Original British WWII No.2: Service Dress Uniform Jacket and Peaked Visor with Research of Lieutenant-General Sir Noel Beresford-Peirse KBE, CB, DSO Original Items

Original Item: Only One Available. This is a wonderful uniform jacket and visor attributed to Lieutenant-General Sir Noel Monson de la Poer Beresford-Peirse. Lt.Gen. Sir Noel Monson de la Poer Beresford-Peirse was born on 22 December 1887. He was the son of Lt.Col. William John de la Poer Beresford-Peirse and Mary Chambers. He married, firstly, Hazel Marjorie Cochrane, daughter of J. A. Cochrane, in 1912. He and Hazel Marjorie Cochrane were divorced in 1925. He married, secondly, Jean Jameson, daughter of Surg.Capt. Robert Dundonald Jameson, on 22 December 1925. He married, thirdly, Katherine Camilla Colvin, daughter of Colonel James Morris Colquhoun Colvin, V.C., on 27 July 1929. He died on 14 January 1953 at age 65, without issue.

He was educated at Wellington College, Berkshire, England and the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich, Kent, England. He fought in the First World War, where he was mentioned in despatches, and served in Mesopotamia, France and Belgium. He was awarded the Distinguished Service Order (D.S.O.) in 1918. He was Instructor between 1937 and 1938 at the Senior Officer’s School, Belgium. He was Brigadier of the Royal Artillery, Southern India Command between 1938 and 1939. He held the office of Aide-de-Camp to HM King George VI between 1939 and 1940.1 He was Brigadier of the Royal Artillery General Headquarters, Middle East in 1940.1 He was Major-General of the 4th Indian Division between 1940 and 1941. He was General Officer Commanding of the Sudan in 1941 and was Commander of the Western Desert Force in 1941. He was appointed Knight Commander, Order of the British Empire (K.B.E.) in 1941.1 He was Lieutenant-General of the 15th Indian Corps in 1942 and was General Officer Commanding-in-Charge of the Southern Army India between 1942 and 1945. He was appointed Companion, Order of the Bath (C.B.) in 1943 and later was Welfare-General of the India Command between 1945 and 1946. Needless to say, he had a long illustrious career!

The uniform jacket is a No.2: Service dress (temperate parade uniform) and is offered in wonderful condition with its peaked visor. Originally issued as a field uniform, this uniform is worn for most formal duties by all units. No.2 dress consists, for most corps and regiments, of a khaki jacket, shirt and tie with trousers or a skirt. Coloured trousers are worn by some units: crimson by the King’s Royal Hussars, dark green by the Royal Irish Regiment and Royal Dragoon Guards. This uniform only has the jacket and cap.

The jacket features 13 ribbons in worn/faded condition but the colors are still easily discernible making identification a breeze. The shoulder devices consist of the Crown with Crossed sword and baton, indicating the rank of Lieutenant-General with General Officer lapel devices. The shoulder sleeve insignia on both sides is a square with red over black and a bullion star in the center. This insignia is for the India Command, a command he was a part of in 1938/39 and 1945/46. The jacket and visor do show signs of use and wear but is presented without any extensive damage, and is quite a lovely display piece.

A great uniform that comes more than ready for further research and display.

Beresford-Peirse was commissioned into the Royal Artillery in 1907. He served in the First World War in, briefly, Egypt in 1914 then Mesopotamia back to Egypt and finally France and Belgium. He was Mentioned in Dispatches and awarded the Distinguished Service Order in 1918. After the First World War and after attendance at the Staff College, Camberley from 1924 to 1925, until 1929, he performed a number of roles in the Royal Artillery in France and Britain. There were then staff and administrative posts in the UK until 1935. In 1937, Beresford-Peirse was posted to India for “special duties” and subsequently he served two years as an instructor at the Senior Officers’ School, Belgaum in India. He was Brigadier in the Royal Artillery, Southern India Command during 1939 and 1940 and Aide-de-Camp to King George VI in 1939 and 1940.

At the beginning of the Second World War Beresford-Peirse was the Commander of Artillery for the Indian 4th Infantry Division, which at the time was based in Egypt. He was promoted to command the division in August 1940 and led it in North Africa (Operation Compass) and Sudan (the East African Campaign).

In March 1941 he was knighted via Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire (KBE)[3] and on 14 April 1941 he was given command of the Western Desert Force[2] (later redesignated XIII Corps). He commanded the British forces in Sudan from October 1941 to April 1942 when he was put in command of the Indian XV Corps and then, from June 1942, the Southern Army in India until 31 March 1945.

Beresford-Peirse was Welfare General of the India Command between April 1945 and 1946. He retired on 13 June 1947, joining the Regular Army Reserve of Officers, and died in 1953.

Approximate Measurements:
Collar to shoulder:   10″
Shoulder to sleeve:   25.5”
Shoulder to shoulder:   18”
Chest width:   20.5″
Waist width:  18″
Hip width:     26”
Front length:  33.5″