Officers maternity style jacket : Captain P G Taylor, Royal Flying Corps

Royal Flying Corps private purchase khaki woollen maternity-style jacket bearing the rank insignia of a captain. The overlapped front panel of the jacket is secured on the right side by a series of five concealed plastic buttons underneath the front flap, and three press studs under the right hand shoulder strap. There are also two sets of brass hooks and eyes at the collar. Markings and holes visible on the underside of the collar show where RFC collar badges were originally fitted. The jacket has a single vent at the rear, and is lined with a brown polished cotton fabric, the sleeves being lined with a blue striped white cotton fabric. It has one internal and two external pockets, the external pockets being let into each of the front panels of the jacket at the waist, and having plain flaps. The internal pocket is formed by a slit between the lining and the external fabric within the front panel of the jacket, and has a white cotton makers label sewn inside it. The label reads 'TETLEY & BUTLER 21 SACKVILLE. ST. PICCADILLY. W.' and is also marked in black ink 'P. G. Taylor Esq. Aug 7. 1916'. Sewn into the fabric at the waist are a pair of brass belt loops. The shoulder straps have oxidised brass pips attached to them, indicating the rank of captain. A pair of cotton embroidered RFC pilot's wings are sewn on the (wearer's) left breast, above the silk medal ribbons of the Military Cross, British War Medal 1914-1920 and the Victory Medal.

'Maternity' style jacket worn by Captain Patrick Gordon ('Bill') Taylor, an Australian who served as a pilot in the Royal Flying Corps (RFC). In 1915 he was appointed temporary lieutenant in 26 Battalion CMF, replacing a lieutenant who had joined the AIF. Keen to be on active service too, but rejected by the AIF, he travelled to England at his own expense to join the RFC. Commissioned with the rank of lieutenant on 12 August 1916, he was posted to 66 Squadron, which was equipped with Sopwith Pup scouts, and was awarded the Military Cross in July 1917. He was later promoted to captain and saw service with 94 and 88 Squadrons. He returned to Australia in 1919.