Our Price: sold

A very good example of this scarce interwar royal air force officers busby. The skull is of black chromed leather, trimmed with dyed rabbit fur. To the front a gold and blue plaited lace cord. The busby bears a silver and gilt Royal Air Force Crest and retains a plume of dyed ostrich feathers. Quilted bronze colour silk lining with brown leather sweatband and black patent leather chin strap. The lining complete with tailor’s label Burberrys with a charging knight. This is a truly fine example of an interwar royal air force officers busby circa 1921-1939.

Royal Air Force Full Dress Uniform: In April 1920 Air Ministry Weekly Order 332 detailed a full dress uniform. It consisted of a single-breasted jacket in blue-grey with a stand-up collar. Rank was indicated in gold braid on the lower sleeve and white gloves were worn. Initially the full dress uniform was worn with the service dress cap. However, in 1921 a new form of head-dress was introduced. It was designed to resemble the original flying helmet and it consisted of a leather skull cap trimmed with black rabbit fur. The helmet also featured an ostrich feather plume which was connected at an RAF badge. This helmet was never popular and junior officers were eventually permitted to wear the service dress hat on full dress occasions. Group Captain HRH the Duke of York (later King George VI) wore RAF full dress at his wedding to Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon in 1923. The Duke wore or carried the full dress headgear rather than the service dress cap. The wearing of the full dress uniform was suspended just prior to the outbreak of World War II. Although the uniform was occasionally worn by air officers as late as the 1950s, its use was never officially re-instated. interwar royal air force officers busby.

Near mint condition. Complete with original leather chin strap.

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