Pre-War Shanghai Tailored Marine Officers Uniform

[Dirk]

I have been on the hunt for one of these for a while, and this one comes close to what I want in a theater made uniform, when in comes to how it’s tailored. With a C. Fong Kee tailor label, it was made by a tailor who had a long association with the Marines in Shanghai…..I won’t highlight the construction details, but it matches other theater made pieces I have managed to locate or inspect over the years. The material is a heavy gaberdine. Sadly, the owners name has been cut out, but given the original ribbon rack it came with, I suspect the owner was stationed in Shanghai in the late 1930’s and kept it in his uniform rotation though his career, upgrading rank and adding ribbons as he went. However, I have chosen to display it as it might have been worn in the mid-1930’s while stationed in Shanghai. I also will change the rank out and replace it with a pair of period silver Chinese made and marked Captains  bars. The cordovan shaded Sam Brown is correct, but is but named to a different officer who was wounded on Iwo and had no association with Shanghai. The jacket came with a pair of trousers made of the same gaberdine material.  This tailor frequently advertised in the Walla Walla Magazine, the Shanghai Marine local news magazine. The last image is Lt Col Clifton Cates and Maj Skinner, Shanghai 1937.

[themick]

Nice set, Dirk!!  Are those locations written on the reverse of THIS belt?  I've seen that done several times in the leather EM dress belts, but not on an officer one.  Very nice.

 

Steve 

[warguy]

Stellar acquisition Dirk! If I was to have but one officers service green, this one or one like it would be my pick. Outstanding example and display.\! Thanks as always for taking the time to share your incredible knowledge of these rare Chia related artifacts. Kevin

[Dirk]

Steve yes ….likewise….never saw it on an officers belt before either 

[Dirk]

Warguy thank you! Always been looking for what I think is a good pre war officers example…I know there was a humped up one floating around several years ago but this one matches known Chinese tailored pieces in a number of ways.