Hi.
I apologize in advance to Mike if this violates forum policy in any way.
I have a 1944 dated batledress blouse and cotton shirt named to Lieutenant Colonel Eric Wylde Cormack. I don't collect uniforms, so I've decided to trade or sell it. There is plenty of information about Cormack available online, so I'm not going to bother with providing a lot of details. Briefly, he was wounded twice in the First World War and once in the Second. He commanded the 8th Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment of the Fourth Canadian Division in WWII. According to his biographical information (available online) he commanded the artillery element of the 4th Canadian Division at the end of the war, with the rank of Acting Brigadier. The Sherwood Park Alberta legion branch is named after him, also a hospital in Edmonton. He became a Member of the Order of Canada in 1981. (His wife, Doctor Barbara Cormack, was also a Member of the Order of Canada).
The blouse is wartime dated (1944), and was worn by Cormack until the early 50's, judging by the badging and medal entitlement. All of the badging is clearly old to the blouse. The blouse includes riband bars for:
M.B.E.
British War Medal 1914-1919
Victory Medal
1939-45 Star
France & Germany Star
Defence Medal
CVSM 7 Clasp
1939-45 War Medal
EIIR Coronation medal
Voluntary Decoration
Canadian Forces Decoration
Croix de Guerre (France, WWI)
Order of Orange Nassau (Netherlands. I have the text of his citation for this order).
This is Cormack's correct entitlement up to the early 1950's. He later received the Centennial Medal, the 1977 Jubilee Medal, and the Order of Canada (Member, 1981).
You can see a faint outline where the 4th Division patches once were. I would say that he wore this blouse late in the war and then later, in the early 50's, when he had various militia duties in western Canada. He played an important role in the restructuring of the reserve artillery in western Canada.
The Lt. Colonel's rank badging is King's Crown, so he probably didn't wear this much past 1953. Wound badges remain in place reflecting his wounds in both wars. The RCA badges are canvas, and wartime "Canada" titles remain in place on the shoulders.
The blouse is size 15 and was made by Devonshire Clothes of Toronto in September 1944 (clearly maker marked, dated, with C and Broad Arrow). The condition is excellent. The shirt was made by Horne Brothers Shirtmakers of London (England) and is the detachable collar type. It too is large, and has a couple of field repairs and a couple of small tears. His name is written under one of the inner flaps of the blouse, and the partial name "Corm" appears inside the shirt collar.
I will either sell this or trade it, although I prefer to trade. I don't mind mixing it up, partial trade and partial sale. I am looking for Canadian soldier's letters (mainly First World War but sometimes Second World War), or interesting documents, such as paybooks and service books, discharge papers, etc. Either C.E.F., Canadian Army, or R.C.A.F.
I don't want to send this blouse outside North America. I am located in southern Ontario, Canada.
Please e-mail me if you are interested in making a fair deal for this material. I don't have a price in mind, because I prefer to trade.
Thanks. Regards, Jim (
[email protected])