WANS Uniform

Back in 2020 I featured some Women’s Service Auxillaries/Volunteer groups. (http://www.austbuttonhistory.com/12th-september-2020/)

I have stumbled across some examples of WANS (Women’s Australian National Services (WANS) uniforms. They date 1940-6. The uniforms were “mid-blue in saxe tonings”.

SRG 514/17/5

SRG 514/17/3

SRG 514/17/2

SRG 514/17/4

These following comes from the Museum Victoria Collections

Item ST 37205

Item ST 37205. Worn during WW2 in Sydney.Perhaps this is the summer weight version, and the SA suit, the winter weight.

You may notice that the South Australian version has 4 hole blue plastic buttons, whereas the Sydney  version has 2 hole buttons that are a different design and a slightly lighter blue. There were two tenders accepted in Sydney, but persumably there were various manufacturers around the country.

The Sun (Sydney), 1st August 1940 page 17.

The Daily Telegraph (Sydney), 28th August 1940 page 7.

The Sun (Sydney), 5th September 1940 page 23. 

Smith’s Weekly (Sydney), 2nd November 1940 page 15.

The Dubbo Liberal and Macquarie Advocate (NSW), 17th April 1941 page 7.

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