Queen’s Own Rifles – Battle dress tunic 1944

Original WWII Queen’s Own Rifles of Canada (QOR) battle dress tunic, preserved in its untouched condition with all insignia authentically applied. The collar has been stylishly opened up, a modification commonly made to a soldier’s best battle dress. Notably, the collar is uniquely tailored with black material, in keeping with the regiment’s tradition. The tunic is maker-marked by S&G Clothing Co Ltd, dated 1944, and is a size 9. It shows normal signs of wear, consistent with its age and use. Included with the tunic is the original red lanyard, a distinctive feature of the QOR. This tunic was worn by a Sergeant. All embroidered insignia. Below the 3rd Canadian Infantry Division patches are the Canadian Army Occupation Force (CAOF) bars, which were worn in Germany after the war. Last picture is another example with this nice black cloth collar, part of the QOR museum in Toronto.

This tunic is from a rare and highly sought-after unit.

Queen’s Own Rifles of Canada during WW2.
The Queen’s Own was mobilized for the Second World War on May 24th, 1940. The Regiment’s first assignment was the defence of Newfoundland and New Brunswick. Eventally, the Regiment was posted to England, in July 1941, as a part of the 8th Canadian Infantry Brigade of the 3rd Canadian Division. The Queen’s Own first action, was in the leading wave of the D-Day invasion. The Regiment landed on Bernieres-sur-Mer at 08:12hrs, on the 6th of June 1944. The fighting took them through Normandy and into Northern France. The Regiment fought their way north into Belgium, freeing the crutial channel ports.

The Regiment entered the Netherlands, in early October of 1944. The impossible terrain of the Netherlands made fighting costly and difficult. In February the Rifles finally crossed the border into Germany, pushing toward the Hochwald. The Queen’s Own Rifles last action of the war was on May 4 when C Company attacked cross roads just east of Ostersander, Germany. It was taken in the afternoon then the order came through not to fire on the enemy unless fired upon. The official Cease Fire came on May 5, 1945. The battalion paraded to a church at Mitte Grossefehn and Major H.E. Dalton, the acting Commanding Officer, addressed the Regiment. During the war 393 Queen’s Own were killed in action and a further 873 were wounded, many two or three times.