'Ike' style jacket : Officer Cornelius de Bakker, United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration

US Army officers privately made, olive drab wool elastique 'Ike' style jacket. Finishing at the waist, it is made from a cut down and modified service dress coat. The jacket has an open notched collar, shoulder straps secured by olive green plastic buttons (one button missing), and pleated patch breast pockets with triple pointed flaps which have been sewn into place and do not open.

The jacket fastens down the front with three large olive green plastic buttons concealed by an improvised placket. The waistband closure extends from the centre front to proper right and is secured by two hooks and eyes. Curved red felt shoulder titles with 'U.N.R.R.A.' embroidered in white, are sewn to the head of each sleeve. The jacket is lined throughout with olive green artificial silk. A brown embroidered manufacturer's label is sewn to the outside of the inset pocket in the left front lining. It shows and eagle above a crossed sword and key and 'Custom Tailored FRANKFURT-MAIN'.

Associated with the service of Mr Cornelius de Bakker. De Bakker was born in the Netherlands in 1910 and served with the Dutch Underground Movement in active resistance against the German forces during the Second World War. Wanted by the Gestapo, de Bakker helped to store and distribute weapons and ammunition needed by the resistance movement and sabotaged efforts by the Germans to transport Dutch citizens into forced labour camps. Assisted by his wife, de Bakker also hid refugees and noted enemies of the Nazi regime - downed Allied airmen and Jewish families. The latter resulting in the de Bakkers permanently adopting two children, orphaned by the war.

In 1944 de Bakker joined the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Association (UNRRA), an agency set up in 1943 to help rehabilitate the many thousands of people displaced by the war and to provide relief to areas liberated from Axis powers. Although the United Nations was not founded until 1945, the term 'United Nations' had been in use since 1942 to refer to the Allied countries of the Second World War. De Bakker worked in conjunction with the United States Army rendering aid to the displaced. In total UNRRA helped almost 8 million refugees and operated displaced persons camps in Europe until 1947, and in Asia until 1949.

In 1951 de Bakker immigrated to Australia. He was presented with the Resistance Commemorative Cross on 1 July 1982 by the Netherlands Consul 'for service to the Kingdom of The Netherlands in the resistance of the Peoples of The Netherlands against the occupying forces during World War II'.