The 8th Battalion was an infantry battalion of the Australian Army. Initially raised in 1914 for the First Australian Imperial Force during the First World War the battalion was completely recruited from Victoria and formed part of the 2nd Brigade, 1st Division. During the war it fought at Gallipoli and in France and Belgium on the Western Front. It was disbanded in 1919, before being re-raised as a Militia battalion in 1921. During the Second World War the 8th Battalion was used primarily as a garrison unit before taking part in the Bougainville campaign late in the war. It was disbanded again in 1946 during the demobilisation process, although it was reformed again in 1948 when it was amalgamated with the 7th Battalion. Today, its honours and traditions are perpetuated by the 8th/7th Battalion, Royal Victoria Regiment.Rectangular shaped black and white photograph.THE AUSTRALIAN, May 3, 1941. THE 8TH BATTALION IN CAMP AT ELCHO FARM, GELONG IN 1934. 8th battalion, ww1, australian infantry, lara r.s.l.

3 photos mounted on A4 paperHarry Walker Joe Bromley 2nd MG Coy Sam Ellisphotographs, world war one, army, lara r.s.l. infantry, ww1.

The 8th Battalion was an infantry battalion of the Australian Army. Initially raised in 1914 for the First Australian Imperial Force during the First World War the battalion was completely recruited from Victoria and formed part of the 2nd Brigade, 1st Division. During the war it fought at Gallipoli and in France and Belgium on the Western Front. It was disbanded in 1919, before being re-raised as a Militia battalion in 1921.Rectangular Black and White Photograph mounted on Grey CardboardFront H. WaL? George Crawford Elcho Farm Lara 1936-1937elcho farm lara 1936 1937 photo george crawford

This chart displays unit colour patches worn by members of the Australia Military forces during World War 11. The Australian Military Forces consisted of the 2nd Australian Imperial Force, The Citizens Military Forces and the Permanent Military Force.Chart: Paper, colour illustrations of the " Colour Patches" with black printed numbers 1 - 630. Information on "Colour Patches" printed below illustrations in black ink. Mount: - cardboard, black with gold inner edge. Frame: Timber, mid brown colour with varnish finish. Decorative edge with perspex front. Backing: timber plywood, paper delivery docket adhered to backing. Small adhesive labels on front and back.Printed in red ink on chart, COLOUR PATCHES/ OF THE/ AUSTRALIAN MILITARY FORCES - WORLD WAR 11. Small adhesive labels, white, printed back ink "74".print, ww11, military, uniforms

This flag was taken on Morotai in 1945 by B. Olsson VX120814 2/32 Battalion, 2nd AIF. Pre service as V245126 from 5.11.1941 - 10.12.1942, transfer to the 2nd AIF No VX120814 1.12.1942 age 20 years, served on Moravian and Borneo from 8.4.1945 0 26.1.1946, discharged from the Army 16.7.1946 as a Pte in 2/32nd BN.Rectangular silk flag white in colour with a solid red circle in the middle which is 40cm in diameter. The red circle is surrounded by Japanese writing in black ink. The flag is edged with black and red stitching. Silk cords are attached to two adjacent corners.Japanese writing - handwritten in black ink.flags, japanese imperial army, world war 2

Seymour and Puckapunyal areas Military history. "Spans well over 130 years from the Colonial days, the post Federation era, the First and Second World Wars, the Korean War and 1st National Service scheme to the Vietnam War and the 2nd National Service scheme".Soft cover book. Soft cover - heavy gauge paper, black, red and white print on front and back. Front illustrated black and white photograph soldiers on parade with background of buildings. Bacl - illustrated lightly coloured map. 65 pages - cut, plain, sewn, gloss white. Illustrated black and white, sepia and colour photographs and maps.book, military history, seymour and puckapunyal

These photographs and medals are of the McIntyre family. Three members of Lara's McIntyre family served during the First and Second World Wars, and two were members of the Lara RSL. John Lachlan McIntyre was born at Beeac, Victoria in December 1890. He enlisted in the 1st AIF in July 1915. John fought on the Western Front, taking part in the battles of Fromelles and the 2nd Battle of the Somme. He was severely wounded at Fromelles and spent 12 months in hospital in England before returning to the front. John returned home in 1919 and was granted a soldier settlement block in Lara in 1937. He was a founding member of Lara RSL and is its longest serving member. John died in 1990. Thomas Gordon McIntyre was born at Lara in 1901. Thomas, known as Gordon, was too young to enlist in the First World War with his brothers. At the outbreak of the Second World War he joined the 2/2nd Pioneer Battalion. He fought in the Syrian Campaign, before being recalled to Australia to fight in the pacific campaign. Gordon was wounded in a battle against the Japanese in Java on the 19/02/1942, and taken prisoner. No record of him after this was ever discovered, and he is presumed to have been killed. Jim McIntyre was born in 1893, and grew up in Lara and Geelong. Jim enlisted in the 1st AIF in 1916, and served with the 14th Battalion through the war. He was wounded twice. Jim died in 1976. The McIntyre family were early pioneers in the Lara district, and the brothers were founding members of the Lara RSL. Their medals and photographs represent a significant link to the history of the town and sub-branch. Three photographs and three sets of medals in a pine wood frame with glass covering. Photographs are black and white portraits of soldiers in uniform mounted on cream card. The medals are mounted on black felt. T.G. McIntyre VX20754 - 35-45 Star, Africa Star, Pacific Star, Defence Medal, War Medal and the Australian Service Medal 39-45. J.L. McIntyre 3591 - War Medal and Victory Medal J.W. McIntyre 7049 - War Medal and Victory Medal J.L. McIntyre REG. No. 3591 58th. BATT. 1st A.I.F Foundation Member Lara R.S.L 1890 - 1990 REG. NO. VX20754 T.G. MC INTYRE 2/2nd PIONEERS 2nd A.I.F 7049 J.W. McINTYRE 14th BTN. 1893-1975photograph, mcintyre, medals, wwi, wwii, world war 1, world war 2, aif, pioneers, lara, rsl

Cpl. Ronald Warren Ellis, EM (VX502517) was born in Brunswick in 1927. His family moved to Lara when he was young, and his schooling took place at the Lara State School. After finishing his education, Ron took up employment at Sims Coopers in Corio. Ron was enlisted in the second AIF at Melbourne, and posted to the 3rd Recruit Training Battalion at Greta west of Newcastle, NSW. After 3 months training, he was sent to the Service Corps Training Centre for driver and maintenance training in Ingleburn, south of Sydney. When this course was completed, Ron was posted to the Australian Army Service Corps as a driver motor vehicle with the 2nd AIF. Rons service with the AIF lasted 425 days, when he was then transferred to the Interim Army for a further 309 days. The duration of his service was in NSW. Ron was discharged from the Army in Melbourne on the 4th of May 1948. In 1957, Ron enlisted in the CMF and served with 22nd Construction Squadron for 17 years with the last 5 as a Corporal, and was awarded the Efficiency Medal for long service and good conduct.Brown canvas booklet that is folded into three. Licence gives details of Army number, name, rank and type of vehicle that is able to be driven. Licence has been issued to Private Ronald Warren Ellis on 24/01/1948. No. 258778 Army No. V?SOL517 Rank: Private Name in full: Ellis, Ronald Warren Unit: Transferred to (unit): Having passed the prescribed tests ... authorised to drive... types of ... vehicles within the Commonwealth of Australia and Territories. Signature of Driver: drivers licence, australian military forces, army, private, ellis, ww2, wwii, world war two, second world war

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 Chart displays unit colour patches worn by members of the Australian military forces during world war 2. the Australian Military forces consisted of the 2nd Australian Imperial Forces and the Permanent Military ForcesDuring the world wars and the years in between, Australian soldiers wore cloth patches of various shapes and colours on their upper sleeves to indicate to which unit or formation they belonged. The use of colour patches was discontinued in 1949 when the British system of embroidered shoulder titles, formation signs and lanyards was adopted. In July 1987 colour patches were reintroduced in order to foster the Army’s heritage and are now worn on the right side of the puggaree on the slouch hat. Coloured Print of Colour Patches of the Australian Military Forces World War TwoNumbered Colour Patches and descriptions of each patch 1 to 630

Item relates to Leslie Raymond HUGHES. He initially enlisted in the CMF No V56193. Stationed in Geraldton he then transferred to the 2nd AIF No VX88615 age 23 years on 22.7.1942. He was discharged from the Army on 22.3.1946 ad a Pte in 2/1st Aust Gaurd Regt.Coloured certificate - The Call to Arms. From Borough of Castlemaine paying tribute to Leslie Raymond HUGHES who served in the World War 1939 - 1945. Top of certificate has a photo of King George between a Union Jack & Australian flag. Regimental badges are around the border & a red seal is bottom L. Signed by the Mayor, Councillor & Town Clerk. Certificate is attached to metal backing with heavy clear plastic.documents - certificates, military history - army, civic mementoes

From page following title page: "2/2 Pioneer Battalion History. To the memory of All Ranks of the 2/2 Pioneer Battalion who were killed or died, as free men or prisoners during the Second World War" Refer Cat No 4072.2P, John Donald (Jock) VX19003, POW twice. Hard cover, cardboard, buckram, dark red colour, gold print on spine. 228 pages, cut plain white. Illustrated with black & white photos & maps. Front & back fly leaf & end papers illustrated, grey & white drawing of a scene with trees & soldiers in action. book, 2/2nd, pioneer

Biography of 3 Wright brothers and 1 Wright cousin. Refer Cat No 780.Soft, lightweight cardboard cover. White print on front, spine & back. Front cover background is glossy black with a small black / white photo of soldiers in silhouette above a Rising Sun badge. A colour photo of a slouch hat is on the back cover. No page numbers. Illustrated black / white, sepia & colour photos, newspaper clippings, colour patches & medals. 2nd front fly leaf: “This book is dedicated to the memory of brothers Charles, George and Thomas Wright and their cousin Alan Wright”book, wright, brothers

Bruce SHELLARD enlisted initially as No V145106 then transferred to the 2nd AIF No VX133235 on 5.3.1943 age 44 years. He was discharged on 4.12.1945 with the rank of Major in HQ NT Force.Colour certificate with Australian & Union Jack flags at top. Members of the 3 services around edges. Brown wooden frame, green border & glass front. Black cardboard backing with gold wire hanging strap.Printed on certificate: “FOR DUTY NOBLY DONE. Borough of Daylesford. Presented to B Shellard. For services rendered for King & Country in the World War 1939 - 1945. Seventh June 1948 Bottom L: “Red seal”certificates, shire, daylesford

Covers are yellow/orange with all writing in blue. Title at top, globe depiction of the world central at bottom "An Argus Production, Price Two shillings. 63 pages of history with full page map every 2nd page.books, maps, story

Coloured framed print of "Historical record of the end of the 2nd European War", has Bendigo Business Adverts Print - black, blue, red print, illustrated with portraits and and flags; and Bendigo Business Advertisements. Frame - timber, mid brown and gold colour marbled effect paint with decorative edge. Glass front. Mount - off white colour cardboard.illustrations-prints, frame accessories; trades - carpentry, ww2, history

George Alfred Yung, known as Alf, pictured in the second row, 10th from the left, enlisted on 25/02/1916; embarked on 19/02/1917; was killed during the battle of Menin Gate at Yrpres, Belgium on 20/09/1917. https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/U51447 The 7th Battalion was among the first infantry units raised for the AIF during the First World War. Like the 5th, 6th and 8th Battalions, it was recruited from Victoria and, together with these battalions, formed the 2nd Brigade. The battalion was raised by Lieutenant Colonel H. E. "Pompey" Elliott within a fortnight of the declaration of war in August 1914 and embarked just two months later. After a brief stop in Albany, Western Australia, the battalion proceeded to Egypt, arriving on 2 December. It later took part in the ANZAC landing on 25 April 1915, as part of the second wave. Ten days after the landing, the 2nd Brigade was transferred from ANZAC to Cape Helles to help in the attack on the village of Krithia. The attack captured little ground but cost the brigade almost a third of its strength. The Victorian battalions returned to ANZAC to help defend the beachhead, and in August the 2nd Brigade fought at the battle of Lone Pine. While holding positions captured by the 1st Brigade, four members of the 7th Battalion, Corporal A. S. Burton, Acting Corporal W. Dunstan, Lieutenant W. Symons and Captain F. H. Tubb, earned the Victoria Cross - Burton posthumously. The battalion served at ANZAC until the evacuation in December. After the withdrawal from Gallipoli in December 1915, the battalion returned to Egypt. In March 1916, it sailed for France and the Western Front and entered the front line trenches for the first time on 3 May. The battalion's first major action in France was at Pozieres in the Somme valley where it fought between 23-27 July and 15-21 August. After Pozieres the battalion manned trenches in the Ypres salient in Belgium, before returning to the Somme valley. It saw out the horrendous winter of 1916-1917 rotating between training, working parties and duty in the trenches. In early 1917, the Germans withdrew to the Hindenburg Line and the 7th Battalion participated in the brief advance that followed and then came to a grinding halt before Bullecourt. The battalion was withdrawn from the front line for training on 9 May 1917 and did not return to action until the Ypres offensive of September and October. It fought major battles at Menin Road on 20 September and Broodseinde on 4 October, and then spent much of ensuing winter in the Ypres mud. In March and April 1918 the 7th helped stop the German spring offensive in northern France and later participated in the Allies' own great offensive of 1918, that began with the battle of Amiens on 8 August. The advance by British and empire troops on 8 August was the greatest success in a single day on the Western Front, one that German General Erich Ludendorff described as, "the black day of the German Army in this war". The battalion continued operations until late September 1918. At 11 am on 11 November 1918, the guns fell silent. The November armistice was followed by the peace treaty of Versailles signed on 28 June 1919. In November 1918 members of the AIF began to return to Australia for demobilisation and discharge. In March, the battalion was so reduced that it and the 6th Battalion were amalgamated to form a composite battalion. In turn, this battalion was merged with another, formed from the 5th and 8th Battalions, to form the 2nd Brigade Battalion. https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/U51447army, soldier, alf yung, 7th australian infantry battalion

One star on the clasp means " One son K.I.A in WWII" This Mothers and Windows Badge was issued to Mrs M Baldwin, the mother of Pte Walter Robert Baldwin who died as a prisoner of war in Burma on the 27th of May 1943. He rests at the Thanbyuzayat Prisoner of War Cemetery, which is in what is now called Myanmar. This is a Death Railway related POW cemetery. Walter Baldwin was born in Mildura on the 12th of May 1921, and prior to enlisting lived at Iron Bark in Bendigo with his parents. He enlisted as No VX55835 in the 2nd AIF on 14.5.1941 in the 2/29th Batt aged 20 years. Embarked for Singapore on 30.7.1941 and disembarked 15.8.1941. He contracted Malaria in a December 1941. Taken POW early 1942 he is listed as died suffering from Cholera on 27.5.1943. “The 2/29th Infantry Battalion was formed at Bonegilla in Victoria in October 1940. It was part of the 8th Division's 27th Brigade, which was the last AIF infantry brigade raised for service during the Second World War.” Badge, metal, "for Australia." Circular section depicting a woman, wreath and an arm. suspended by two rings is a clasp with one star =. Rear has 2 lugs and a pin." issued by C'wlth govt A12229”numismatics - badges - military - army, mothers, widows

Alan Kenneth NAISMITH DCM, VX4838, 2/7th Batt 2nd AIF. Refer Cat No 1421 for his service details.Certificate, framed. Appreciation Certificate from Shire of Rochester to Alan Kenneth Naismith DCM. Rendered by Alan Kenneth Naismith as a member of empires fighting forces which preserved our freedom in world war 2, 1939 -1945. Signed by President, Councilor and Shire Secretary 24th April 1946. Wooden gold frame, glass front. White background with gold and blue decorative boarder. Blue printing with red seal.Donated by A.K. NAISMITH (refer book 49). Sticker L.H.S. bottom W. MOORE. Picture framer View Street Bendigo - sticker on back.documents - certificates, frames, shires ww2

Roy Henry CLEE No VX28338 enlisted in the 2nd AIF on 20.6.1940 age 24 years. At discharge from the Army on 19.9.1945 he was a Pte in No 37 Employment Coy.Brown plastic frame with gold trim, glass front, brown paper backing. “On the 50th Anniversary of the End of the Second World War, a grateful nation expresses its thanks to R H CLEE. Signed by Prime Minister, Minister for Veteran's Affairs & Federal Member. Stamp on back: Galleria Framing & Prints.”documents - certificates, military history, government - federal govt, 50th anniversary, clee

Cloth handkerchief sent to family in Australia by Noel Louis Blundell, a 2nd AIF serviceman in Syria during World War 2. The handkerchief is maroon in colour and made from a square piece of silk-like cloth. The edges of the cloth have been cut in decorative pattern. The cloth has been decorated with a paint like material on one side which is gold in colour and contains some golden glitter particles.The handkerchief is inscribed around the perimeter with the following words "MEMORY OF SYRIA" and "SOUVENIR D'SYRIE". In one corner of the square there is a bird (dove?) holding a flag as it is flying over another inscription "SOUVENIR D'SYRIE". Above the flag are 17 stars. The flag is of unknown origin at this stage. souvenir, ww2, world war 2, handkerchief, syria, blundell, noel blundell

Christmas card sent to a family in Australia by Australian Army serviceman, Noel Blundell who served in Syria during World war 2. The card is in the form of a booklet consisting of the cover and one double page insert. The card front cover has the Australian 'Rising Sun' badge and the words "9th Australian Divisional Cavalry Regiment" and "A. I. F.". The centre pages have an illustration of a village scene on the left page and the words "A Merry Christmas And A Happy New Year" printed on the right page. The serviceman has written "To Alice From Noel" beneath the Christmas message. At the bottom of this page are the words "MIDDLE EAST" and "DECEMBER 1941". The rear cover page has an illustration of two camels, one leading the other.christmas, middle east, 2nd aif, army, aif, ww2, world war 2, syria, blundell, noel blundell, 9th australian division

Christmas card which was sent to a family in Australia by Australian Army serviceman, Lewis Jones who served during World War 2. The card is in the form of a small folded card. The front cover has the Australian 'Rising Sun' badge printed above the following words "Christmas Greetings from 2/11 Battalion A. I. F.". There is some ornate artwork on this cover and a small illustration which appears to be of a middle east village scene. The inside cover page has the following (apparently written by the serviceman) "To Alice & Family Wishing You all a Merry Xmas and a Happy New Year With best of luck From Lewis"christmas, middle east, 2nd aif, army, aif, ww2, world war 2, 2nd 11th battalion

Black and white photograph of two Australian Army soldiers in winter uniform. The soldier to the left in the photograph is Noel Blundell, the other soldier is unknown. The photograph was sent home to family by Noel Blundell who served in the Middle East during World War 2. middle east, 2nd aif, australia, army, aif, ww2, world war 2, soldier

Christmas postcard with two black and white photographs on the front. To the right is a portrait image of Noel Blundell, an Australian Army soldier in summer uniform. To the left is a woman with two children in an outdoor setting. To the woman's right is a teenage boy and to the woman's left is a younger teenage girl. The photograph was sent home to family by Noel Blundell who served in the Middle East during World War 2. The card is inscribed "A Happy Christmas and A Victorious New Year"postcard, christmas, middle east, 2nd aif, australia, army, aif, ww2, world war 2

Small black and white photograph of a group of seven Australian Army soldiers. The soldiers in the photograph include Noel Blundell who is apparently "taking bets", the other soldiers are unknown. The photograph was sent home to family by Noel Blundell who served in the Middle East during World War 2. Inscibed on the reverse of the photograph are the hand written words; "Noel Blundell taking bets in the desert in Syria 1940's"2nd aif, australia, army, aif, ww2, world war 2, soldier, syria

Diver's underwater compass used by British Royal Navy clearance divers during World War ll. Originally issued to ex-RN demolition diver (frogman), PO Leslie Wade, service number RJX 162991 of the Landing Craft Obstacle Clearance Unit (LCOCU), 1939 to 1945. Wade participated in the 'Operation Overlord' D Day landing at 'Juno' Beach, Normandy, France on the 6th June, 1944, in the early hours of the morning prior to the Canadian Army task force landing. Wade was with the LCOCU team tasked with clearing anti landing craft obstacles which were destroyed by placing explosive demolition charges. note: at some stage during the day Wade was wounded by enemy mortar fire and successfully evacuated to England for treatment. This compass is a large round prismatic type compass in a substantial watertight housing designed to be worn on the lower arm (wrist area). There is a thick leather two piece strap for attaching to the arm. The compass is presumably oil filled with a rotating disc marked with the numerals 2 to 34 in mirror image characters. The compass reading is viewed through a prismatic lens attached over the fixed heading marker.The rotating disc is marked with the usual compass markings of "N, E, S, W". The disc is marked in five degree divisions with mirror image numerals indicating the "2nd to 34th" major divisions. The circular bezel surrounding the compass viewing glass is stamped "Patt 251, No 177D"compass, frogman, diver, underwater