Mess Dress Belonging to Lt. Frank Roff Phillips, Royal Artillery 1900

This uniform consists of a "cavalry" style jacket (fastened only at the collar), scarlet vest, and trousers. The jacket has a stand collar with embroidered bullion borders, and flaming bomb collar devices. The jacket has bullion piping and galloons, embroidered bullion Lt. double pip rank insignia and Royal Artillery buttons. The vest has four RA brass buttons at the front, and an adjustable silk back panel. The rear has a sewn maker's tag: "J. DANIELS & Co. / 1 ARTILLERY PLACE WOOLWICH / & 34 BURY St. ST. JAMES' S.W."; with owner's name handwritten in ink as well: "F.R. Phillips Esq. RA". The black worsted trousers have wide scarlet stripes down the legs, button fly, and thin leather and buckle stirrups at the cuffs. The bullion tape and embroidery on the jacket has tarnished over time, and partially detached in spots, especially along the collar. The interior lining has frayed, mainly along the edges, but the "BERLOU / MOTH / PROOFED" cloth label is in excellent condition. The vest has some minor insect damage on the front, and the trousers are in fine shape, although the leather stirrups have dried over time. Lt. Frank Roff Phillips was commissioned into the Royal Artillery in 1900, serving in India prior to WW1. During the war he rose to the rank of Major, was Mentioned in Despatches, and was awarded the D.S.O. on June 4, 1917. This is a great Royal Artillery officer's mess uniform, in good-near very good condition, and would make a wonderful addition to a collection.