Service dress tunic : Sergeant F H Suthern, 5 Division Field Artillery, AIF

Other rank's pattern private purchase khaki wool gabardine service dress tunic with pleated breast pockets with pointed flaps. There are two large expanding pockets on each side of the front skirt, also with pointed flaps. The jacket has a back yoke. A box pleat extends from the yoke down the length of the centre back. There are further loose pleats at the back, held in place by the self fabric belt which is sewn in place around the waist. The loose ends of the belt are secured by a brass buckle slide. There are brass 'AUSTRALIA' shoulder titles on each shoulder strap and brass 'Rising Sun' collar badges. The front of the jacket, shoulder straps, cuffs and pocket flaps are secured by brown leather buttons pressed to resemble plaited leather. Both upper sleeves bear red and blue colour patches for 5 Division Field Artillery. They are attached to khaki backing cloth and were probably removed from an earlier uniform worn by Suthern. The right sleeve bears woven rank chevrons for sergeant, also removed from a previous uniform, surmounted by a copper field gun badge. Above the right sleeve cuff are four blue embroidered overseas service chevrons. The body of the jacket and the belt are lined with dark green polished cotton, and the sleeves with white cotton with blue pin stripes. The pocket flaps are also lined and the tops of each pocket bound with khaki cotton tape.

This jacket was worn by 2106 Driver Farquhar Henry Suthern, from Berridale, NSW, who enlisted on 5 September 1915 and served with 6 Light Horse Regiment and 113 Howitzer Battery AIF. He was awarded the Military Medal for action while serving with latter unit at Westhoek, Belgium, on 29 October 1917. The jacket, which is a privately made, better quality version of the standard soldier's service dress jacket (which was issued unlined) was probably made after the end of the war in 1918 while Suthern was waiting to return to Australia. During this period he visited relatives in Ireland and married there. A wedding photograph in the collection (P03300.001) shows him wearing this jacket. He returned to Australia after June 1919.