British mess dress ??????

[matthewtanner]

hello all got this Red British Army Mess Dress Jacket. Royal Engineers badge on the shoulders I think and a patch with wings and a parachute with APJI ????It appears his name and rank is on the tag it say's 2 LIEUT S. ABBOTT I know very little about mess dress and was wondering if anyone knew anything about this jacket ??
thanks matty .

[Jerry B]

Hi Matthew, can you show some closer pics of the buttons and badges?

[matthewtanner]

No worries jerry

[Jerry B]

The wings are the mess dress version of the Army Parachute Jumping instructors Assistant qualification wings, still used so hard to date them. I assume it is post WWII 50's-80's at a guess. The buttons might date it a bit closer if you can show one of them. Obviously it is missing a single pip from each SB for a 2nd LT. The dagger patch is Army commando I think so Army Commando combat engineers such as 24 Commando Regiment Royal Engineers.

[BobS]

This jacket still has a sergeant's rank insignia on the sleeve, and it appear's to be an nco's mess dress jacket, not an officer's. If the owner was commissioned as a 2nd lieut., I would think he would purchase officer's mess dress.

BobS

[matthewtanner]

well that is confusing then bob I'm only going by what the tag say's I know almost nothing about mess attire . do you know any good reference sites online ?

[matthewtanner]

well jerry that would explain why the single pip would be missing too then I suppose ?

[Tango]

I'm with Bob on this one..!!& if he was commissioned you normally jump to Captain. "not all the time though"..& I couldn't see it being much good having a platoon/troop commander being a para instructor..he is busy doing other things? "like learning to read a map wrong!!!"lol.So I would have a guess it belongs to the SNCO not officer..& Jerry is spot on with the commando info he has passed all arms commando course at some point.. & completed some sort of para training..whether it be P company or the basic para course I wouldn't know!!!. Nice jacket though.. Cheers Terry.

[Jerry B]

well jerry that would explain why the single pip would be missing too then I suppose ?

Indeed, I was so concentrating on the other insignia that I never noticed the SGT stripes, DOH. Maybe you have misread the label? Any chance of a pic of a button.

[matthewtanner]

thanks for the info terry