This uniform is an example of a Australian Army economy pattern service dress tunic. Designed and first produced in late 1942, these Second World War tunics were designed to resemble their predecessors whilst using less fabric in their construction. The main visible features are a transition from external front pockets to internal ones, the removal of the front waist belt and a change in design of the front button strip. All these changes minimised fabric wastage whilst maintaining the distinctive AIF appearance. Although designed to be worn in the field and on parade, these new uniforms never saw combat during the war. They were worn largely on the Homefront, as well as by the occupation forces in Japan post war. They were also worn in Korea where they saw heavy combat service with 3RAR.  This iconic uniform was phased out of service with the regular army by 1951, though continued to be used by cadet units until the early 1970's.

This tunic was worn by Sergeant Albert G. Whitehead. Whitehead initially enlisted in 1941 into the Ordinance corp. He sore service in North Africa and the Middle East prior to coming back to Australia in late 1942 where he was then transfer into the 2/2 Machine gun battalion. Whitehead was deployed to New Guinea and saw action throughout the South Pacific between 1943-5. He was discharged from the army in October 1945.