Jack Cowan MAY No VX94224 enlisted in the 2nd AIF on 4.2.1944 age 21 years. At discharge on 9.12.1946 he held the rank of Trooper in 2/10th Australian Commando Regt. Certificate of Appreciation from City of Bendigo to J. C. May. Wooden frame - glass front - cardboard backing. Coloured certificate with service member and flags on top with Bendigo Buildings in background. Signed by Mayor and Town Clerk. Red seal bottom L.H.S. documents - certificates, frame accessories, bendigo shire

Corporal Francis John Papworth (VX66806) served in the 2/2 Australian Commando Squadron in Timor, New Guinea and Borneo, Tarakan during World War II. His pencil drawn images of the John Viera and his family during 1942. This work of soldiers is significant as a work produced by a serving soldier on location during WWII and is a unique example of an artistic work showing the men and their surroundings at the time. Strong provenance as part of the family collection.Multiple pencil drawings on white paper board showing three drawings images of John Viera and his family by Corporal F. J. Papworth during his Commando service on Timor in 1942 during World War II. One of the drawings is of John Viera, five rough drawings and a sketch of the Viera family group.john viera and his family during 1942

Corporal Francis John Papworth (VX66806) served in the 2/4 Australian Commando Squadron in Timor, New Guinea and Borneo, Tarakan during World War II. His pencil drawn images of the Tarakan camp during May 1945 give an insight into the conditions at that time.Brown cardboard, spiral bound 'The Empire Sketch Book' with five pencil drawings on art paper by Corporal F. J. Papworth during his Commando service at Tarakan Hill, Borneo during World War II. Three of the drawings depict the army camp at Tarakan Hill during May 1945; the fourth drawing shows a young boy from Tarakan sitting on an army jeep and the last is a rough sketch of a baby drawn in 1947. Sketch Book of Corporal Francis John Papworth during World War IIOn front cover in handwritten in ink "PIC of Geo-Wallace/INSIDE". On first drawing handwritten in pencil on top righthand corner "TARAKAN HILL/looking NNE from machine shop section of Tarakan Oilfield/May 15 1945". On second drawing handwritten in pencil at bottom righthand corner "TARAKAN HILL looking from BANK pill box right centre -/15 May 45". On third drawing handwritten in pencil at top righthand corner "TARAKAN HILL and DUTCH/MACHINE SHOPS-Looking from KINGS CROSS/The morning of the 4th May 1945-/0745 hrs-/The Quiet before the storm". On fourth drawing handwritten in top in pencil "Salamit - Peace or Peaceful[l] Used as a Greeting/Salamit-/ORONG LAKI LAKI/TARAKAN. BORNEO/19 MAY 45." All four sketches are signed "John Papworth/Tarakan 1945".On fifth sketch handwritten in pencil "Michael/Signed by/2 Feb 1947".book, world war ii, military, sketch, tarakan, borneo, commando, papworth, may 1945, pencil drawings, wwii, world war 2

One of the most important and successful attacks on merchant ships inside an enemy harbour during world war two by English and Australian Commandoes or Special Unit Forces, launched from Australia. Nil deaths by the Commandoes were recorded, and 40000 tons of enemy ships were damaged or destroyed. To enlighten RSL Members and the public, the history of the MV Krait and the importance of our Military History. The newsletter has a typed story and pictures of members of M and Z Special Force. Krait took a small force on one of its missions and they sank about 38,000 tons of Japanese shipping in Singapore Harbour in 1943. The newsletters front page has pink large writng on a white background. The word Krait and a photo of it on the Brisbane River. The newsletter is 4 pages with a photo of the men on board on page 2. Page 3 has another photo of the Krait. It is on loan from Mr.Jim Muir, world war two, pamphlet, short story, mv krait, motor vessel, singapore, singapore harbour, 1943

The incredible tale of ‘Z’ Special Unit – a group of mainly New Zealand and Australian commandos and saboteurs who parachuted into enemy-occupied territory to fight the war, sometimes single-handedly.The story begins in Greece, with the extraordinary sabotage feats of Don Stott and his friend Bob Morton. Stott’s success in blowing up the strategically crucial Asopos Viaduct was one of the greatest such exploits of World War II and changed the course of the war in Greece”.Soft cover 168 pagesww2, australian special operations, australian special forces, australian commandos, new zealand commandos

"Cut lunch commando" is Australian slang for an army reservist. This book was published by the estate of Vere Moon c/0 Melva Woodgate, Buchan.A book titled Cut Lunch Commando. On the front cover is a woman in a military uniform. The title and b/w photo are framed in black. The book was written by Vere Moon and tells of her wartime experiences in WW11. The book has been autographed by Melva Woodgate in the back.moon-vere ww11

Set of five cloth parachute badges(1) - Parachute Instructor (2) - Special Air Service Regiment. (3) - 3rd Royal Australian Regiment Parachute Battalion. (4) - 4th Royal Australian Regiment Commando Battalion. (5) - Parachute trained Soldiers-other units. Presented to Lilydale RSL by Iain D Townsly ex Air Assault Troop SAS.

Refers to the Service of Barry John Maggs, CMF NR 2/243408. First Battalion Royal New South Wales Regiment (Commando). The City of Sydney's own Regiment.This is a curved cloth badge. Red colour. It has the words " Royal Australian Infantry" sewn onto it. There is a white embroidered border line around the words.cmf australia, irnswr commando regiment

"The Commando/ The life and death of/ Cameron Baird, VC MG"Hardcover book with dust cover. Hardcover - cardboard, black buckram. Gold print on spine. Dustcover - paper, old and white print on front, spine and back. Dust cover - colour illustrations - front portrait photograph of Cameron Baird. Back - Top two small portrait photographs of Cameron Baird. Bottom - image of medals and ribbons. 341 pages - cut, plain, white paper, illustrated - colour photographs. End papers and flyleaf front and back - illustrated colour photographs of scenery in Afghanistan.Title page - handwritten in blue ink. "Al my love Christmas 2017"books, biography, victoria cross, australian army

This is a 6 valve portable transceiver, made in Australia from a British design. It was only used for C.W. (morse code). Its frequency was in the range of 2.5-3.5MHz. Output power 0.5-5 watts. Use was for commando and infantry patrols up to battalion level. It had an external battery pack for low and high voltage supply. 1 man operation in Tropics. An image of this type of wireless set in operation can be found in the AWM Collection: P02952.012 081815 Aluminium box, cover missing. The top has various dials, jacks and one gauge. There is a small length of cable coming from the control panel to a 4 pin plug. On the outside of case is the phrase D (arrow up)D 208 MKIIPlaque on control panel "WIRELESS SET - ZAA 2088 SERIAL NUMBER 168 DATE = 1944"wireless, wwii

These images capture for all time Light Horsemen travelling through Geelong on their way to camp at Torquay for the last Group meeting in Australia . information following - details obtained from .........https://torquayhistory.com/light-horse-brigade/ On Australia Day, 1997, Sir John Young unveiled this plaque on Point Danger, Torquay. Torquay history, Light Horse Training Camp, WW2 Plaque at Pt. Danger Note----- (See images to view plaque) The plaque identifies a significant event in Torquay’s history and the sentiments of ‘change’ for the Light Horse Brigade – from horses to machines. In 1940 the four Light Horse Regiments (4th, 8th, 13th and 20th), some 5000 Light Horse and 2000 horses camped and trained at Torquay. Three other regiments, formerly mounted on horses, were also at Torquay ‘mounted’ on privately owned trucks and cars. Division troops included Artillery, Engineers, Signals, Field Ambulance and other branches of the Army necessary to enable a Division to function. It wasn’t just the sheer numbers of men coming to this little town that made the event significant, it was also the fact that the men of the Light Horse were dramatic, almost glamorous figures and it is easy to see their exploits as some splendid adventure. Horses have played a special role in the story of Australia. They were the only means of transport across this huge country, so it was necessary for everyone to have the ability to ride a horse. When war broke out in 1899 between Britain and the Boers of South Africa (“Boer” was Dutch for “farmer”) Australia sent troops to fight. At first Britain was wary of using untried, unprofessional colonial cavalrymen but soon saw that the slouch-hatted Australian “bushmen” were a match for the fast-moving and unconventional mounted commandos of the Boers. The Australians proved themselves to be expert rough-riding horsemen and good shots. Bush life had hardened them to go for long periods with little food and water. They also showed remarkable ability to find their way in a strange country and use its features for cover, in both attack and defence. By 1914, when Australia joined the war against Germany, there were 23 Light Horse regiments of militia volunteers. Many men from these units joined the Light Horse regiments of the Australian Imperial Force (AIF). Men were given remounts (if not using their own horses) – army horses bought by Commonwealth purchasing officers from graziers and breeders. These were called “walers” because they were a New South Wales stockhorse type – strong, great-hearted animals with the strains of the thoroughbred and semi-draught to give them speed, strength and stamina. On 1st November, 1914, Australia’s First Infantry Division and the first four Light Horse regiments sailed for England in a fleet of transport ships. The first of the Light Horse arrived at Gallipoli in May without their horses. Back with their horses after Gallipoli, they were formidable combatants across the Sinai and Palestine. Some British commanders observed that the light horseman moved with a “lazy, slouching gait, like that of a sleepy tiger” but described how the promise of battle “changes that careless gait, into a live athletic swing that takes him over the ground much quicker than other troops”. They had Light Horse, Torquay, training campdeveloped a reputation as formidable infantrymen. The Turks called them “the White Ghurkas” – a reference to their deadly skill with the bayonet. The Arabs called them “The Kings of the Feathers”. The plume had originally been a battle honour of the Queensland Mounted Infantry for their work in the shearer’s strike of 1891. During WW1 it was adopted by almost all the Light Horse Regiments. It was the proud badge of the light horseman. The most famous of their battles was the attack on Beersheba- the charge of the 4th Light Horse Brigade. Mounted infantrymen and their superb walers had carried out one of the most successful cavalry charges in history – against what seemed impossible odds. They surprised the Turks by charging cavalry-style, when they would normally have ridden close to an objective then dismounted to fight. The fall of Beersheba swung the battle tide against the Turks in Palestine; and changed the history of the Middle East. While 19 men from the Surf Coast Shire served with the 4th Light Horse over the course of WW1, only four were involved in the charge of Beersheba- John GAYLARD, Philip QUINN.(Winchelsea); Wallace FINDLAY (Anglesea); Harry TRIGG (Bambra). After the war, Light Horse units played a key role in the Australian Government’s compulsory military training programme. The Citizen Military Forces (C.M.F.) thrived on the glamour of the wartime Light Horse tradition, ignoring the possibility that motor vehicles would soon replace the horses. When training was no longer compulsory, the C.M.F. regiments declined and horses became more of a luxury during the 1930s depression years of poverty and unemployment. Some regiments were motorised. Then, in 1939, Australia joined Britain in another world war. Training was increased for the militia at both home bases and regional training camps. The camp at Torquay in 1940, commanded by Major General Rankin, was at Divisional strength. By the end of the camp some felt that the Division was ready for active service. Gradually, over the next four years, the Australian Light Horse units were mounted on wheels and tracks and the horses were retired. Six men enlisted at the Torquay camp and another 57 men and women enlisted at Torquay for service in WW2. Those who served in the Militia provided valuable Officers and NCOs and men for the armed services during the war. Each infantry division of the 2nd AIF had a Light Horse regiment attached to it. But the day of the Australian mounted soldier hadn’t quite passed. During World War II, Australia’s 6th Cavalry Regiment formed a mounted unit they called “The Kelly Gang” which did valuable scouting work. In New Guinea, a mounted Light Horse Troop did patrol duty and helped carry supplies. Some fully equipped walers were flown into Borneo for reconnaissance in rugged mountain country. But by the end of the war, in 1945, the horse had disappeared from the Australian Army. References: Australian Light Horse Association www.lighthorse.org.au National Australia Archives Australian War Memorial Surf Coast Shire WW1 memorials www.togethertheyserved.com The Light horse- a Cavalry under Canvas Light Horse, Training Camp, Torquay, WW2 Late in 1939 it was decided to set up a Lighthorse training camp in Torquay to train both men and horses for the battles of the Second World War. Horses, men and equipment came on special trains from all over Victoria and NSW, and as you would expect horseman came from areas such as Omeo and Sale, the Wimmera and the Western District. They arrived at the Geelong racecourse for watering in the Barwon River and then were ridden across the ford at the breakwater and began their 11 mile trek to Torquay. Light Horse, Training Camp, Torquay, WW2 Tent city By the end of January 1940 the camp at Torquay accommodated some 5000 men and 2500 horses of the Second Cavalry Division. The rows of horses, tents and huts near Blackgate Road were quite a sight. While the cavalrymen engaged in exercises on the land and on the beaches, many of the troops took over the Torquay School for special training of men and officers. Mr Bob Pettit local farmer and Councillor for the Barrabool Shire, wrote about the Light horse in the Surf Coast Community News in 1985 saying “They used to travel about the district riding four abreast in one long convoy. To my annoyance they went through my property and shut all the gates behind them. I had certain gates open to let stock in to the water holes and it would take me three -quarters of an hour to follow the horsemen up and put all the gates right again” he continued “the men from the Light Horse were here when the fire went through in March 1940. He recalled an incident when early one morning, as some one blew the bugle, a soldier putting a white sheet on the line frightened the horses. They panicked and ran off in all directions. Six went over the cliff near Bird Rock, five were never found, and the rest were gathered up after nearly a fortnight in the bush around Addiscott and Anglesea" Light Horse, Training Camp, Torquay, WW2, Geelong Parade Geelong parade The training camp culminated in a parade through the streets of Geelong on March 12th 1940. The salute was given at the Town Hall and the troops continued on a route to the You Yang’s for a training exercise. Note-----(see media section for photograph) The Camp was abandoned in mid 1940 as it was deemed unsuitable for training during winter and the cost of a permanent camp could not be justified if it could not be used all year. Historic.......Rare,,,Interpretive.Sepia photographs.set of four ....post card size ....Horses &LighthorsemenNo 1, Lighthorsemen Regiment Geelong 1940......No 2 Light Horse at Breakwater Geelong 1938 to 1940....No 3 Light Horse at Breakwater Geelong 1938 to 1940.....No 4 Light Horse crossing Breakwater camped at Geelong Showgrounds. These markings are on reverse of photographs.light horsemengeelong 1940., world war 2

The Australian Army Provost Corps,was formed on the 3rd April 1916.It is responsible for battle traffic control, security duties, prisoner of war handling,the investigation of service offences,maintaining discipline and the running of military prisions. The red beret is a military beret worn by many Military police,para military,commando, and police forces.Red Beret with black grosgrain binding with the Royal Australian Corps of Military Police Badge at the front.29936 W02 RICH. BERET MNFRS.PTY.LTD.VICTORIA 1976 DSN 8406 66-089-5429 SIZE59.military police beret,berets,hats,lara r.s.l.

This slouch hat belonged to Royal Australian Air Force serviceman/woman Forsyth. Khaki-coloured slouch hat with folded cotton band with blue strip around brim; gold coloured badge depicting a wreath with crown atop and ornamental letters “RAAF”. Four plastic eyelets at crow of hat and signature fold on crown. Wide brim edged with brown coloured binding. A hook on the left crown and left brim attach together to lift one side of the hat. On interior, brown leather chinstrap with metal adjustable buckle ad black leather sweatband stitched in with zig-zag black stitching and secured by khaki silk bow at back. Bow attaches a card reading “58” in a circle. Sticker on interior centre in brown and metallic gold. Size sticker hidden underneath sweatband reads “58 7 1/8”Label on interior of cotton band reads “A.G.C.F./VIC 1989 [broad arrow]/SIZE. 58/8405-66.[crossed out 109-5392]033-5309”. Handwritten on interior brim “FORSYTH”. Size labels read “58” and “58 7 1/8”. Sticker reads “COMMANDO/WOOL SLOUCH HAT/MELBOURNE”uniform, royal australian air force, raaf, r.a.a.f., slouch hat, 1980s

White china commemorative plate with blue lettering and symbols. 4th Australian Independent Company -Albury Reunion 2001 60th anniversary 1941-2001

Timber shield with metal emblemsZ Special Unit Association 1999 Reunion in Launceston