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Case 3 – WW 1 Uniforms

Tour sequence: 4
Location: Display case in the group of three display cases in the Ante Room farthest from the foot of the stairs.
Case 3 – WW 1 Uniforms

Below are the records relating to the artifacts in this display. Tap/click to open the detailed description. For some displays we have Recommended particular artifacts. 

ImageTitle
Mess Tin Cover – for Marching Order 1916
Officer’s Serge Tunic – Major G. D. Leckie (M.I.D.)
Private 92nd Battalion Service Dress, Marching Order, 1916
Small Pack , Web, Marching Order 1916

Private, 92nd Battalion Service Dress (Marching Order, 1916)

This was standard service attire for a private in the 92nd Battalion (48th Highlanders), Canadian Expeditionary Force, during World War I. As “Marching Order,” it was designed for routine movement and daily duties—not for combat, but for getting around during training, transport, and deployments.

You’d see this uniform in use during the battalion’s staging and transit periods—boarding trains, ships, or conducting drills behind the front lines. It strikes a balance between functionality and regimental identity: likely a tunic made of Canadian service dress materials, with standard forage cap or glengarry, and basic web gear.

This is the uniform worn when men were expected to move en masse—marching to billets, assembling for orders, or performing administrative duties in theater. It was practical, durable, and recognizable, giving the battalion a uniform appearance without requiring full combat gear like greatcoats, steel helmets, or heavy packs.

Officer’s Serge Tunic – Major G. D. Leckie (M.I.D.)

This tunic belonged to Major G.D. Leckie, a decorated officer recognized with the “Mentioned in Despatches” distinction. It’s a serge tunic—an officer’s service dress that’s smarter, better cut, and richer in detail than the ordinary service dress of enlisted ranks.

Major Leckie would have worn this tunic during official duties: staff work, planning, leading parades, or when meeting higher command. It communicated his status and decorum while remaining practical for office or light field settings.

It wasn’t battlefield attire; expect it at headquarters, inspection lines, or when an officer needed to present himself professionally in front of peers and superiors.