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Unknown maker
WWI Service Dress Jacket and Spurs WWI Service Dress Jacket and Spurs
Around 1915 Around 1915

This military jacket was worn by Harold Samuel McCartney (1899-1950), a Kingston resident who, at the age of 18 (in 1916), enlisted in the Canadian Overseas Expeditionary Forces and fought in the First World War with the Royal Canadian Horse Artillery. McCartney served in France and returned home to Canada in 1919. He graduated from Queen’s University Faculty of Medicine in 1927. It is an excellent example of the British-pattern service dress uniform. The service dress jacket was standard issue to all British Empire troops during the First World War. It was therefore likely worn by McCartney while on active duty in France. The British pattern can be distinguished from the Canadian pattern, originally created in 1903 and issued to Canadian troops upon the outbreak of war in 1914. However, it was soon realized that the Canadian uniforms were of poor quality. By early 1915, the Canadian issue was slowly replaced with the British pattern, as seen here. It was characterized by a stand and fall collar, five button front, two breast pockets, box pleated, with straight cut flaps secured by buttons, two hip pockets with flaps and buttons and plain cuffs.

Unknown maker
WWI Service Dress Jacket and Spurs WWI Service Dress Jacket and Spurs
Around 1915 Around 1915
wool, brass, cord, cotton; steel, iron, leather wool, brass, cord, cotton; steel, iron, leather
approximately 75.0 x 44.0 cm (length by width)
Gift of George Dillon, 2021 Gift of George Dillon, 2021
C21-001a-c

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