WWII Historical significance with some information of the Dandenong area.Black and white framed photo of 408537 Sgt R.R.E. Swords 23 Sep 1912 - 21 Jan 1943. This photograph is a tribute to the late Robert Richard Falkiner Swords. 'Bob' as he was known to his friends and most townsfolk of Dandenong and it's people. His older brother James, served in the First World War and later was a founding member of the Dandenong RSL Sub-Branch, formed in 1919, was its second President and also served a term as Honorary Secretary and Treasurer. James was the Editor of Dandenong's first newspaper, the Dandenong Advertiser. 'Bob' Swords was also a member of the Dandenong Advertiser newspaper and was a driving force in Dandenong getting it's own Hospital. For many years his photo hung over the entrance to the old building, which was demolished some years back. Regrettably this photo was lost. Bob enlisted into the Royal Australian Air Force to train as a pilot on 26 April 1941 and after initial training embarked to Southern Rhodesia. After completion of initial flight training he then moved to England for advanced training, prior to postings onto an OTU. He was tragically killed during this phase of training on 21 January 1943. The gentleman with in this photo is believed to be his South African Flying Instructor 'Panda' Watkins. His grave in England has a lovely headstone and the inscription: 'Service Above Self'. (As advised by Robert Richard Kudyba OAM).Brass plaque stating 4085537 Sgt R.R.F. Swords 23 Sept 1912 - 21 Jan 1943.

Photograph album belonging to Eric Gibson Hamilton Born 20/12/1919 at Tallangatta in Victoria - VX42389 2/32nd Inf Bat AIF. It contains over 300 black and white images/photographs taken during WW2 in the Middle East at Tobruk, Libian Desert,Syria, Aleppo, Damascus,Beirut, Egypt, Palestine,Tel Aviv, Jerusalem and Gaza. Images include battles, cemeteries, ruins, cities and local way of life. Inside rear cover is a photograph of large group of nurses from the 4th A.G.H. Below each image is a hand written text in white ink. There are two images of "Jock Sparks"This photo album was created by Serviceman Eric Hamilton. The photos document Eric’s personal war experiences taken at various locations in the middle east during the second world war.Dark Blue leather bound album with red leather strap and silver plastic claspInside front cover - Eric Gibson Hamilton VX42389 2/32nd Inf. Bat. A.I.Fphotographs, ww2, middle east, eric hamilton, 2/32nd infantry battalion

This photograph shows the Greensborough Ladies Auxiliary of the Red Cross during World War 1. Taken outside the Rechabite Hall during the Red Cross Fete. See caption file for names. (Newspaper Article dated 3/11/1917 about a Red Cross Bazaar [1914-1918])Shows many of the early residents of Greensborough. An example of the social work being undertaken in the area in the early 20th century.2 x A4 pages, photocopied. One of photograph and second of caption for photographgreensborough, red cross, red cross ladies auxiliary

Large brown timber framed black and white map with dotted lines arrows and circles.The Kokoda Trail First Half Kokoda to Efogi Second Half Efogi to Owers Cornerkokoda trail, papua new guinea, world war 2

The striking image on the poster shows men crowded on the deck after the successful action against the Italian Cruiser Bartolomeo Colleoni on 19 July 1940. On 19 November 1941, while returning from convoy duty in Java, HMAS Sydney was engaged by the German armed merchant cruiser Kormoran 130 miles off the West Australian coastline. The faces of many of the 645 servicemen who died in Australia’s greatest naval tragedy feature on this special poster produced to commemorate the anniversary of the loss of the HMAS Sydney. For more than six decades the location of the Sydney had remained a mystery until the wreckages of both HMAS Sydney and the German Armed Merchant Cruiser Kormoran were discovered around 112 nautical miles off Steep Point, Western Australia. The sinking of the Sydney and the loss of all her crew in the Second World War is the single greatest naval tragedy Australia has experienced in Australian waters.Black plastic frame with grey mount containing poster/photograph of Navy crew on ship and in foreground. top left corner - Lest We Forget Bottom of print - HMAS SYDNEY 19 November, 1941 hmas sydney, ww2, 19/11/1941, kormoran, ran

TARAKAN, BORNEO, 1945-05-08. GENERAL SIR THOMAS A. BLAMEY, COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF, ALLIED LAND FORCES, SOUTH WEST PACIFIC AREA, (4), DRINKING COFFEE WITH SENIOR OFFICERS OUTSIDE THE SALVATION ARMY RED SHIELD HUT DURING HIS INSPECTION TOUR OF THE 2/23 INFANTRY BATTALION. IDENTIFIED PERSONNEL ARE:- BRIGADIER D.A. WHITEHEAD, COMMAND 26 INFANTRY BRIGADE, (1); LIEUTENANT COLONEL F.A.G. TUCKER, (2); LIEUTENANT COLONEL DWYER, (3); LIEUTENANT GENERAL F.H. BERRYMAN, GENERAL OFFICER COMMANDING 1 CORPS (5). Brigadier David Adie Whitehead had a distinguished and decorated career in both First and Second World Wars. He joined the Citizen Military Forces when it was raised in 1947 and commanded the 2nd Armoured Brigade (4th/19th Prince of Wales’s Light Horse and 8th/13th Victorian Mounted Rifles Regiments) till 1953 The 2/24th Battalion was an infantry battalion of the Australian Army, which served during World War II .A unit of all-volunteers, it was formed in July 1940 from primarily Victorian volunteers and was known as "Wangaratta's Own" because of the time the battalion spent in the town during its formative period prior to deployment overseas. It served in North Africa in 1941–1942 as part of the 26th Brigade, which was assigned to the 7th Division, before being reassigned to the 9th Division. In early 1943, the battalion returned to Australia and later took part in campaigns against the Japanese in New Guinea in 1943–1944 and Borneo in 1945, before being disbanded in 1946. The 2/24th suffered the highest number of casualties of any 2nd AIF infantry battalion. The Unit was granted the Freedom of the City by the Rural City of Wangaratta in 1990 and one of the first, if not the first, to receive this type of honourReproduced black and white photograph of four Army Officers having a brew under roof of thatched hut and in front of banner of The Salvation Army/Australian Comfort Fund Handwritten on note attached to rear -Whitehead on L Blamey on R - Qld tablelands (?)general blamey, brigadier whitehead, 26th brigade

Hand draw sketch on cloth handkerchief by Private Edward CURRAN VX143967 - Born Wangaratta 6/6/1923 Service - CMF 23/1/1942-11/7/1943 AIF 12/7/1943-15/10/1945 24th Battalion Embarked 29/3/1943 for New Guinea. Cotton handkerchief depicting hand drawn sketch by soldier whilst on active service in New Guinea during second world war.Brown timber frame and beige mount containing sketch of a koala in a blue diamond above a boomerang on cloth Bouganville New Guinea 24th Battalion AIF "I Hold Fast" Plaque with inscription "Private Edward Joseph Curran 24th Infantry Battalion Australian Imperial Force - New Guinea and Bougainville"new guinea, ww2, 24 battalion, edward curran

DH Tiger Moth Aircraft were used by the RAAF as elementary trainers in the empire air training scheme of 1940-44 during which time Australia trained 27,387 aircrew members. Although primarily employed as trainers, a few Tiger Moths were camouflaged and used operationally with army co-operation units in New Guinea. The Tiger Moth remained in RAAF service for almost 17 years, and several Tiger Moths were also transferred to the RAN after World War II. Eventually, on 9 January 1957, the last 10 RAAF Tiger Moths were flown from Point Cook to Tocumwal for disposal.The de Havilland Tiger Moth aircraft is a 1930's biplane which was a primary trainer aircraft used to train over 27,000 aircrew in Australia during the Second World War.Black frame with gold insert and cream mounting containing black and white photo of several planes in the background and numerous aircrew members in the foreground. Front: Aircrew Training. DH Tiger Moth Aircraft were used by the RAAF as elementary trainers in the empire air training scheme of 1940-44 during which time Australia trained 27,387 aircrew members. Royal Australian Air Force No.11 in a series of 25. raaf, aircrew, training, world war 2, tiger moth

Ill, p.361.ACF, a commonwealth-wide voluntary organisation accredited to the Royal Australian Navy, the Australian Military Forces and the Royal Australian Air Force and charged with the duty of caring for all fit and well members of the Australian Forces during the Second World War, 1939-1945australian comforts fund - history, civilian war relief

Private James Argent (318), served with the No. 8 Platoon, B. Company, 21st Battalion, 6th Brigade, 2nd Division. He was born in Yandoit, and was a 24 year old labourer when he enlisted for service at Kingston on 20 April 2015 during World War One. His next of kin was his wife Harriett Argent of Kooroocheang, Victoria. He was wounded in Acton at France on 04 July 1914, and had shell shock for the second occasion on 03 August 1916. On 22 August 1916 he embarked on the "Denis" for England suffering from Shell Shock. He was transferred permanently to Base in England on 18 June 1917. He was admitted to hospital with VD on 21 August 1917 (63 days), and sailed for Australia on 30 January 1918 with Neurasthenia. (NAA: B2455, ARGENT J)Photographic portrait of James Argent in his World World One AIF uniform. j. argent, world war one, 21st battalion, yandoit, kooroocheang, james argent, harriett argent, uniform, aif

The volume contains some 68 issues of the MMTB Tramway Topics from 1941 to 1950. Some issues have been typed rather than printed. Possibly copy-typed from the originals to make up a complete set. Finishes soon after the appointment of Mr Risson as Chairman. Provides observations, stories, news and information about the MMTB activities, and news from other tramway systems and buses. Also includes notes on the PCC car, wartime work, and why trams are better than buses.Yields information about the war time activities of the MMTB during the second world war and to 1950.Digital image of a book or bound volume of a set of 68 magazines published by the MMTB 1941 to 1950. Has a letter from Lewis Russell Public Relations Officer stapled into the front page, loose copy of issue 67. Scanned from the copy held in the Peter Duckett Library at the Museum. Scanned into 6 volumes with word recognition software.tramways, news, mmtb, lewis russell

The Mark II Pilot Balloon Slide Rule was made of wood laminated with heavy white plastic with a length of 24.5-in. and width of 2.5 inches. Mark II rules were manufactured in Australia by W & G (Melbourne). The W & G rule differs only slightly from the English A. G. Thornton LTD rule. The W & G rule uses serif fonts and has some fiducial marks that the English rule lacks. Exact dates of production are not known but the MK II is known to have started production by 1927. The printed scales are engraved in the plastic faces. The slide rule has 4 captive cursors (glass windows and brass guides) that ride in slots on the top and bottom edges. Each can be moved independently of one another. The cursors are missing from this item. Brass knobs at both ends of the slide facilitate its movement. The case is fabric covered wood with felt lining. No known history for this item as located in a property after purchase. The Pilot Balloon slide rule is used to convert the observed azimuth and elevation readings into wind velocity and direction records. The use of slide rules was abandoned with the wide spread adoption of computers and programs to do the calculations, as well as the decline in the use of optical pilot balloon theodolites.Made in Australia by White & Gillespie (Melb) Pty Ltd. Established in 1910, the firm was involved mainly in printing plate manufacture, but during the Second World War it manufactured a variety of navigational aids and range finding devices for the military. About 250,000 instruments were made during that period. After the war the company produced, among other items, drawing instruments and slide rules. The long narrow case is fabric covered wood with felt fabric lining containing a long black laminate ruler with numerous white markings and numbers. Top of the ruler is in three sections with the centre section movable by small gold metal knobs at either end. This slide rule contains a engraved notation on the rear face "IMPORTANT. NORMALLY NUMBER OF GRATICULE SCALE DIVISIONS PER RADIAN (K) X LENGTH OF TAIL IN FEET (I) = 12X 105. IN OTHER CASES MULTIPLY GRATICULE READINGS BY 1.2/KI BEFORE CALCULATION ON RULE" Top of Slide Rule - RAAF Ident No G268/480 Serial WG/22pilot balloon slide rule, raaf

One of the first books published about Australian Tramway systems. Compiled by Jack Richardson as Editor who went on to publish the Destination series of tramway books. Provides information about the tramcars of each Australian tramway system and some photos and information on USA systems.Demonstrates publishing of magazines and books after the second world war and the work of Jack Richardson.Book 56 pages, grey covers, side stapled and bound.books, tramways, australia, melbourne, traction publications

Pictured is Stathi Raftopoulos at Raft's Cafe which was located at 301 Swanston Street, Melbourne and was typical of many such businesses owned and operated by Greek migrants from Ithaca who had arrived in Australia before World War II. Stathi's family owned a business in Merbein in north-west Victoria before moving to Melbourne. Stathi eventually went into partnership and established the Cosmopolitan Picture Company which brought Greek films to Melbourne's Greek community during the 1960s through to the early 1980s. Ithacan Greeks who arrived in Australia during the first half of the twentieth century honed their entrepreneurial skills and found employment opportunities in various areas of the food service industry. Before the end of the Second World War many of the eating places in Melbourne, which included fish and grill rooms, tea rooms and milk bars, were owned by Ithacan Greeks. A black and white photograph with a white surround. A young man is standing behind a counter in a milk bar. There is a poster advertising a Greek film as well as crates of coca cola stacked in the background. The counter is finished in wood veneer. Boxes of assorted lollies are on the shelves behind. On the counter there is a container of straws .

The passenger liner 'Queen Frederica' was one of the many ships that transported Greek emigrants to Australia in the post World War 2 years up until air travel became a more efficient and faster means of travel. Between 1945 and 1965, two million immigrants arrived in Australia. The decision by the Australian Government to open up the nation in this way was based on the notion of ‘populate or perish’ that emerged in the wake of the Second World War. Among the new immigrants were the first government-sanctioned non-British migrants.A black and white photograph of a ship berthed at Princes Pier, Port Melbourne. Rail trucks and a crane are in the middle distance and a car, utility and trailer are parked beside the ship. The photograph has been mounted on chip board.51A/ 26port melbourne.

The two men, Spiros Raftopoulos and Ioannis Metaxas, joined the army to fight in the Balkan Wars which involved two conflicts that took place in the Balkan Peninsula between 1912 and 1913. In the first conflict Greece, Bulgaria, Romania and Serbia defeated the Ottoman Empire in the First Balkan War; in the second conflict Bulgaria unsuccessfully contested the distribution by its former allies of territory taken from the Turks during the First Balkan War. A number of Greeks who had emigrated to Australia and other parts of the world returned to Greece to fight in those wars.The men returning to fight for the country of their birth were motivated by their patriotism. Even though they had sought a new life in another country they felt strongly the need to return to their homeland to join the struggle. A black and white photograph of two soldiers dressed in Greek army uniform which was worn in the early years of the twentieth century. The two men are holding rifles and have a load of bullets strapped across their shoulders. The original photograph was mounted on fawn and dark green board.A strip of paper has been stuck across the bottom of the photograph with the names of the two men written in Greek and English. S.RAFTOPOULOS AND K. METAXIS IN THE ARMY 1913.

Prior to the advent of the ferry service Ithacans who wished to travel to the mainland sailed by ship. The 'Angelika', photographed in Ithaca's port harbour of Vathi, transported most of the post WWII Ithacan migrants to the main Greek port of Piraeus to embark for their journey to Australia. Migration from Ithaca to Australia ceased during the second world war years. A second wave commenced in the post war years, particular following the 1953 earthquakes which caused catastrophic damage to the island. Today travel between Ithaca and the mainland is by ferry boats. Ships and ferry boats no longer enter the harbour at Vathi, but rather dock at Piso Aetos. A black and white photograph with a thin white border of a ship steaming out of a harbour with smaller craft in the water. People are standing on the wharf watching the boat depart; behind them are buildings and mountains across the skyline.

Young Greek born men who had migrated to Australia were recruited to the defence forces during World War 2. Pictured is a group belonging to Civilian Military Forces. Standing, second from the right, is Nakis (Nick) Raftopoulos.During the period of the second world war, Ithacans who were unnaturalised were recruited into the Civilian Military Forces as 'Allied Aliens' and served the war effort on the home front. Naturalised Ithacans saw active service.A black and white photograph of nine men in army uniform at a camp. Five men are standing behind the other four who are sitting in front.

The children were photographed at an Ithacan picnic which was held at one of the racecourses in the Melbourne area in the 1930s. The annual Ithacan picnic is one of the most enduring events for the Ithacan community of Melbourne where generations of families gather to reconnect with heritage. The children photographed were all second generation Australian born children with Ithacan born parent/s. Up until the post second world war period Ithacans were the largest Greek community in Melbourne.A sepia photograph of a large group of children standing in a racecourse in front of a fence with a small judges box immediately behind the group. They have been arranged in three rows with the row in front sitting on the grass and the remaining two rows standing behind them.

Ill. index, p.245.non-fictionThe second world war in words and picturesworld war 1939-1945 - history, world war 1939-1954 - photographic record

Index, ill, maps, p.706.non-fictionOf all the Australians who fought in the Second World War, none saw more action nor endured so much of its hardship and horror as the crew of the cruiser HMAS Perth. Most were young - many were still teenagers - from cities and towns, villages and farms across the nation. In three tumultuous years they did battle with the forces of Nazi Germany, Fascist Italy, the Vichy French and, finally, the Imperial Japanese Navy. Off the coast of Java in March 1942 she met an overwhelming enemy naval force. Firing until her ammunition literally ran out, she was sunk with the loss of 353 of her crew, including her much-loved captain. Another 328 men were taken into Japanese captivity, most to become slave labourers in the infinite hell of the Burma-Thai railway. Many died there. Only 218 men, less than a third of her crew, survived to return home at war's end. This is their story. royal australia navy - history, hmss perth

Ill, maps, p.192.non-fictionIllustrated and chronological history of the second world warworld war 1939-1945 - history, world war 1939-1954 - photographic record

Ill, maps, index, p.642.non-fictionIn 1928 the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) acquired the fast and heavy cruiser HMAS Australia, the second RAN ship to bear this name. After being virtually mothballed in the Depression years she would come in to her own as the flagship of the Australian fleet when the world awoke to the menace of Hitler's Germany.royal australia navy - history, history - military - naval - australia

Ill, maps, p.331.non-fictionIn June 1940, following the Nazi invasion of France, Ivor Paech, an ordinary primary school teacher from South Australia, enlisted in the Second AIF - the all-volunteer fighting component of the Australian Army in World War II. The unit he was assigned to would become Australia's most highly decorated infantry battalion of the conflict - the 2/48th Infantry Battalion. Ivor served in the front lines in North Africa during the Siege of Tobruk, both battles of Alamein, and bore witness to some of the most violent fighting undertaken by Australian soldiers during the war. This is Ivor's story, compiled by his grandson who is a former Army officer, based on the diary he kept during the conflict, background research and interviews with surviving members of the unitworld war 1939 – 1945 – campaigns – north africa – syria, world war 1939-1945 - personal narratives - australia

Yields information and has strong association with an important tramway fund raising event during the second world war. The event and other work saw Ballarat conductress Sylvia Mitchell win the Most popular conductress competition from within the Victorian tramway depots.Raffle ticket for the Ballarat Tramway's Patriotic Fair, Most Popular Conductress Competition, Treasure Tram, 1944. Printed on light coloured orange paper, with a two colour, red and green image of the tram. Summary lists of the objects in the treasure tram and what you could use it for. Printed by Waller and Chester by courtesy of Messier and Opie of 17 Bridge St Ballarat. Advises that the results would be published in the papers of 31st July 1944. trams, tramways, world war i, most popular conductress competition, conductresses, treasure tram

Unlike most Australian armoured formations that served only in Australia, the 4th had been organised for “tropical” service and its regiments were equipped with Matilda tanks. Matilda tanks were ideal for supporting the infantry’s operations in the Pacific. In June the brigade moved to Southport, on the Gold Coast, but two months later was transferred to Madang, New Guinea, where it replaced the 1st Tank Battalion. (https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/U54340, accessed 07 September 2018)Gold shaped badge with pin with the Colour Patch of the Second 4th Australian Armoured Regiment.armoured, tank, war, chatham-holmes collection, samuel spittle, world war two, sweetheart brooch, 2/4 armoured regiment, armoured regiment, jewellery

The three soldiers, all from Ithaca, served with the Australian Civilian Military Forces during World War 2. They are pictured at Camp Pell, Royal Park Melbourne where a large military camp was located during World War 2. Naki Raftopoulos is the man being shaved. He migrated as a young boy in the early 1930. Initially the family settled in the Mildura area where other members of the Raftopoulos family were established. Eventually they moved to Melbourne.During the period of the second world war, Ithacans who were unnaturalised were recruited into the Civilian Military Forces as 'Allied Aliens' and served the war effort on the home front. Naturalised Ithacans saw active service. A black and white photograph of three soldiers standing around a fallen tree trunk in a camp. One man is shaving himself while the man in the middle is being shaved. A tent is visible in thew background.army

The soldiers are pictured at Camp Pell, Royal Park Melbourne where a large military camp was located during World War 2. On the right is Naki Raftopoulos who served with the Australian Civilian Military Forces during World War 2. During the period of the second world war, Ithacans who were unnaturalised were recruited into the Civilian Military Forces as 'Allied Aliens' and served the war effort on the home front. Naturalised Ithacans saw active service. Royal Park was used as a temporary army camp during both world wars. Following the Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbour and the entry of the United States into World War II, the camp was used to house some of the 250,000 Americans stationed in Australia. A black and white photograph of two soldiers standing behind a fallen tree trunk at a camp and shaving.army