Leather Jerkin : Bombardier J J Mooney, 2/1 Field Regiment

Sleeveless brown leather jerkin lined with khaki wool serge. The jerkin fastens down the front with four large brown plastic buttons, which fasten into leather bound buttonholes. The jerkin is constructed with a single back piece, a narrow yoke over each shoulder, and two front pieces. The bottom of the front edge is constructed in five unevenly shaped leather pieces to ensure left over leather pieces from the original cutting are utilised. A small triangular gusset is set into the bottom of each side seam for ease of fit. The bottoms of the armholes are reinforced with additional stitching and a double row of stay stitching across the side seam. There is a cotton manufacturer's label, printed in black, sewn to the inside right front. It reads, 'JERKIN No 2 LEATHER Size No 3 HEIGHT 5ft 11ins to 6ft 2ins Breast 40 to 46 ins (over jacket) MADE BY WAREINGS (NORTHAMPTON) LTD MARCH 1940'. The label is also marked in ink 'NX3348 J.J. MOONEY'.

Leather jerkin issued to NX3348 Bombardier James Joseph Mooney who served with 2/1 Field Regiment. The regiment operated in North Africa in support of 16 Australian Infantry Brigade. Officially called 'Jerkin No2., leather' but popularly known as 'Bardia jackets', the jerkins were issued to members of 16 and 17 Infantry Brigades on 1 January 1941 as protection against cold and barbed wire, and were worn during the successful attack on Bardia between 3 and 5 January 1941. Most jerkins were later discarded because of their weight or were lost in the subsequent fighting in Greece. James Mooney was born in Sydney on 9 March 1913 and enlisted in the AIF on 27 October 1939 soon after the outbreak of the Second World War. He was discharged on 9 August 1945.