Sheepskin vest : Flight Sergeant R J Eaton, RAAF

Sheepskin vest with wool to inside. All seams are reinforced with separate leather strips. A pair of cotton tapes for securing the vest across the wearer's body are attached to each front panel. The manufacturer's embroidered cotton tag is sewn to the proper left lower front panel.

Associated with the service of 430960 Flight Sergeant Robert James Eaton, RAAF, a surveyor's assistant born Holbrook, NSW on 30 January 1925, who enlisted on 23 April 1943. After initial training as a navigator in Australia, Eaton embarked from Sydney on 18 May 1944 for overseas service attached to the RAF, arriving in the United Kingdom on 28 June 1944. He converted to de Havilland Mosquitos with 1655 Mosquito Training Unit (1655 MTU), based at RAF Marham from 19 December 1944 until early January 1945, before transferring to 16 Operational Training Unit (16 OTU). Eaton was assigned to the Pathfinder Navigator Training Unit on 11 February 1945 but died on 2 March while testing new pattern Canadian oxygen equipment aboard a Canadian production Mosquito bomber Mk XX, serial KB206. The equipment failed, causing the pilot (80126 Flight Lieutenant Arthur Ian Albertson, aged 30, of Southern Rhodesia) to black out and the aircraft to crash in the vicinity of Cheddleton Heath, near Leak in Staffordshire. Eaton was aged 20 and engaged to be married at the time of the accident. He is buried at Cambridge City Cemetery.