Service dress tunic : Lieutenant H N Matthews, 2 Battalion AIF

Australian Army Other Ranks pattern khaki woollen service dress tunic. The stand and fall collar has oxidised brass Rising Sun general service badges and is fastened with a pair of brass hook and eye and a small plastic button. The tunic is secured by four large plastic buttons. The shoulder straps are secured by small light brown plastic buttons, and have oxidised brass curved voided 'AUSTRALIA' shoulder titles and two pips indicating rank of lieutenant. The pair of patch pockets on the breast are pleated and the bottom edge of their flaps is a three point scalloped. The lower pair of patch pockets are larger with expandable sides with the same scalloped flap. All of the buttons are made from light brown plastic. Sewn onto both sleeve shoulders is the horizontal rectangular purple over green colour patch of 2 Battalion AIF. The gathered cuffs are narrow. There is a 55mm wide pleat running down the centre of the back, gathering into the attached waistband. The tunic is not lined. A cotton patch pocket for a shell dressing has been sewn onto the inside of the right front panel at the bottom with '201 W^D B' is printed in black ink on the pocket. A deteriorating white paper label is stuck onto the inside of the tail of the tunic, with 'JACKETS S.D. AUSTRALIAN / SIZE NO.20', and 'Hart and Levy Limited, Leicester

This jacket was worn in France by Lieutenant Henry Nicholls Matthews, born 12 July 1894. He enlisted on 20 February 1916 with the 2nd Battalion as a Second Lieutenant, and was promoted to Lieutenant on 1 September 1916. He left Sydney on 19 December 1917, and attended the School of Instruction for Infantry officers at Candahar from 1 April to the 4 May 1918. He qualified with a 'v.good 89%'. After the training, Matthews travelled to France where he joined the 2nd Battalion in the Somme valley. The battalion was helping to stop the German offensive, and later moved to Amiens to participate in the Allies offensive on 8th August 1918. This advance was seen as the greatest successful day for the allies. Matthews returned to Australia on 30 April 1919.