soiling inside the cuffs and on the cotton areas inside the blouse, with a small stain on the left sleeve's 3rd Infantry Division patch. It displays a nice texture in the wool and quality workmanship, beautiful, intact stitching. The exterior of the beret is fabricated from a similar colour wool as the blouse, with more of a green tinge and a slightly different texture. Each of the two tabs on the front have brown metal eyelets and are tied together with a brown cotton ribbon, the far ends of which a sewn to the tabs. The left side has a 51.2 mm x 56.8 mm white metal Canadian Scottish glengarry badge surmounting a Hunting Stewart tartan patch, held in place on the underside via dual lugs and a hairpin, with an amber plastic support plate. The exterior is completed with a brown wool toorie on top. The inside is lined in chocolate brown cotton, marked "BRILL CAP 1943 WINNIPEG CANADA" and size stamped "7 1/8" in white ink in the dome, with the initials "N H" in handwritten green ink below. The beret measures 270 mm x 290 mm, with a slight separation in the seam at the front and light soiling throughout. Together, near extremely fine.