Royal Military College Tunic N.J.L. Field

**Steelhead10** · 09-19-2023, 10:08 AM

Hi all.

A few more items from my collection whilst it's miserable outside.

This is a Pre-WW2 Royal Military College Tunic for an officer cadet/under officer. This is made of a coarse wool much like an other ranks tunic. It has the medal ribbon for King George VI's Coronation and is named to an N.J.L. FIELD, I also have the greatcoat named to the same which were both bought from a Props/Costume Company in Kents liquidation sale. Norman John Lascelles Field O.B.E (who there's a few things online about, and I'll condense it as best as possible) was born 29th March 1917 who's dad was a Captain and frontline Doctor in the RAMC who was killed at Ypres in September 1917.

Field attended Sandhurst in 1935 where he was on duty for the processional route for the 1937 Coronation. From here he was comissioned into the 2nd Battalion Royal Fusilers as a Second Lieutenant where he took part in the action at Dunkirk.

When back in England Field was summoned to Coleshill House where he was asked to report as Captain and Intelligence Officer where he was informed he was to be going to "The Garth" Bilting, Kent where he took over as Commanding Officer of XII Observation Unit taking over from Peter Fleming.

In 1941 Field became a part of General Montgomery's staff as Major and atteneded Staff College in 1942, where he was then posted to HQ 1st Airborne Division as GSO2 in Tunisia and was involeved in the planning of operations for Sicily and Italy.

In 1943, being recalled from Italy, Field was to assist with the planning of Allied Airborne landings on D-Day where he was placed on secondment to HQ First Allied Airborne Army in September 1944. He was mentioned in despatches in March 1945.

Field was promoted to Temporary Lieutenant Colonel in 1945 and was attached to the staff of Lieutenant General Ridgeway for the Rhine Crossing before becoming the Chief of Staff to General Richard Gale. He was subsequently awarded the OBE in 1945 and the American Bronze Star in 1946 for his roles in North West Europe.

Somewhere in all this Field was present at the liberation of Copenhagen. Field left the army in 1948 after suffering a stroke in 1945 before a flight to Burma.

There's a short video interview with Field from 2008 where he recalls his experiences.

Hope you all enjoy a tunic from the start of this varied carer

**Steelhead10** · 09-19-2023, 07:15 PM

A few pictures of his Greatcoat too. I bought this at the same time as the tunic. This is dated 5.7.'37, which would have been around the time of Field's commission as a Second Lieutenant in the Royal Fusiliers. This has had a few repairs and there's some separation of the collar, likely from it's time in use by the prop/costumes company.