Old Style Army Uniform, Owner Died without Relatives

[Deleted User]

I apologise if this post is not in the right place.

We've taken over a boat that was in a bad way after being abandoned for five years. It was abandoned because the gentleman who owned it died. He had no relatives and was well known amongst the other boat club people (its quite a dilapidated boat club, don't think of anything flash lol). Everyone says what a wonderful gentleman he was.

We are trying to renovate this boat and came across what I believe to be an 'old style' uniform made by H Edgard & Sons Limited. It has button up flies, same buttons etc.

I have absolutely no idea how old this uniform is or what to do with it. It is in good condition generally but needs cleaning due to sitting on the boat for five years plus.

I want to honour this gentleman even if I didn't know him.., any ideas as to what I can do with this uniform? Are they ten a penny? Should/can I donate it or would everyone laugh in my face?

I'd love to find out a bit more about this uniform. There are some numbers on the label but don't know if this would enable me to find out how old it is. It sounds like this gentleman did a lot with his life, but well, died alone. So I would like to show some respect for this one item that is in good enough condition to do something with.

I hope this doesn't sound silly.

Ms_Chocaholic

My first thought would be a museum but it would be helpful if you knew what Regiment/Unit the uniform belonged to.

Could you take a photo of the badges etc and post on the UK Armed Forces Board, maybe someone there could help.

Contains_Mild_Peril

deannatrois wrote: »

I want to honour this gentleman even if I didn't know him.., any ideas as to what I can do with this uniform? Are they ten a penny? Should/can I donate it or would everyone laugh in my face?

I'd love to find out a bit more about this uniform. There are some numbers on the label but don't know if this would enable me to find out how old it is. It sounds like this gentleman did a lot with his life, but well, died alone. So I would like to show some respect for this one item that is in good enough condition to do something with.

I hope this doesn't sound silly.

Not at all - your attitude is admirable. A lot of people would just discard dead people's stuff without a thought to its history but I find that really sad: it's great that you want to find a home for his uniform. It might be worth looking on eBay to see if anyone is selling anything similar, and if so see the item description which might include more information.

Errata

Lovely thought. This is the firm that churned out uniforms by the million http://www.whitehavennews.co.uk/home/life-on-the-shopfloor-at-edgards-factory-1.285797#
Without more details, badges / insignia - it's impossible to say how its origin could be tracked down. It's even possible the old gent was given it by someone else to wear at a fancy dress party.
You could try popping into your local museum with it. The vast majority of bog standard WW2 or NS squaddies uniforms were worn to rags afterwards in civvie street, so interestingly vanishingly few of them have survived in good condition. The museum may even be interested in having it for their collection.

sillyvixen

several years ago, my mum was given a load of books from the family of a neighbor who had died, they were given for an upcoming jumble sale at church. one of the books was writen by a member of the army regiment the niegbour had served in with wartime accounts and photo's from the time. at the time of publication they had a reunion and books were given out and signed by remaining members the regiment. my parents found the book and kept it to one side. quite by chance mum was having a conversation with a family friend who was talking about a funeral she had played the organ for and a story that sounded like one in the book, after checking, the deceased was certainly in the regiment and had signed the book, although the family had not found a copy clearing the house. and we were able to pass the book onto a gobsmaked family - who were amazed as they found info they never knew about their relative.