BACKGROUND: The Long Range Desert Group (LRDG) was one of the most legendary special forces units of World War 2. It operated behind enemy lines in North Africa and later Italy and the Adriatic theaters. This grouping consists of his battledress tunic as worn at the time of mustering out in late 1945, his black Royal Tank Corps beret with officer’s LRDG badge of the type made in Cairo during the desert campaign, and a group of 20 of Barrett’s personal photographs of Barrett and the LRDG. Denis Barrett was born on 8 December 1909 in Paeroa, New Zealand. He was as legal clerk when he joined the 2nd New Zealand Expeditionary Force (2NZEF) at the outbreak of the war at the age of 31. Barrett was older than the majority of the men in the NZEF, one of the shortest, and wore glasses all his life. Nevertheless, he wanted to do his part in the war. He began as a Warrant Officer 2nd class (WO2), was eventually commissioned 2nd Lieutenant, later promoted to 1st Lieutenant, and given the wartime temporary brevet rank of Acting Captain.

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: The jacket is an issue New Zealand battledress tunic with the usual NZ stamped markings. Barrett’s name tag is sewn into the upper portion of the inner pocket on the left side (above the heart). The shoulder straps have correct rank insignia for 1st Lieutenant, the rank Barrett reverted to after leaving the LRDG. The shoulder straps have matching New Zealand slip-ons with white-on-black embroidery and textbook brass LRDG unit insignia. Inside the tunic pocket is Barrett’s New Zealand Service Medal and Certificate. Sewn to the tunic above the left pocket are his service ribbons, including the OBE, the North Africa Medal with 8th Army device, 1939-1945 War Medal with two palm devices for twice Mentioned in Dispatches, and the New Zealand Service Medal ribbon. The New Zealand Service medal is also included. Taken together this suggests this is the tunic Barrett wore when mustering out at the end of the war in late 1945, as the War Medal was not instituted until August 1945 and the distribution of medals took some time to reach all recipients. The chest measures approximately 40".

2. The black beret correct for the LRDG bears the hand-cut pin-back LRDG insignia referred to by collectors as the "Cairo" version, as it was presumably made in Cairo during the campaign in North Africa. It is extremely rare and sought after, far more rare than the cast brass or bronze issue LRDG badge, which is itself, extremely rare. The beret is marked "Kangol Wear Limited", as well as broad arrow marked, dated for 1944 and a size of 6 1/8

3. Also included are a high-quality British officer’s khaki shirt with removable collar and matching khaki necktie. A manufacture tag for "Rogers and Company" is sewn to the interior neckline.The chest measures approximately 42".

4. Finally, the group includes twenty of Barrett’s own personal photos of the LRDG from the war, including two which include him in the photo. These show LRDG vehicles and crewmen and are exceptionally rare. The beret Barrett is wearing in the portrait photo of him with his hands in his pockets is almost certainly the one in this estate group, and the battledress jacket may be the same one. It is the same pattern but it is impossible to say for certain it is the exact one in the photo.

After spending some time in Greece with 2NZEF, Barrett joined the LRDG in September 1941 and was made unit Quartermaster or Q. Eventually Barrett also assumed the additional role of Adjutant (personnel officer), which was a Captain’s billet. In accordance with British military procedure, he was designated an Acting Captain so that he could hold this billet, and for the duration of the assignment as Adjutant, he wore the (temporary) rank of Captain. When he left the LRDG, his rank reverted to 1st Lieutenant, which is the rank on this battledress tunic. He was twice Mentioned in Dispatches. After the campaign in North Africa ended successfully, the New Zealand government recalled virtually all New Zealand personnel serving in the European theater back to New Zealand for service in the Pacific. Only a handful of New Zealanders were allowed to remain in Europe through a loophole in the order for highly skilled technical personnel whose loss would be a serious operational blow to their units. Barrett was granted this exception and remained with the LRDG in Italy and the Adriatic until the end of the war in Europe. More information on Barrett here:

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