M1907 SD jacket armpit dart?

[dutchbarge]

I recently read an article on the Kaiser's Bunker website about British other rank's five-button service dress jackets which declares that a dart under the armpit, running parallel to the side seam, is evidence of post-war manufacture. See article: http://www.kaisersbunker.com/ceftp/5button.htm

Curious, I examined the SD jackets in my collection and found that one of them, which has all the earmarks of a war-time jacket (two darts under the collar, hairy, visible diagonal weave serge fabric, white (nicely patina'd) tape lining, broad arrow stamp, the proper 'feel', etc.) has the above mentioned dart. What should I make of this?

Cheers, Bill

[dutchbarge]

Here's an exterior shot of the dart.

Here's an interior shot of the dart.

Here's a close up of the two collar darts.

Here's a shot of the lining.

[Wardog]

Also mentioned in the Parks Canada publication 'Drab Serge and Khaki Drill' by Grant Taylor, page 61, though if I understand it correctly it states such jackets invariably had only one pleat on each side of the collar. Perhaps a wartime jacket that was partialy converted to post war standards? Regards, Paul.

[dutchbarge]

Having gotten out the magnifying glass and poured over 'the dart', I noticed that the thread and machine stitching pattern which create the dart are different than that used elsewhere on the jacket. I also noticed that the stitching at the botton of the dart stopped just short of the pocket lining and was tied off in a knot by hand and that at the top of the dart, where it enters the armpit/sleeve junction, it appears that the original stitching was opened up, the dart slipped in and closed up with the same thread as the dart. I'm beginning to think that this dart was an alteration. Any thoughts? Cheers, Bill

[T8HANTS]

A bit of unit tailoring to get a smart fit, rather than issue 'scruff order'.

G

[wainfleet]

One often sees anomalous features on late-war jackets. I shouldn't worry about it. It looks to have been made that way and to be of wartime manufacture, which is all that really matters.

[SiegeGunner]

Oops — I tuned in out of curiosity to find out what kind of weapon an 'armpit dart' was ...

[scottmarchand]

Canadians favoured close fitting tunics, the 7 button canadian ones were pretty fitted. The issue brit tunics were much looser fitting. A lot of these CEF tunics are demob tunics and a lot of units had victory parades before disbandment - everyone turned out spic-an-span so I wouldn't be suprised if a combat starved waif tucked in his tunic to look less sack like. I am not certain about some of the 'expert' assertions about late war tunics in an absolute sense, good guidlines but I think it is hard be 100% adament about variations one sees then, there were several million of these floating around in 1918-19.

[dutchbarge]

I brought in no less an expert than my wife to examine the jacket. It is certain that the thread and stitch used to create the darts is different than those used elsewhere on the jacket excepting that the thread and stitch used on the darts is the same as that used on the standing collar. As this was originally a British made M1907 service dress jacket and is identified to a Canadian soldier, it seems likely that the darts and standing collar were added at the same time to lend a more Canadian aspect (similar to the tighter-fitting, standing collar'd Canadian M1903/13 seven-button service dress jacket). It is well documented that Canadian soldiers wore M1907 service dress jackets that had been modified from a stand/fall collar to a standing collar. The debate still goes on about whether or not this modification was officially sanctioned (or officially done at unit levels). What is interesting here is that this jacket had both the collar conversion and the darts done at the same time by the same tailor. Probably not a rare occurance, especially if a soldier was paying a tailor out of his own pocket, but an issue which I have not seen discussed before. Thanks to all the Forum members for their insights. Cheers, Bill

[dutchbarge]

I wouldn't be suprised if a combat starved waif tucked in his tunic to look less sack like. .

Having obtained the original owner's service records, I can state that he actually GAINED weight during his service having enlisted in 1917 at 135 lbs and being discharged in 1919 at 145! This was no doubt the result of the almost four months of hospitalization and convalescing he endured following a "GSW Rt. Ascilla Severe Flesh" (Gunshot wound to the right chest). Cheers, Bill

[dutchbarge]

Oops — I tuned in out of curiosity to find out what kind of weapon an 'armpit dart' was ...

Might also be a pub game gone horribly wrong. As in, "Don't throw while I'm still retrieving darts from the board". Cheers, Bill

[dutchbarge]

One often sees anomalous features on late-war jackets. I shouldn't worry about it. It looks to have been made that way and to be of wartime manufacture, which is all that really matters.

Agree, W, but I too often get bogged down in the details. Cheers, Bill

[dutchbarge]

A bit of unit tailoring to get a smart fit, rather than issue 'scruff order'.

G

Hello G, I think we're still waiting to see if these 'Canadian' modifications were officially authorized at any level or were simply done by individual soldiers (either during the war or at de-mobilization). In my day just about anyone who could afford to had their BDUs 'smartened up' by a bit of tailoring. I don't recall it being 'authorized' but it was certainly looked up with favor by the higher-ups. I don't think our motivations were any different than soldiers of the Great War. No one enjoys looking like a sad sack. Cheers, Bill