CWAC Service Dress Uniform – 1st Canadian Army

Very nice WW2 Canadian Women’s Army Corps (CWAC) service dress uniform. The jacket is in good used condition, fitted with its original makers label Sterling Cloak Co. Ltd. from Winnipeg, dated 1943 in size 6. C broad arrow stamped. Original wartime badged with 1st Canadian Army embroidered patches, CANADA embroidered shoulder titles, brown epaulets closed with a small helmeted Athena buttons with CWAC, three service years stripes and a Canadian Volunteer Service Medal (CVSM) ribbon. Nice collar badges and closing buttons with Althena and CWAC. The skirt is in the same good used condition as found together with the jacket, also fitted with makers label Sterling Cloak Co. Ltd. from Winnipeg, dated 1942 in size 6.

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.