Canadian WWII mystery uniform

[MOTLEY4]

Hello I'm looking today to our Canadian friends for a little help. I recently bought this rather sorry looking uniform jacket and having checked all my reference books and searched on the net I find that I can't identify the green diamond formation sign. I am assuming the patch is Canadian simply because the tunic was made in Canada.

[Postwarden]

According to Clive Law's excellent book on Canadian cloth badges, Distinguishing Patches a green diamond like this was worn by the Canadian Dental Corps and by their Pacific Command.

Given the obvious age of the owner from his WWI ribbons I think I'd go for the Dental Corps.

I'm sure our Canadian friends will correct me if I'm wrong.

Postwarden

[Phillip Herring]

I would say Pacific Command - Tunic dated 1941.
Older soldier who looks like he had British Army service.

Phil

[Bill A]

I agree with Phil. The Canadian Dental Corps patches worn in 1 Cdn Corps had the corps abbreviation embroidered on the patches. This was during the time period 1 Cdn Corps was using diamond shape patches in corps colours. (Eg, corps in the second sense meaning RCASC, RCCS, CCS, etc.)

[MOTLEY4]

Is it possible that this officer could have been a Brit on some kind of loan service? Further research this morning reveals a quite famous British officer named Colonel B.R.Mullaly who went on to write a history of the 10th Gurkha Rifles in 1957. The second letter of the owners name printed on the tunic label which I at first read as a B could in fact be an R, so it could be the same chap, and could explain how the tunic ended up in the UK.

[Postwarden]

Law shows the first pattern of the Canadian Dental Corps as a plain green diamond.

If he was a Brit would he have qualified for the Canadian Overseas Service medal?

The label has a number beginning with an M. Does this indicate a Militia officer?

The medal for the 1918 General Service medal looks like it has at one time had a mention in despatched oak leaf attached.

Postwarden

[Bill A]

The tunic poses some interesting questions. Officers of the Canadian army / militia did not get service numbers until late in the SWW, circa early 1945. The service number on the tunic is the M series which is Military District 13, or basically the province of Alberta and the western portion of the Northwest Territories. Unfortunately, the 6000 block of numbers is not attributed in Clive's Regimental Numbers of the Canadian Army 1936-1960.
The tunic, which appears to be an officer's quality service dress, also appears to show officer's rank was worn on the remaining epaulette strap. The tunic has the ribbons for the CVSM and the Defence Medal, which suggests the tunic owner was overseas. That opens the possibility that he was with the Dental Corps, as represented by the green diamond. The plain green diamond was only in wear for a short period of time, circa early 1941 until sometime later that year or early 1942. Given the tunic is dated December 1941, it is possible that it is a CDC patch. It is also possible the individual went overseas but returned to Canada to serve the balance of the war. This was especially true of overage personnel or individuals who were considered unfit for continued overseas service. If he was from MD 13 or MD 11, and continued to serve in the active army, the Pacific Command patch makes sense.
Considerable numbers of British army veterans had migrated to Canada in the inter-war years and offered their services to the King, through the Canadian forces, in the SWW. The connections between Britain and the Dominions was much stronger at the time.

[Phillip Herring]

The (UK) National Archives Medal cards show:

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/d...resultcount=35

Medal card of Mullaly, B R
Corps: Gurkha Rifles
Rank: Captain


Phil

[servicepub]

I believe that the patch is Pacific Command. The former British soldier (GSM ribbon indicates this) joined the Canadian Army for the Second World War (CVSM ribbon indicates this). The tunic also indicates that he went overseas at some point (Defence of Britain ribbon indicates this) but never served outside of the UK as there is no 1939-43 Star ribbon.
I would suggest an officer who went over early in the war but was then returned to Canada due to age. However, his health allowed him to continue serving in one of the Home Commands and he found himself in Pacific Command.
Although CDC is a possibility I think that, statistically, the diamond represents Pacific Command.
As stated by Bill, officers were not allocated service numbers and I believe the number shown is an order number applied by the tailor.
My tuppence worth.
Clive

[Lampwick]

Why not see if Messrs. Gorden Campell are still extant in Vancouver and, if so, see if their old record books state who order no.6431 was made for? Seemples!