Fall 2026 Militaria and Aviation Auction
Lot 261:
Description
WWII Royal Canadian Air Force Flying Officer Pilot’s Service Dress Tunic and Trousers, Named to F/O Ellingson, J.42876 – Fashion-Craft Makers, Montreal, with Embroidered Pilot’s Wings and CANADA Shoulder Titles. Offered here is a named World War II Royal Canadian Air Force Service Dress uniform, tunic and matching trousers, hand-inked inside the trouser pocket lining to a service number reading "J.42876" alongside the surname "Ellingson." The tunic retains its embroidered King’s Crown pilot’s flying badge, embroidered CANADA shoulder titles, RCAF-marked brass buttons bearing the crowned eagle, and a single Flying Officer rank stripe of braid on each cuff. No separate published biography for this officer has been located, and what is known of his service rests in the tailor’s own inked hand upon the lining. The RCAF’s blue-grey barathea Service Dress was cut directly from Royal Air Force patterns, a visible reminder of the close operational integration between the two air forces during the war, when Canadian aircrew trained under the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan and served alongside RAF squadrons in the UK and other theatres. The embroidered CANADA shoulder titles were adopted for overseas wear so that Canadian personnel serving within larger RAF formations could be readily distinguished, while the pilot’s brevet marked a qualification earned through completed flying training, a distinction achieved by only a portion of RCAF recruits. The named pocket lining offers a genuine starting point for tracing the individual airman who wore this uniform, though the specific squadron, posting, or operational record of F/O Ellingson has not been established from the material at hand. The four-pocket, single-breasted tunic displays its embroidered pilot’s wings above the left breast pocket, CANADA titles on each shoulder, and Flying Officer cuff braid; its buttons are struck with the King’s Crown, eagle, and "R.C.A.F." legend. The interior bears a woven "Fashion-Craft" Makers label and a full satin-finish lining. The matching trousers carry a lighter cotton pocket lining with the period ink inscription noting the service number and surname. The set presents in very good to excellent condition, with strong retained color to the wool barathea and no moth damage evident. The tunic’s satin lining shows expected age wrinkling and light seam stress; the trouser pocket lining shows toning consistent with age around the inscription. All insignia and buttons remain securely affixed and appear original to the garments.
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