Officer's winter undress trousers : Lieutenant Commander S L Browne, RANVR

Pair of officer's winter undress trousers in wool superfine. The trousers have two pleats on the front waistband on either side of the five button fly and an inset pocket in each side seam. Six black plastic buttons are set around the outside waist for the attachment of braces. The upper waist is lined with white cotton with an additional strip of black cotton beneath it. The pocket bags are made from white cotton.

Associated with the service of Lieutenant Commander Stewart Linton Browne, Royal Australian Naval Volunteer Reserve (RANVR). Browne was born in Toowoomba, Queensland in 1906 and enlisted in the RAN in February 1941 as part of the yachtsmen scheme. Commissioned as a sub-lieutenant, he undertook training in Brisbane and at HMAS Cerberus in Victoria before being promoted to lieutenant in August 1941. In November he transferred to England for further training and specialised in the use of landing craft in combined operations. Browne was mentioned in despatches for 'bravery, endurance and devotion to duty in North Africa' for the part he played in the landings in Operation Torch in November 1942. He received a further mention in 1944 for his work as a landing craft flotilla officer at the Normandy landings 'for gallantry, skill, determination and devotion to duty'. In September 1944 Browne was promoted to acting lieutenant commander. Early in 1945 he returned to HMAS Moreton in Brisbane where he was staff officer in charge of coastal craft. While he was in Brisbane Browne met RAN Nursing Service Sister Teifi Mary Nesta Jones. Both were demobilised from the Navy in July 1946. They married the following November.