A fantastic original 1945 dated British Army 1940 Pattern (Austerity) Battledress Blouse which belonged to 3454368 Trooper Stanley Armstrong who fought during the Second World War with the 14/20th King’s Hussars (Royal Armoured Corps). 

Trooper Armstrong was from Carlise and served as a driver with the 14/20th King’s Hussars, winning the Military Medal at the battle of Medicia on the 16th of April 1945. The regiment spent most of the war in either India, Iraq or Pursia before going to Italy in late 1944.

Medicia was a strategic objective roughly 10 miles from Bologna which the 14/20th King’s Hussars, alongside men of the 2/6th Gurkha Rifles, were tasked with taking.

Armstrong was driving Major ‘Bodge’ Browne, MC’s Sherman tank which led the assault. They knocked out 2 German 88mm guns before being hit by a rocket (most likely a panzerschreck or panzerfaust) which resulted in the death of the gunner, Trooper Burt, and wounded both Major Browne and his wireless operator Sergeant Evans.

At this point Trooper Armstrong leapt out of the now disabled Sherman along with the other unhurt member of the crew, Trooper George McGregor. The two of them disabled the German’s which had knocked out their tank under heavy fire with just their side arms before returning to the tank to rescue Browne and Evans whilst still under heavy fire.

They then reported back to Squadron second-in-command. For this action both men were awarded the Military Medal although Trooper McGregor was very anti-royalist and sent his back to the King!

The King’s Royal Hussars museum has his medals and states ‘he never wore them. All are still in the packaging they arrived in, completely pristine’ which points to this jacket being Trooper Armstrong’s.

The jacket is a standard 1940 Pattern (Austerity) example which was made in 1945. The collar has been heavily retailored to an open face style with a long lapel which gives the jacket a notably ‘cavalry’ look. The waist belt has had extra buttons added and the buckle removed which is another interesting modification.

Brass 14th/20th King’s Hussars shoulder titles are fitted to the epaulettes and regimental collar badges are fitted to the collar.

53rd Welsh Division formation badges are fitted to each sleeve below which are Royal Armoured Corps arm of service stripes. The 14th/20th King’s Hussars moved to Germany in February 1946 when these badges would have been added to the jacket. There is also a yellow lanyard fitted to the left shoulder and a brass wound stripe is fitted towards the bottom of the left sleeve. The Military Medal ribbon is fitted above the left breast pocket. 

Inside the jacket the original label is present and is still bright and legible. It states the size of the jacket as 10 and the manufacturer’s name as  ‘The West Auckland Clothing Company Co Ltd’ below which is the 1945. There is also a purple ink issue stamp which has been added and reads ’30 May 1945′. As well as this there is a War Department acceptance stamp which is surmounted by the letter ‘Z’ which confirms 1945 as the year of issue.  

A fantastic original battledress with some brilliant Italian campaign history. 

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