Service dress tunic : Leading Aircraftman F A M Lees, 77 Squadron RAAF, British Commonwealth Occupation Force

RAAF blue wool serge other rank's pattern winter service dress tunic with notched collar, a pair of pleated breast patch pockets with pointed flaps secured by a single button, and a pair of welt waist pockets with rectangular flaps. Each sleeve carries a blue embroidered propeller badge above the elbow, for the rank of leading aircraftman. Each shoulder has a blue embroidered 'AUSTRALIA' over a RAAF eagle patch. A woven British Commonwealth Forces formation sign, with King's crown, is sewn beneath the right sleeve patch. Two red woven service chevrons are sewn to the lower right sleeve. The tunic is closed by four large black RAAF plastic buttons. The same buttons fasten the breast pockets. The self fabric belt has a black plastic buckle with two metal claws and is attached to loops on each side seam with a leather tab and brown plastic button. A welt opening on the proper right waist allows the wearer to access the change pocket in his trousers. Medal ribbons for the Pacific Star and British War Medal 1939-45 are attached above the left breast pocket.

The body of the tunic is lined with black cotton; the sleeves with white cotton. A woven maker's label white, red and black woven maker's label sewn inside the back neck reads, 'Wardrop "MY TAILOR" of MELBOURNE COLLINGWOOD & GEELONG ALL MEN'S WEAR'. A black and white woven label, with the same wording is sewn inside the inner right breast pocket and is marked in ink 'Lees 9802 October 1944'.

Frank Alfred Moorman Lees was born in North Fitzroy, Melbourne on 16 November 1925. He enlisted for service in the RAAF on 6 January 1944. Assigned the service number 146347, Lees trained as an aircraft electrician before being posted to 77 Squadron.

Leading Aircraftman Lees joined his unit on Morotai in April 1945 where he helped maintain the squadron's P-40 Kittyhawk aircraft. He moved with the squadron to Labuan, and then Brunei, before the end of the Second World War in August 1945.

77 Squadron converted to P-51D Mustang fighters before arriving in Japan in March 1946 as part of the British Commonwealth Occupation Force. The squadron was based at Iwakuni, the former Imperial Japanese Naval Air Station north of Hiroshima.

For the next fifteen months Lees was billeted near the small Japanese village of Hofu. He came to love the countryside, and the Japanese families who befriended him, and developed a lifelong interest in Japanese culture. Lees was discharged from the RAAF on 19 June 1947. He returned to Japan a number of times after his service there, created Japanese garden at his Melbourne home, and later learnt to write Haiku, a traditional form of Japanese poetry.

• Service dress trousers : Leading Aircraftman F A M Lees, 77 Squadron RAAF, British Commonwealth Occupation Force