Undress tailcoat : Lieutenant M A Roberts, New South Wales Naval Artillery Volunteers Accession Number: REL/10586

Description

Dark blue superfine wool, double breasted undress tailcoat with reefer style collar and six pairs of gilded brass Naval Artillery Volunteers buttons. The buttons on the right front are marked on the back 'SWORD MAKE CROSSED SWORDS TRADE MARK MADE IN ENGLAND'. The reverse of the buttons on the left front are unmarked and have different back fittings. The shoulders have brass and cloth loop fittings for gold epaulettes, which would be worn when the tailcoat was used as part of ball dress, or in the case of part time volunteer officers as a version of full dress, but none are present. Sleeve cuffs are decorated with gold lace insignia for the rank of lieutenant. From the waist seam of the coat tails at the sides are two large, three-pointed flaps, each with three closed buttonholes and a corresponding gilded brass button below the flap on the coat tail. These buttons are unmarked on the back. The back of the tailcoat is panelled with a centre back vent to the waist. There are two gilded brass buttons at the back waist and from each of these is a vertical pleat which extends to the hem and is finished with another gilded button. The front panels of the coat are lined with superfine; the tails and back with black silk twill, slightly padded at the back underarms. Welt pocket, inside left breast lined with black silk and brown cotton twill. The sleeves are lined with fawn silk satin with narrow black stripes. The back neck has black silk tab, the right side of which has worn away, revealing some illegible writing on the inner cream fabric.

Contextual Description

Undress tailcoat worn by Lieutenant Melnotte Arthur Roberts who was a member of the New South Wales Naval Contingent which travelled to China to take part in the Boxer Uprising. Roberts was born on 9 October 1855 and pursued a career in banking, managing the Sussex Street Branch of the City Bank from 1892 until his death in 1922. Roberts was granted six months leave of absence without pay to enable him to travel to China on SS Salamis, arriving in Peking on 16 October 1900. While in China he, together with Lieutenants Cecil and Oscar Gillam, and fifty sailors, were allotted to guard the British Legation in Peking. He returned to Australia aboard SS Chingtu on 25 April 25 1901. Roberts eventually retired from service in the New South Wales Naval Brigade with the rank of commander. War Memorial photograph P03445.001 shows Roberts wearing this coat with the addition of gold epaulettes.