CIVILIAN OVERCOATS ISSUED IN LIEU OF GREATCOAT

[C.TIERNEY.]

Hello,

I'm re-reading Bryan Cooper's 'The Tenth (Irish) Division in Gallipoli' and on page 17 he writes that because of the shortage of greatcoats the War Office "cast aside convention and bought and issued large quantities of ready-made civilian overcoats of the type generally described as Gents' Fancy Cheviots"

I have looked on the net for a photo of these Gents' Fancy Cheviots but to no avail. I have come across old ads in American newspapers but no photos. By any chance would anybody out there be able to satisfy my curiosity?

Regards,

C.T.

[wainfleet]

I wonder if they were like this one on ebay? (Since we're not discussing its authenticity I presume I'm not breaking any rules by linking to it.)

[Andrew Upton]

because of the shortage of greatcoats the War Office "cast aside convention and bought and issued large quantities of ready-made civilian overcoats of the type generally described as Gents' Fancy Cheviots"

Possibly a different pattern, but the quoted statement would seem to back up the same suggestion made in this previous thread to explain the odd pattern of coat being worn:

http://1914-1918.invisionzone.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=189824&hl=greatcoat#entry1853197

[centurion]

Looking at adverts of the period Cheviot appears to refer to the material rather than the style and one could buy Cheviot shirts and jackets and even Cheviot socks. If you were a woman Cheviot skirts were also on offer.

[Martin Bennitt]

Looking at adverts of the period Cheviot appears to refer to the material rather than the style and one could buy Cheviot shirts and jackets and even Cheviot socks. If you were a woman Cheviot skirts were also on offer.

made of wool from Cheviot sheep?

cheers Martin B

[centurion]

Plenty of adverts for Fancy overcoats though - fancy meaning that the material had a pattern (like herring bone) A Winter fancy overcoat apparently had a fur collar. A Men's fancy coat seems to have cost $15 in the USA in 1914. So presumably a gents fancy cheviot meant a coat made of Cheviot wool with a pattern.

[C.TIERNEY.]

Thank you all for your contributions.

I broke my search down between 'Cheviot' and 'Fancy' so I have concluded that these overcoats were made of wool and that could be patterned as herringbone or a check tartan.

I hope that the person who signed off on the purchase order had them checked (no pun) out in advance.

So now I have a picture in my mind of possibly several thousand soldiers parading in SD with a 'Fancy' overcoat and still others not kitted out yet undergoing instruction while still in civvys.

It must have been a BSM's worst nightmare, parade markers marching out looking like smartly turned out lumberjacks.

Regards,

C.T.