Standard issue army clasp knife as issued to Corporal R D Whitehill, who served in Vietnam in 1st Transport Platoon, Royal Australian Army Service Corps from 25 May 1966 until 20 Apr 1967. An example of the standard pattern of clasp knives issued since before the Second World War.Grey steel multi-purpose knife, all stainless construction, with the following implements: sheepsfoot blade, can opener, screwdriver, marlin spike and bail.knife, pocket knife, clasp knife, whitehill, ron whitehill

The M.V. Manunda is a ship owned by the Adelaide Steamship Company, that became a registered hospital ship in 1940, during World War 2. The Manunda serviced injured personnel in the Pacific and Middle East. This letter knife is highly significant to the Returned Nurses collection. Though there is a few recorded pieces of memorabilia from the M.V. Manunda, they are few and far between. This item could potentially draw attraction and attention to this collection. Silver, chrome-plated letter knife, with decorative kookaburra hilt handle. Due to age [and perhaps storage] the letter knife has turquoise and brown erosion, corrosion and rust spots, primarily upon the blade faces. One blade face includes a small, raised enamelled flag, with gilding around the flag boarder. The flag itself is white, with a blue cross and an eight-pointed red star in the centre, it is the logo of the Adelaide Steamship Company. On the same blade face as the flag, is the name of the vessel, 'M.V. Manunda'. On the opposing blade face is 'EP A1 NS', silver quality marking, and the maker's mark, 'Angus & Coote Lt.' Due to the metallic property of the letter knife, it often feels cool to the touch. Though this is true for the kookaburra hilt too, the kookaburra hilt has more texture and feels rough to the touch. 'EP A1 NS' (Silver quality marking) / 'Angus & Coote Lt.' (Markers mark) / 'M.V.MANUNDA' (Naval vessel identifier.) papua new guinea, middle east, pacific, aans, japan, world war ii, world war 2, world war two