Fall 2026 Militaria and Aviation Auction
Lot 262:
Description
WWII RAFVR Warrant Officer Tunic, Observer Wing, M. RAF Volunteer Reserve Warrant Officer Service Dress Tunic with ‘O’ Observer Brevet, Four-Ribbon Bar, and Mentioned in Dispatches Oak Leaf, circa 1940-1945 Offered is an original Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve Service Dress tunic tailored for a Warrant Officer aircrew Observer, complete with brass ‘VR’ collar titles, an embroidered ‘O’ half-wing brevet, and an attached ribbon bar denoting overseas and home service alongside a Mentioned in Dispatches emblem. No named recipient or accompanying paperwork is present, and no separate published biography accompanies the tunic; however, the 39-45 ribbon shows a period Battle of Britain Rosette. The RAFVR formed the backbone of Bomber, Fighter, and Coastal Command aircrew during the Second World War, drawing in tens of thousands of civilian volunteers trained as pilots, navigators, bomb aimers, and wireless operators. The gold-thread ‘O’ half-wing worn on the left breast identifies its wearer as a qualified Observer – the pre-1942 aircrew designation that combined navigation and bomb-aiming duties before the RAF split these into distinct trades. As a Warrant Officer, the highest attainable non-commissioned rank, he would have carried considerable operational experience, underscored by the small bronze oak leaf emblem affixed to the final ribbon of his bar, denoting a Mentioned in Despatches – official recognition for gallant or meritorious service noted in the London Gazette, though the specific citation has not been traced in the accompanying research. The tunic is constructed in standard RAF blue-grey wool serge, with notched lapels, four bellows-style pleated patch pockets with shaped flaps, and gilt brass RAF-pattern buttons bearing the eagle motif in low relief. Brass ‘VR’ collar badges are mounted to each lapel point. The embroidered Royal Arms (King’s crown coat of arms, with the
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