Hansons Auctioneers and Valuers
Lot 102
A superb and scarce, WW1 Lieutenant’s tunic, matched trousers, Cap, Sam Brown belt, boots, and other associated equipment, as worn by Lieutenant, later Acting Major, and finally Major William Munro Jennings (1885-1970) of the Royal Engineers. Both the tunic and matched trousers have tailors labels for Abbott & Baldwin of 19 Wicklow Street, Dublin. Both pieces are also dated 2/2/15 and named to 1st Lieut W.M.Jennings. The full set includes: A khaki wool tunic, with embroidered rank stars to each cuff (which after mid 1916 it became increasingly more common to have rank epaulettes). The tunic is complete with its original brass Royal Engineer buttons to the front, pockets, and epaulette area, and a matched pair of officer’s bronze R.E collar badges. The matched khaki wool trousers are complete with horn buttons to the fly, and to the waistband area for the attachment of braces. The tailors label is stitched in at the seam on the back panel. Another pair of trouser is also included, with these being a lightweight cotton material, with French made metal buttons. The lightweight trousers are seemingly devoid of any official stamped marks, with the only visible details being a faint handwritten number ‘1333’. The cap is of lightweight khaki fabric, with thin brown leather chinstrap, attached to the sides by means of 2 small General Service buttons. Tailor’s name of John Morgan & Sons, Cowes stamped into the leather sweatband. The Royal Engineers cap badge currently (loosely) fitted is incorrect for this type of cap, or rank. The example currently used on the hat is a brass other ranks economy pattern, whereas it should be an officer’s bronze example, and there are 2 small holes to the front where one has been previously fitted - a replacement original bronze cap badge should not be difficult to obtain to properly complete the cap. The leather Sam Browne belt is complete with its cross strap, pouch, Webley revolver holster, and even the cord lanyard for the Webley. The riding boots are of dark brown leather, with 3 strap and buckle attachments to the front, and 14 eyelets to each for threading laces through. A WW1 or possibly earlier pattern private purchase water bottle is also included, with the piece having a rounded front, and flat back, and and bayonet fitting cap (lid now absent). Partial leather carry strap is still fitted to the outside of the bottle. Notes: William Munro Jennings was born in 1885 in South Shields, Durham, the son of another William Munro Jennings (1859-1915), a General Practitioner. William attestation date is unknown, but his medal index card states that he disembarked for service in the Gallipoli peninsular on May 21st 1915, which would fit in well with the dates on his uniform. He is entitled to the 1915 Star trio, with his rank rising from Lieutenant up to Major by the end of the conflict. He married Olive May Young in 1915 (with the marriage certificate noting his profession as ‘Lieutenant Royal Engineers’), and went on to have a son, another William Munro Jennings in 1916. He would appear to have been discharged on May 18th 2021, with the medals being sent to his home address on Grange Road, Brook Lane, Chester. At the time of his son’s marriage in 1950, William was noted as being a Civil Engineer. Condition: generally very good. The tunic has survived well, with only a small moth hole to the bottom of one of the pockets. Complete with all its buttons and collar badges. Some very minor age and service related soiling to the tunic, and what appears to be some water staining to the lightweight pair of trousers. Minor wear to the cap, which is also a little out of round. There are splits to the reverse of the boots along the stitched seam, and they would appear to have been heavily waxed in the past, giving them a slightly tacky feel to the surface of the leather.