Other Rank's breeches : Private Robert Samuel Tuckerman, 2nd Pioneer Battalion, AIF

Other Ranks khaki Bedford cord breeches. The breeches have a concealed five button fly (two lowest buttons have been replaced), and eleven buttons in pairs are spaced around the waistband for the fitting of braces. All the buttons are pressed brass. The pockets and fly are lined with khaki cotton drill, and the waist is lined with cream-coloured plain weave cotton. The bottom edge of both cuffs has been extended with a wide (115mm) band of khaki cotton drill and secured by two bone buttons. There is a slanted pocket on each side of the front waist. The inside legs are reinforced with brown suede. Stamped in black ink on the waistband is 'W broad arrow D', with O underneath and 131 above.

Born in Bendigo, Victoria Private Robert Samuel Tuckerman (service number 742), then a barman working in Melbourne, enlisted in the AIF in March 1915, and was posted to C Company, 24th Battalion. The uinit sialed from Melbourne on HMAT Euripides on the 8h May 1915. After training in Egypt the battalion landed at Gallipoli on 30 August. Tuckerman transferred to B Company, 2nd Pioneer Battalion in Egypt on 4 March 1916, moving with them to France for service on the Western Front. Tuckerman survied the war without a recorded injury and returned to Australia 30April 1919. He was discharged on 29 June.

These breeches would have been issued to Tuckerman to wear home to Australia.

Pioneer battalions supported both the engineers by performing tasks which did not required the specialist equipment of the engineers, such as trench building, maintenance of roads and railways. They were also able to support the infantry battalion by fighting in the front line when required.