CWAC Service Dress Jacket

WW2 Canadian Women’s Army Corps (C.W.A.C.) service dress jacket. The jacket is in good used condition, fitted with its original makers label Sterling Cloak Co. Ltd. from Winnipeg, dated 1945 in size 4. Original wartime badged with C.W.A.C. embroidered titles to both brown epaulets closed with a small helmeted Athena buttons with C.W.A.C., CANADA embroidered shoulder titles, Pacific Force patches and Sergeant rank chevrons. Nice collar badges and closing buttons with Althena and C.W.A.C.

The Canadian Women’s Army Corps (CWAC) was authorized on August 13, 1941, in response to a shortage of personnel caused by male involvement in the armed forces. The creation of the unit was the work of Mrs. Joan Kennedy, who faced opposition from conventional male military authorities. In 1941, the organization was named the Canadian Women’s Auxiliary Corps but was not officially part of the armed forces. On March 13, 1942, the women volunteers were officially integrated into the Canadian Army and became the Canadian Women’s Army Corps. They wore a regulation uniform and a cap badge consisting of three maple leaves and a collar badge representing the goddess Athena.

The CWACs served overseas, first in 1942 in Washington, D.C., and then in the United Kingdom. In 1944, CWAC’s also served in Italy and in 1945 in northwestern Europe. After victory in Europe, some served with the Canadian occupation forces in Germany. Approximately 3,000 Canadian volunteers enlisted to serve their country’s forces.