Norfolk jacket : Miss G Pavitt, Australian Women's Legion

Unlined khaki cotton drill Norfolk jacket with shoulder straps, pleated breast pockets with single point flaps, and a self fabric belt with a leather covered buckle. There are lightweight cotton covered shoulder pads inside the jacket. The jacket fastens down the front with three moulded leather buttons. Similar buttons secure the pocket flaps and shoulder straps. There is a red embroiderd cotton 'AWL' title sewn on each shoulder strap. The upper sleeves bear a curved red felt title embroidered in white '1ST V. DIV.' [1st Victorian Division] within a blue border. Beneath them are circular red felt patches with an inner circle of blue bearing a red letter 'T' [Transport]. In addition the right sleeve bears three woven cotton sergeant's chevrons, and the lower left sleeve a triangular purple wool flannel patch bearing red felt letters 'ARP'. There is an unidentified medal ribbon sewn above the left pocket, possibly from the United States. It is red with four narrow central stripes of yellow, green, white and blue.

Worn by Miss Gladys Pavitt during her service as transport driver and air raid precautions officer with the 1st Victorian Division of the Australian Women's Legion (AWL) in Melbourne. The AWL was a patriotic voluntary organisation committed to raising funds for the war effort and giving practical support to military personnel within Australia. Its members trained in a wide variety of skills, including as transport drivers, in first aid, air raid precautions and signalling. Note that although this jacket has no manufacturer's label it is identical in appearance and construction method to a similar jacket supplied new to the War Memorial in 1946 by Myers Emporium, as a type example of the AWL uniform they had supplied in Melbourne during the Second World War.