Seven Button Tunic

The appropriate tunic for both the Oliver Pattern and the 1915 Pattern is the Canadian seven button tunic. This tunic, used in WWI, came into effect in its design as the Service Dress of 1903, just as the British were introducing their five button tunic. Frequently, however, the Canadian tunic was changed to the British five button when the soldiers arrived in England.

This photo shows my Canadian grandfather, Alexander Grant MacLachlan, in 1915 at the time he enlisted. Since he ended up fighting with Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry he quickly gave this tunic up for the five button, the tunic they wore as a fighting unit from the start of the war. (See blog "beginnings" photo too.) 

Here's my English grandfather, Charles Herbert Soper, in the British Army before going to Mesopotamia. Five buttons right away, and a turn down collar.

I went to Ottawa to research the collection at the Canadian War Museum. My thanks go to the Museum for its willingness to help me in this endeavour. I was researching for What Price Glory with the intention of enabling a reproduction to be made which drew on the similarities to the five button tunic, a tunic of theirs already available. 

At the Museum I saw nine tunics, each sufficiently different from another that I can only say the one thing they had in common was seven buttons, and the stand-up collar. (Unfortunately I am not allowed to show any of the pictures I took.) I narrowed my study to five, and from these five settled on the predominant commonalities as the essential "seven button tunic".

I then took a What Price Glory five button tunic and altered one side of it as a comparison of styles. This was sent to Pakistan where they are made. Subsequently I've received the first prototype to which I've added my Canadian buttons and improved the collar.

The following pictures show the result of my research. This should not be seen as a pure reproduction because I was not able to make true patterns of each cloth panel. Nor has the interior been faithfully reproduced. There are, however, some construction details that have been changed properly even though they don't change the overall appearance. A purist may be dismayed by the compromises. On the other hand a purist could have fun re-tailoring the tunic, just as they did in the trenches, for a smarter, better fitting look.

This picture shows the seven button front. All the buttons on the tunic are the same size, namely 5/8" across. The pocket flap has a slight scallop to it whereas the five button is a straight rectangle. The top of the pocket lines up just below the second button. The bottom lines up with the fifth. This is not a hard and fast rule but a general guide.

Notice also the placement of the pleats above the pocket flap. I settled on this, but some tunics had only one per side. The stitch line that sweeps across them is to hold the button hole reinforcement piece and extends right into the collar at the shoulder. On the five button tunic it is straighter and comes in sooner. I bring this up because the stitch lines don't try to hide themselves. This is, after all, a working man's jacket. Lastly, most seven button tunics don't have rifle patches at the shoulder, while most five button tunics do. The lower pocket flap is buttonless.

The sleeves of the originals had a bit more curve worked into them than the roomier five button tunic. They could also be tight in the armpits. In general the seven button tunic was a finer cut, though even then it was intended to have room for a sweater. In-trench tailoring often smartened up the appearance even more, to the sorrow of the soldier who could no longer fit a sweater come winter. Other alterations, such as the shortening of long sleeves, might be poorly carried out to the detriment of the fixed cuff. Some cuffs I saw were oddly truncated. The one below is as it should be.

The sleeves of the originals were lined with white cotton. Other lining and reinforcing elements tended to be done in a tan to green cotton cloth. That being said I have also seen white linen used, especially in an extra inside left breast pocket.

The next photo shows simple epaulettes. They have a slight taper to the button where they are rounded. The opposite wider end is sewn into the sleeve. Pre-war variations are not considered here.

The stand-up collar is also a particular feature of the seven button tunic. It comes in tight to the neck and is held stiff by a canvas lining piece sandwiched between the two layers of serge. It is held closed by two large hooks and eyes. Here again you can see the pleats and the prominent stitch line.

These tunics are soon to be on sale at What Price Glory. If interested keep checking at the link below.

         http://onlinemilitaria.net/shopaff.asp?affid=1497

The only concession to comfort on the originals seemed to be a piece of soft leather sewn as a tongue to cross over the hooks. One must still contend with the lugs of the collar dogs.

The pattern detail below is to help any one struggling with their own reproduction collar. This is the exact shape required to come in square and true at the throat. Make extra allowance for hems, of course. For this I must thank the PWOR Museum in Kingston which allowed me to handle things for tiny details.

As a last detail I include the badges and buttons. The buttons are standard but the maple leaf collar dogs can be quite varied. I don't know how to date them. The buttons I've used are likely WWII buttons.

The shoulder titles evolved from the open word "CANADA" at the outbreak of the war to the closed imprint up to1918. These later shoulder titles are easy to date because they have the date and maker's name stamped on the back.

The tunic back was made in three panels, as were the five button tunics. Significant tailoring can be done here. I had to pull five inches in by relieving the seam from the bottom right to beyond the start of curve and by drawing in 2 1/2" on each side. I've seen pleats put in under the armpit area too. The small tail flap can be seen in the second photograph.