Vehicle identification plate used by Australian Army HQ post WWIIAuatralian Army vehicle identification plate used post WWIISmall square shaped painted steel vehicicle identification plate. Painted khaki on the rear and front edges. Red, blue and red horizontal painted stripes on front face decal. Crossed swords, khaki painted kangaroo and Queens crown painted on front face decal.Red, blue and red horizontal painted stripes on front face. Crossed swords, khaki painted kangaroo and Queens crown painted on front face decal.vehicle, identification, plate, australian army, army headquarters

This is a bowler hat, commonly worn by men in the second half of the 19th century for semi-formal and informal wear. The bowler hat was first made by the hatters, Thomas and William Bowler, in 1849 and was said to have been commissioned by the owners of Holkham Hall, England, for use by gamekeepers on horseback to protect their heads from low-hanging branches. In the 19th and early 20th centuries bowler hats were worn mainly by businessmen in Britain, U.S.A and Australia but were also popularized for general use by notable personalities and actors such as Charlie Chaplin. This hat has no known local provenance but is retained for display purposesThis is a black felt hat with a rounded crown and a ribbon around the crown. The rim is slightly turned up. There are breathing holes in the crown.men’s headgear from the past, history of warrnambool

Cylindrical but slightly bulging in middle; white with blue flowers - mainly roses; not usual Delft pattern. Above central crown Delft 1103, crown has letters KRONACH inside crown, under crown Bavaria 309/0, at right angles Echt Kobalt Unterglasur

This cruet set reflects the style of tableware produced in Staffordshire, England, in the early 20th century. Staffordshire became the centre of pottery manufacture in England by 1730, and a century later it was established as an international centre, exporting its products around the world. Staffordshire pottery was widely used in homes and cafes throughout Australia.A cruet set on a silver plated stand. The jug and shaker are ceramic - violets on a cream background.The shaker has a silver-plated topBase of jug- S.F. & G. Stoke on Trent England ; a crown ; Crown Division Shaker - on lid -E.P.N.S. and on the base - S.F. & G. Stoke on Trent England ; a crown ; Crown Divisionporcelain pottery cruet-set fielding

Knife bayonet , Model 1896, 21 cm blade, for Swedish Mauser Rifle078, 638, No 829, Swedish crown, crown & anchor stamp, No 3a, bayonet, swedish

Used to maintain and dress saddleryImported and distributed by Holden and FrostSquare shaped glass jar with brown coloured label affixed that has contents printed on. Cork stopper in bottle neck.Frank Millers (Crown logo) crown dressing New York U.S.A.bottle, equine, dressing

Glass bottle to contain leather protection liquid C1900 gImported and sold by Holden and FrostSquare shaped clear glass bottle with neck suited to a cork stopperFrank Miller's Crown ( Crown Logo) Dressing New York USAbottle, leather protection

Proudly worn by soldiers of the 1st and 2nd Australian Imperial Force in both World Wars, the 'Rising Sun' badge has become an integral part of the digger tradition. The distinctive shape of the badge, worn on the upturned side of a slouch hat, is commonly identified with the spirit of ANZAC formed at the Gallipoli landings 1915 There are seven patterns of the Rising Sun. 1902 - 1991. The Rising Sun has evolved over time and today Australian Army soldiers wear the seventh pattern Rising Sun. The Third Pattern Rising Sun Badge. May 1904 The third pattern Rising Sun badge carried a scroll inscribed with the words ‘Australian Commonwealth Military Forces’ and was worn throughout both World Wars. There were, however, a number of variations of the badge; a special version was struck for the coronation of King Edward VII in 1902 and there were badges of the Commonwealth Horse and the Australian Instructional Corps, each with its respective title on the scrolls. This pattern badge formed the template for all subsequent General Service badges. The most widely accepted version of the origin of this badge is the one that attributes the selection of its design, c1902, to a British Officer, Major General Sir Edward Hutton, the newly appointed Commander-in-Chief of the Australian Forces. Hutton had earlier received as a gift from Brigadier General Joseph Gordon, a military acquaintance of long standing, a ‘Trophy-of-Arms’ composed of mounted cut and thrust swords and triangular Martini-Henry bayonets that were arranged in a semi-circle around the Crown. To General Hutton, the shield was symbolic of the cooperation between the naval and military forces of the Empire. This Third Pattern Rising Sun Badge.- May 1904 - was worn on the Slouch hats of soldiers serving in the Australian Commonwealth Military Forces during World War 1 1914-1918World War1 1914-1918, soldier’s, rising sun hat badge, made of oxidised copperRising Sun with central Crown AUSTRALIAN COMMONWEALTH / MILITARY FORCES australian military uniforms, military insignia, badges, city of moorabbin, bentleigh, cheltenham, major general sir edward hutton, anzac, gallipoli, australian imperial forces, ww1 1914-1918

WW1 era shaving cut-throat razorWW1 eraFolding cut-throat steel razor and cardboard protective case (case missing the top section). The blade folds into a dark brown coloured two sided bakelite plastic handle, riveted at each end. The cardboard case is dark coloured, with a light green coloured insert. The steel blade has a curved section at one end, and the shaving blade at the other.THE CROWN AND (crown and sword picture trademark) SWORD RAZOR EXTRA HOLLOW GROUND CROWN (crown and sword picture trademark) & SWORD TRADE-MARK MADE IN GERMANY ERN 1166 The Crown and Sword picture trademark is embossed on one side of the Bakelite holder.razor, cut-throat, steel, germany, crown and sword, bakelite, shaving

Sword manufactured to the 1891 patternCeremonial officers sword British Naval Officer's Sword and Scabbard -1891Crown and anchor on the hiltsword ceremonial naval scabbard

Mounted in a decretive wooden frame with a glass front . The photo has the faces and names to all the members of the 7th Reinforcements for the 18th Bn who served during WW1The Crown Studios Sydneyww1 photo 7th reinforcents 18th bn australian unit

Photograph - black and white. Portrait of a young man in a WW1 uniform. Written on back, 'Trooper L.F. W.Smith, taken May 1915'. Information found. Service Number : 519 in the name of Lionel Francis Watson Smith, killed in action 5th Aug.1916, aged 29. His Unit : 2nd Australian Light Horse Machine Gun Squadron. Son of Harry and Adelaide Louisa Australia Smith of Wellington, NSW.The Crown Studio's Sydney.person, individual, ww1 soldier., trooper lionel f.w.smith. elma wells.

An assortment of brass weights for scales ranging from 1oz to 8 ozVR under a crownweighing, weights & measures, weights

Assorted buttonsQueens crown and eagle

A clear drinking glass commemorating the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II. Displaying a crown, coat of arms held by a lion and a unicorn and the date of the coronation. 2nd June 1953.A clear drinking glass with a gold rim commemorating the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II. It has printed on it the royal coat of arms held by a lion and a unicorn along with the date of the Coronation. June 2 1953. E II R is painted in yellow at the top.At the top of the glass is a yellow, white, black and red crown. E II R is printed underneath it, with a lion and a unicorn holding the royal crest. At the bottom is a red and yellow medieval banner with the inscription Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II June 2nd 1953in white script.drinking glasses, glasses, coronation glass, commemmorative objects, commemmorative glassware

1. Home made Print of ANZUK Force (Aust, NZ, UK), which was unit based in Singapore in early 1970's. 2. Identification sign roughed up to identify Padre's tent as part of the ANZUK Unit.1. Printed paper, red background, white edge, picture of orange and blue crown in centre and ANZUK Force written in black on white background ribbon at bottom. 2. Hand painted on metal plate, emblem of 6th Coy RAASC and in yellow writing at bottom " Padre". Small hole drilled thru at top and bottom to hang sign.1. Crown in centre & "ANZUK FORCE" below. 2. Emblem of shield with wings, a halo above and "Div", "RAASC", "Tpt" below and "Padre" written at bottom. souvenirs, signs, passchendaele barracks trust

The Bowler hat, characterised by its dome-like crown, was invented in 1849 by a pair of hat-makers: brothers Thomas and William Bowler. They were commissioned by the famous London hat retailer “Lock & Co” to invent a close-fitting, low-crowned hat for their customer Mr. Edward Coke. It would be sturdy and not easily knocked or blown off the wearer’s head. The difference between a Bowler hat and a Derby hat is simply that Bowler hats are British, Derby hats are American. The Bowler / Derby hat was devised in London during a time when the top hat was the upper-class men’s hat of choice and the lower social class wore soft, cloth caps. However, the top hat was impractical and inconvenient for those on horseback as it easily toppled over and was easily damaged. Bowler hats were termed “stiff” hats– they were given a coat of shellac in the construction process and therefore never conformed to the shape of the wearers head. While very stiff, the hat is lined in a beautiful, soft silk to ensure comfort. The Bowler hat marked the first middle ground between formality and casual wear. c1900 The Derby hats were very popular for all classes in USA including criminals like Butch Cassidy & Sundance Kid and c1920 many fashionable women also wore them. In England and Commonwealth the Bowler hat remained popular throughout the 1800s and through the first half of the 1900s, being worn by everyone from politicians, actors, accountants, bankers, and the 'everyman' on the street.The family of Nance Blackman were early settlers in Moorabbin ShireA black felt Bowler hat with cream silk lining and black ribbon bandInside Crown & Band ; The Cobweb Felt / easiest/ fitting / extra light / Inside Band Best Quality / 6111hats, hatters, blackman nance, clothing, suits, fashion wear, bankers, actors, politicians, bowler hats, derby hats, top hats, social classes, moorabbin, cheltenham, bentleigh, brighton, market gardeners, pioneers, early settlers, bowler thomas, bowler william, lock & co. ltd. london, england, america, canada

This item is part of the Dodgson Collection, which was bequeathed to Queen's College in 1892 by the Rev. James Dodgson. The collection was created by Aquila Dodgson, brother of James. Aquila Dodgson was a friend of the English Egyptologist Flinders Petrie, and it was through this friendship the Aquila was able to acquire ancient Egyptian artefacts. A detailed study of the collection was made by Christine Elias "Discovering Egypt: Egyptian Antiquities at the University of Melbourne", M.A. thesis 2010.White crownjames dodgson, aquila dodgson, flinders petrie, amulet

The peck has been in use since the early 14th century when it was introduced as a measure for flour. The term referred to varying quantities until the modern units of measurement were defined in the 19th century. Cities in England used to have official standard weights and measures for that city or area. These containers were marked with the city's name and emblem, merchant’s weights and measures would then be checked against this to make sure they weren't trying to cheat their customers. The item in the collection is a standard measure approved by Bristol City and used by that City’s grocers to measure dry goods such as peas, beans, sugar, flour, meal etc., and its metal banding ensures that the measure cannot be reduced in size to cheat customers. Additional Information: The British Imperial System evolved from the thousands of Roman, Celtic, Anglo-Saxon, and customary local units employed in the middle Ages. Traditional names such as pound, foot, and gallon were widely used, but the values so designated varied with time, place, trade, product specifications, and dozens of other requirements. Early royal standards were established to enforce uniformity took the name Winchester, after the ancient tenth century capital of Britain. King Henry VII reaffirmed the customary Winchester standards for capacity and length and distributed royal standards throughout the realm. This process was repeated about a century later in the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. In the 16th century, the rod (5.5 yards, or 16.5 feet) was defined (once again as a learning device and not as a standard) defined by the length of the left feet of 16 men lined up heel to toe as they emerged from the church. By the 17th century usage and legal statute had established the acre, rod, and furlong at their present values together with other historic units such as the peck. Establishment of the System: The Weights and Measures Act of 1824 and the Act of 1878 established the British Imperial System based on precise definitions of selected existing units. The 1824 act sanctioned a single imperial gallon to replace the wine, ale, and corn (wheat) gallons that were in general use. The new gallon was defined as equal in volume to 10 pounds avoirdupois of distilled water weighed at 62°F with the barometer at 30 inches, or 277.274 cubic inches (later corrected to 277.421 cubic inches). The two new basic standard units were the imperial standard yard and the troy pound, which was later restricted to weighing drugs, precious metals, and jewels. In 1963 an act of parliament abolished archaic measures as the rod and chaldron and a metric system was adopted. An early example of a dry measuring container giving a snapshot of how imperial weights and measures developed in England to evolve the British measurement system into the metric arrangement that most countries have adopted today including Australia. It has social significance as an item that was in everyday use by grocers and other merchants to measure dry goods in the late 18th to early 19th centuries and used specifically in the Bristol region of England as an officially recognised measurement.Wooden measurement container with iron banding and hand made rivets container is a Quarter Peck official measurement container. Inscriptions are impressed into the sides of the wooden body. The container has the official crown and emblem of the City of Bristol, indicating this item was the Bristol City standard quarter peck measurement.Impressed into the timber on the front, a crown emblem over "C B G / CITY OF BRISTOL / QUARTER", on one side "HALF" , another side "PECK". Handwritten in white chalk on the base is "1458"flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village, weights and measures, quarter peck, measurement container, dry grocery measure, bristol city measurement standard, city of bristol, british weights and measures, 18th and 19th centure standard measures

Receiver was obtained from Supply Branch of Telecom Australia. It was located by Harold Bakes (early member of the Nunawading Historical Society) at the Hawthorn Line depot and Society purchased. It was stored at the former City of Nunawading Depot in Station Street, Nunawading. It was noticed by Postal Services when they were building the Nunawading Mail Exchange and loaned to them whilst it remained in the City of Nunawading at the Mail Exchange. The had it refurbished and it stood in the Mail Exchange vestibule. When the exchange closed it was taken to Dandenong. It took much negotiation before it was returned to the Society.Alternative Name: Letter Receiver Large round cast iron Letter Receiver surmounted with a gold crown on domes to pointed top. Top has a gold cast iron fancy fringe and below on the main body a further gold plain fringe. Door follows the contour of the round receiver and cover about on of the body. Handle of door is in shape of a fist painted gold. Receiver is mounted on a cast iron base (could have been all cast together) approx 3/8 of the overall height of 250cm. Receiver is painted Pillar Box Red - base which is placed in ground is mid green. From a similar Receiver installed near the Prahran Railway it would appear that half of the base is above ground. Station It has five oblong holes. Cast into the body between the two fringes are a letter opening and two words POST OFFICE and Receiving Pillar.Cast into Receiver - POST OFFICE / Letter Receiver In door - transfer with crown and E11Rcommunication, postal, historical society

items issued to John Raymond Bruns VX88627, refer Cat No 5592 for his service history. The RSL badge has a clip over a top crown with the numbers "88" meaning a financial member for 1998.1) Badge, Returned from Active Service, brass depicts a Rising Sun, crown, wings, anchor and boomerang, rear has two lugs and stamped. .2) Badge RSL Membership, shows three central figures on a plaque style shape, white, gold, red & blue colours, rear has one lug with a pin through, rear is stamped..1) On rear, "A 32763" .2) On rear, "48617", "Badge remains property of the league"badges, rsl, ras, 2nd 38th

Early RSL Badge and Military Medals Awarded. British War Medal. Victory Medal 1914 - 1919. !939 - 45 Star. Pacific Star. 1939 - 1945 War Medal. Australian Service Medal 1939 - 1945. 1919 on Crown 98109 on back. Later Badge with 85 Crown. Liberty & Justice Medallion.

The Sandringham seal, which was designed by Sans and McDougall, had been selected in 1917 by a special committee and depicted as its main feature the Sandringham pier and breakwater, with a yacht in full sail, as an inset, and supported by two dolphins. The motto selected was Omni Opere ("With all earnestness.")Carved wood, with metal cast lettering. Carved relief City of Sandringham seal in the centre of the plaque with lettering 'CITY OF SANDRINGAM 1917' cast in metal around the border. On the central shield is the depiction of a large sailboat in the water at the top, below it an L-shaped pier protruding from the right and below that another pier protruding from the left with two small boats at the bottom. The shield is flanked by two dolphins, with St Edward's crown above, and a banner containing the motto 'OMNI OPERE' beneath. The area around the seal is decorated with a carved circular pattern.plaque, city of sandringham, sandringham coat of arms, seal, omni opere, bayside, coat of arms, crown, crest

Awarded to Alan Bowers (A236814) who was a R.A.A.F. dental mechanic who serverd during WWII including service in Darwin, and then continued in the R.A.A.F. for some years after the end of WWII The Royal Australian Air Force (and all Commonwealth Air Forces) Long Service and Good Conduct Medal: Awarded to NCOs and ORs of the RAAF (RAF, RCAF etc) for 15 years service. A cupro-nickel plated medal, the obverse features the sovereign's head, the reverse features the crown and eagle emblem of the RAAF (and RAF). Officers are eligible for the award provided they have served a minimum 12 years in the ranks. The riband is dark blue and maroon with white edges. This medal ceased to be awarded in Australia in 1975 when it was replaced by the National Medal (and sbsequently the DFSM and DLSM) in the Australian system of honours and awards. http://www.heritagemedals.com.au/medals-1/service-long-service/air-force-long-service-and-good-conduct-medal.html History of the RAAF Dental Branch It took six years following the formation of the RAAF in 1921 for the first Dental Clinic to be established at Point Cook, Victoria. On 10th June 1927 Flying Officer James Carl Rosenbrock commenced work as an RAAF Dental Officer for the FlyingTraining School at Point Cook. As personnel numbers were still relatively small, Rosenbrock was also responsible for the dental care of all Victorian RAAF units, which involved treating members at 1AD Laverton, as well as Air Force Headquarters at Victoria Barracks in Melbourne. As Army Dental Officers were currently caring for RAAF personnel at Richmond, NSW, the Senior Dental Officer of the 3rd Military District in Victoria (SDO 3MD) requested through the military board that a similar arrangement be established, where that the newly appointed RAAF Dentist provide part time dental services to the Army units stationed at Queenscliff. This was seen as an effective reciprocal arrangement, with both units having a Dental Officer in attendance for, in total, around 3-4 weeks a year. Rosenbrock continued to serve as the sole RAAF Dental Officer until the middle of 1933, when the Air Board asked for his service to be terminated following ‘behaviour unbecoming of a RAAF officer'. He had borrowed several sums of money, of around 40 Pounds or so, from junior ranks on base (as well as from the Regimental Sergeant Major) and had failed to pay the money back. He was replaced by a fellow Victorian, FLGOFF Norman Henry Andrews, on the 18th Sep 1933, who went on to become our first Director of Dental Services, and was instrumental in establishing the organisations and conditions of the Branch that are still present today. Through a fair amount of persistence and hard work on the part of Norman Andrews, the RAAF Dental Branch began to expand from 1937, with the introduction of 2 additional positions, at RAAF station Richmond, and at the FlyingTraining School at Point Cook. This gave the RAAF 3 uniformed Dental Officers, which was expanded to 5 in the months leading up to WW2. 4 of these Dental Officers were based in Victoria and 1 at Richmond, with the other two RAAF units being cared for by the Army (as in the case of Pearce in WA) or by civilians (as in Darwin). With the sudden increase in RAAF personnel required at the outbreak of WW2, the number of RAAF Dental Officers increased dramatically, from 5 in 1939, 28 in 1940, 64 in 1941, 147 in 1942, 193 in 1943, 219 in 1944, and peaking at 227 in 1945. RAAF Dental Officers were required to work in a variety of locations, both in and out of Australia. Between 1940 and 1942 a massive construction programme occurred, with new dental clinics being established around Australia. Priority was given to aircrew training units in order to get these personnel dentally fit for operational deployment, but Dental Officers could equally find themselves posted to recruit depots, fixed stations, medical clearance stations, mobile dental sections, and RAAF and civilian hospitals. RAAF Dental Officers were posted to the large dental centres at Ascot Vale (Vic) and Bradfield Park (NSW) when first appointed, where they received military and clinical training, before being deployed to their needed location. Mobile Dental Units When Japan entered the war in 1941, the rapid deployment of troops to northern operational areas with less than ideal dental fitness was extremely high. As a result, the RAAF deployed a range of mobile dental units, either alone or with medical sections, to support the increasing number of isolated deployed personnel within Australia and overseas. There were three types of mobile unit used: a. Mobile Dental Unit – relied on using either a semi-trailer to get around or by building a surgery directly on to the truck chassis, and installing hydraulic chairs, units, x-rays, and laboratory equipment. They were able to move around between small units, such as RAAF radar stations, where they could plug into the local power supply and work immediately. b. Transportable Dental Units – used for stops of longer duration, where field equipment was carried in panniers from one unit to another by road or rail and housed in whatever accommodation was available at the destination. They were often carried within Australia on Tiger Moths and Dakota aircraft. c. Itinerant Dental Units – in some areas, the dental equipment was installed at the RAAF unit and the Dental Officer and their staff would travel from unit to unit, using the equipment available at each location. RAAF Dental BadgeAs the war developed in Europe, it soon became obvious that the RAF Dental support was not capable of supporting the increasing numbers of RAAF aircrew that were being sent for service with the RAF, with only enough Dental Officers available to provide one to every 2000 men ( instead of the preferred 1 to 600). As a result, the RAAF provided a mobile dental unit, fitted out in a caravan and pulled by a Ford V8 Coupe, to travel around England in support of RAAF personnel at various squadrons. Some degree of tact was needed to ensure that the RAF did not take this as a comment on the treatment they were providing, but it proved successful in maintaining a satisfactory state of dental fitness in RAAF personnel, and a second mobile unit was soon dispatched. They were also set up with a laboratory on board as well as the surgery, which was a major difference between the RAF and RAAF, as the RAF did not provide dentures for their troops (the RAAF would, providing they had served for 6 years). In 1943 the RAF was no longer able to provide Dental support to Australian troops in the Middle East, which resulted in the need for a transportable dental unit to be deployed from Australia. It functioned in a similar manner to the RAF, by moving from one squadron to another. It served in the Middle East and Africa, from Cairo across North Africa, to Italy, and eventually back to England to treat returned prisoners of war. GPCAPT Norman Andrews The growth and development of the RAAF Dental Branch owes a debt to one man in particular, GPCAPT Norman Andrews. As the second RAAF Dental Officer to enlist on 18 Sep 1933, Andrews became the principal architect of the structure and organisation of the RAAF Dental Branch leading up to and during WW2. Until early 1940, the RAAF Dental Branch was administered by the Director of Medical Services (Air), which placed it under the control of the Army Medical staff. The Army would provide their Inspector of Dental Services for advice whenever needed. In April 1940, the RAAF Medical service separated from the Army, resulting in the control of the RAAF Dental Branch shifting back to the RAAF. Andrews became the first Director of Dental Services, when the position was created in 1943 as recognition of the higher profile the Dental Branch was now playing in the RAAF Medical service. Until this time, Andrews's title had been as the Dental Staff Officer to the RAAF Medical Service. Andrews was responsible for the establishment of the war-time structure of the Dental service, establishing new dental centres at all major bases, creating mobile and transportable dental units, ensuring the continual growth of the Branch, maintaining professional development of staff through the establishment of a professional journal, and by organising renowned lecturers to speak at RAAF bases. He also believed in visiting as many dental units as possible to see for himself what conditions were like and to talk first-hand to staff in remote units. His itinerary during the war years, both in and out of Australia, shows a large number of trips in a variety of modes of transport in order to reach remote areas where units were serving. He was promoted to GPCAPT in July 1944, as the numbers of Dental Officers soon peaked at 227 towards the end of the war (1 GPCAPT, 9 WGCDRs, 60 SQNLDRs, and 157 FLTLTs). After the war, with the reduction in RAAF personnel required in uniform, the Dental Branch also reduced its numbers significantly. By 1947 there were only 18 Dental Officers serving (many part-time), with 1 GPCAPT, 1 WGCDR, 10 SQNLDRs, and 6 FLTLTs, and only 13 by 1950. With the decrease in Branch personnel numbers, the ‘powers to be' saw fit to reduce the Director of Dental Service rank to WGCDR, and as a result Norman Andrews found that in order to continue serving in the RAAF he would have to wear a reduced rank. This appears to have been a contributing factor in his decision to discharge at the relatively early age of 43 and accept an administrative job as Director of the Victorian Government's School Dental Service. Norman Andrews holds the proud honour of being the founder of the RAAF Dental Branch, which during the war was instrumental in educating servicemen of the importance of dental health and maintaining the dental fitness of troops in a variety of areas. Dental Orderlies (Assistants) The dental orderly mustering was first introduced in 1937. Until that time, medical orderlies were assigned to assist the Dental officer with their duties. As early as 1931 it had been noted by both RAAF and Army Dental Officers working in Victoria and Richmond that a lot of the troubles they were having would be solved by appointing a permanent Dental Orderly. Often they would find that the medical orderly they were assigned was a different one each day, and as a result the administration and work in general was very inefficient. By 1937, with the increase in Dental Officers to 3, it was realised that a Dental Orderly mustering needed to be created. Dental Mechanics/Technicians Before WW2, dental laboratory work was provided by civilian laboratories, as most RAAF units were stationed around metropolitan areas. At this time, service personnel were still required to pay for their own dentures, unless they had served for six years or had their dentures damaged during performance of their duties. In July 1940, mainly in response to the development of more remote RAAF dental units and the increasing demand for dental prostheses, the Dental Mechanic mustering was established. Unfortunately there was a very limited pool of civilian dental mechanics to recruit from, and as a result the RAAF set up a training school at Laverton (which was later moved to Ascot Vale) in June 1941 which conducted an intensive 6 month course in Dental mechanics. Dental mechanics were quickly in demand. In all fixed and mobile dental units at least 1 Mechanic was supplied for each Dental Officer, and indeed the RAAF supplied Dental Mechanics throughout all its deployments, something the RAF were unwilling, or unable, to do. Two grades of dental mechanic existed: the Senior Mechanic (with the rank of NCO), who was competent in all phases of laboratory work; and the Junior Mechanic, who could only handle routine work and not more advanced denture work. The progression to Senior required a further trade test in techniques including setting up, clasp-forming, casting and backing teeth. During the course of the War, two special courses were held for Mechanics. The first, directed at senior mechanics so that they could instruct others, was in 1942 when Acrylic Resin was first introduced as a denture base material, as an alternative to the current option of vulcanite. Later, towards the end of the War, a ‘refresher' course was provided for those that had served for the greatest period of time in order to allow them retraining in techniques that they had not practised during their service and which were common in civilian life. This included cast base dentures, crowns and bridges, partial dentures, and retainers. Towards the end of the War, a course was held with WAAAF trainees to train them as Mechanics. However, as the War was soon to end they never had the opportunity to progress within the mustering to become Senior Mechanics. The RAAF Dental Branch has survived 75 years of turbulence, with reviews of its viability occurring regularly every few years from as early as 1937. The Branch continues to provide excellent service to the ADF community and, despite reduced manpower, will continue to play an important role in Air Force Health operations. http://www.defence.gov.au/health/about/docs/RAAFDental.pdf40cm cupro-nickel plated medal, the obverse features the sovereign's head, the reverse features the crown and eagle emblem of the RAAF (and RAF). A23814 BOWERS.A. A. F.r.a.a.f long service medal, r.a.a.f good conduct, r.a.a.f. dental service medal