Uniform cloth badge of the 63A Infantry Division "Cirene" of the Italian Army. The 63rd Infantry Division Cirene was an auto-transportable infantry division of the Italian Army during World War II. The Cirene Division was formed 1 October 1937 and destroyed 5 January 1941 in Bardia. The Australians captured Bardia on 5 January, 1941, taking 45,000 prisoners and 462 guns for a loss of 130 dead and 326 wounded of their own.The 63rd Infantry Division Cirene was an auto-transportable infantry division of the Italian Army during World War II. The Cirene Division was formed 1 October 1937 and destroyed 5 January 1941 in Bardia. small red cloth with gold thread insigniaDivisione 63A "Cirene"battle of bardia, ww2, italian army

This former King's Colour was originally authorised by King George V in 1919 in recognition of services of 11th Battalion (AIF) during the Great War. Presented by HE the Governor General Sir Ronald Munro-Ferguson, PC, CGMG at a parade in King's Park on 2 October 1920 and handed over to 2nd Battalion, 11th Infantry Regiment (Perth Regiment) of the Citizen Forces. In 1921 this unit became re-designated 11th Battalion (The Perth Regiment) (The title was changed to "The City of Perth Regiment" in 1933). Subsequently consecrated by the Chaplain General, Archbishop COL Riley, OBE, VD, DD at a parade on the Esplanade, Perth, 15 November 1924. At the time of presentation this colour was a plain union flag with no central devices or other distinctions included on it. Following Military Board approval given in 1925 the centre circle and Crown were later added, in accordance with the approved design for a King's Colour. With the re-activation of the Citizen Military Forces (CMF) following the Second World War, the 11th/44th Infantry Battalion (The City of Perth Regiment) was raised as a linked battalion in 1948 to carry on the identity and traditions of the pre-war 11th and 44th Battalions respectively. The King's and Regimental Colours formerly held by these two battalions were passed on to the new battalion who paraded them in rotation on ceremonial occasions. With the accession of HM Queen Elizabeth II to the throne in 1953, all Colours that had originally been presented as King's Colours, and were still carried by units on the current Order of Battle, were automatically deemed to be Queen's Colours. Under major reorganisation of the CMF in 1960, all individual infantry battalions that existed at the time within each State were amalgamated to form State regiments, taking effect from 1 July 1960. Thus from that date the 11/44th, 16th and 28th Infantry Battalions were amalgamated to form The Royal Western Australia Regiment. In September 1960, at a ceremonial parade held at Northam Camp, the Colours carried by all former battalions were handed over for safe keeping by the new regiment. Battle Honours for the Second World War were promulgated under Australian Army Order 135/1961 and the 10 selected honours approved for emblazoning on the Queen's Colour were subsequently added in 1962 These former colours were subsequently laid up in the undercroft at the State War Memorial, King's Park on 29 November 1964. These were transferred to the Army Museum of WA in 1988 as part of the Bicentenary Colours Project. Union flag with gold fringes. In the centre the Arabic numeral "11" on a red background within a gold circle inscribed "ELEVENTH INFANTRY - PERTH REGIMENT", surmounted by the Crown. Emblazoned on the colour are the following Second World War Battle Honours:- BARDIA 1941, CAPTURE OF TOBRUK, DERNA, BRALLOS PASS, RETIMO, LIBERATION OF AUSTRALIAN NEW GUINEA, MATAPAU, ABAU-MALIN, WEWAK, WIRUI MISSION

German Luftwaffe (Land Forces) minefield warning flag from WWII.originally intended to be gas markers, rather than mines, but as it turned out, the use changed .they were mounted on a red metal pole & there were 12 to a set in a leather pack. This Flag was presented to the Treasurer of Waverley RSL. It is a souvenir from Bardia in Libya The Battle of Bardia was fought over three days between 3 and 5 January 1941, as part of Operation Compass, the first military operation of the Western Desert Campaign of the Second World War. It was the first battle of the war in which an Australian Army formation took part, the first to be commanded by an Australian general and the first to be planned by an Australian staff. Major General Iven Mackay's 6th Division assaulted the strongly held Italian fortress of Bardia, Libya, assisted by air support and naval gunfire, and under the cover of an artillery barrage. The 16th Infantry Brigade attacked at dawn from the west, where the defences were known to be weak. Sappers blew gaps in the barbed wire with Bangalore torpedoes and filled in and broke down the sides of the anti-tank ditch with picks and shovels. This allowed the infantry and 23 Matilda II tanks of the 7th Royal Tank Regiment to enter the fortress and capture all their objectives, along with 8,000 prisoners. In the second phase of the operation, the 17th Infantry Brigade exploited the breach made in the perimeter, and pressed south as far as a secondary line of defences known as the Switch Line. On the second day, the 16th Infantry Brigade captured the township of Bardia, cutting the fortress in two. Thousands of prisoners were taken, and the Italian garrison now held out only in the northern and southernmost parts of the fortress. On the third day, the 19th Infantry Brigade advanced south from Bardia, supported by artillery and the Matilda tanks, now reduced in number to just six. Its advance allowed the 17th Infantry Brigade to make progress as well, and the two brigades reduced the southern sector of the fortress. Meanwhile, the Italian garrisons in the north surrendered to the 16th Infantry Brigade and the Support Group of the British 7th Armoured Division outside the fortress. In all, some 36,000 Italian prisoners were taken. The victory at Bardia enabled the Allied forces to continue the advance into Libya and ultimately capture almost all of Cyrenaica. In turn this would lead to German intervention in the fighting in North Africa, changing the nature of the war in that theatre. Bardia boosted the competence and reputation of the Australian Army. Perhaps most important of all, it raised confidence in the possibility of an ultimate Allied victory around the world, which would lead to the Lend-Lease Act being passed in the United States http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_BardiaCloth Flag bearing a skull and cross Bones on a metal spike mounted on a square varnished wooden basebardia, land mine, marker flag, minefield, mustard gas

Photographs collected by Earnest Albert Simmons W/2129 Royal Australian Navy. Enlisted 30 June 1941 and discharged 14 October 1946 with the rank of Leading Stoker. Posting at discharge was HMAS Lonsdale..1) Ship .2) Submarine conning tower .3) Ship .4) Hospital ship .5) Ship at anchor .6) Launch at ships side .7) Ships at anchor .8) Sunken ship .9) Ship .10) Group on launch .11) Ship firing a broadside .12) Wooden sailing vessel .13) Ship .14) Ship .15) Pilot station .16) Ship .17) Ship .18) Ship.s deck and biplane .19) Partially sunken ship .20) Two ships .21) Ship .22) Ship - damaged .23) Ship .24) Statue and colonade .25) Searchlights .26) Ships deck at sea .27) Aircraft .28) Ship .29) Ship .30) Troop ship .31) Swimmers at ships side .32) Ship .33) Ship .34) Ship deck at sea .35) Ship .36) Submarine .37) Ship .38) Ship .39) Ship .40) Two ships at sea .41) Ship .42) Aircraft carrier .43) Ships symbol .44) Sketch of Berbera .45) Sketch of biplanes .46) Boat at pier .47) Tug boat .48) Ship .49) Ship at wharf .50) Ships at wharf .51) Aircraft carrier .52) Ship .53) Ship at wharf .54) Ships at wharf .55) Ship .56) Two ships .57) Tug boat .58) Diagram comparing the size of two ships .59) Ship sailing past lighthouse .60) Postcard HMAS "Stuart". .1) Hobart and Glascow at Colombo .2) British submarine returning to Alexandria after claiming a victory - note Skull and X Bones .3) HMS Glascow at Colombo .4) Ex Italian hospital ship taken over by British. RAMB II .5) HMS Exeter .6) The landing party returning .7) Part fleet at Colombo .8) British ammunition ship sunk by sabotage in Alex Harbour .9) HMS Exeter .10) On the approach of the island. Note twin Lewis guns .11) HMS Ajax bombarding Bardia .12) A native boat used along coasts and Indian Ocean .13) RMS Georgie refoated at Pt? 1941 .14) HMS Carthage .15) Pilot station at Colombo .16) Aquitania .17) Ajax on patrol with Hobart and battle fleet .18) Hobart rolling in the Bight .19) HMS Gnat (river gun boat) hit by torpedo at Tobruk .20) - .21) Mauritania .22) Italian cruiser sunk by HMAS Sydney .23) Greek destroyer .24) Memorial of Mohomed Pasha Alexandria. Presented by Musso .25) Searchlight at Alexandria .26) Hobart pile driving in heavy weather .27) Lockheed Hudson dive bombing .28) - .29) HMS Galatea? x 1 turret at stern .30) Troops on Aquitania .31) Boys swimming in the middle lakes at Ismalia in the centre of Sues Canal .32) A water NG ? .33) - .34) Hobart striking heavy weather .35) HMS Jupiter .36) British submarine entering Alex .37) Queen Mary .38) Queen Elizabeth .39) Nieuw Amsterdam .40) - .41) Achilles .42) HMS Aircraft carrier - Illustrious .43) Symbol of Hobart's Pom-Pom .44) - .45) - .46) - .47) - .48) Mohoja and Oronties .49) Mohoja .50) - .51) - .52) HMAS Murchison 1954 .53) Strathmore .54) - .55) - .56 - .57 - .58) HMAS Vendetta .59) HMAS Cowra .60) - photographs, ran, hmas

Image of burial site of Sgt Albert Robert WILLS born 16.11.1917 at Bendigo -VX 5275 He enlisted in 1939 embarked on HMT 'Ettrick" on 14/4/1940 after basic training at Puckapunyal. Disembarked in Egypt on 18/5/1940 and saw action at Bardia, Greece and Syria. Spent time in Lebanon and Ceylon before returning to Australia on 4/8/1942. On 13/10/42 disembarked at Milne Bay New Guinea and took part in the battle for Wau securing the airstrip and surrounding area after heavy fighting. Between 6-9 Feb 2/5 Bn C and D companies supported by A company spearheaded the attack engaged and defeated the enemy thus ending the battle of Wau Sgt WILLS was one of 28 men killed in action in the Crystal Creek area on 7/2/1943 and is buried at Lae War Cemetery. Black and white image of grave with white cross Cof E VX 5275 SGT A R WILLS 2/5 Aust. Inf. Bn. 7.2.43 Rear is stamped with Photograph supplied by Directorate of Graves Registration Victoria Barracks Melbourne - Buried at Laea.r. wills, vx 5275, 2/5th aust. inf. bn, new guinea

Letter lists the service history of Sgt A R WILLS VX 5275 2/5 Infantry Battalion. He enlisted in 1939 embarked on HMT 'Ettrick" on 14/4/1940 after basic training at Puckapunyal. Disembarked in Egypt on 18/5/1940 and saw action at Bardia, Greece and Syria. Spent time in Lebanon and Ceylon before returning to Australia on 4/8/1942. On 13/10/42 disembarked at Milne Bay New Guinea and took part in the battle for Wau securing the airstrip and surrounding area after heavy fighting. Between 6-9 Feb 2/5 Bn C and D companies supported by A company spearheaded the attack engaged and defeated the enemy thus ending the battle of Wau Sgt WILLS was one of 28 men killed in action in the Crystal Creek area on 7/2/1943 and is buried at Lae War Cemetery.Letter consisting of letterhead above black typing on white paperAt top 2/5 Australian Infantry Battalion Association 1939-1945 Dated 27 April 2000 At bottom "Sans regret"a r wills, 2/5th aust. inf. bn, lae, new guinea, battle for wau, kia, crystal creek

Ivor Hele was the Australian official war artist of World War II. This painting depicts the members of 17 platoon 2nd/6th Battalions in their first action of the war. their mission was to "attack and capture Post 11" in order to provide a faint or diversionary attack for the brigades main penetration. The attack was pressed home with the characteristic vigour of Australian soldiers Prior to the attack the commanding officer demanded that " No matter what happens to us, when we go forward we shall give the enemy such a thrashing that they will never willingly stand up to an assault by Australian Infantry again." The Battalion succeeded in its mission and went on to play a vital role in many of the most arduous battles of the war. This painting depicts the actions of one of the predecessor units to 5/6 RVR. Large framed print of painting by Ivor Hele shows 17 Platoon 2/6th Infantry Battalion in an Italian trench during the attack on Bardia. The painting depicts the scene after the capture of one of the Italian dugouts by Corporal Brian Latham's Section. The print is in a large mahogany coloured frame and has a matt finish to the picture. A smaller, separate frame sits below the print and contains the history of the painting. it is in a matching frame and has an olive card backing and the story is printed on an off white sheet. A manufacturers label is located on the obverse " GRAPHIC IMPRESSIONS 239 Burwood Road Hawthorn Vic. 3122 Telephone 9819 5800 76 Harold Street Camberwell Vic 3123 Telephone bardia, 2/6th australian infantry battalion, ww2, ivor hele, wark vc club

Index, ill, maps, p.312.non-fictionBetween the wars A second A.I.F. The volunteers To the Middle East After the fall of France Victory at Sidi Barrani Before Bardia The battle of Bardia The capture of Tobruk The engagement at Derna Beda Fomm and Benghazi The capture of Giarabub Appendixes : 1. The A.I.F. in the United Kingdom ; 2. The 6th Division's operation order for the capture of Bardia ; 3. Abbreviations ; 4. A.I.F. colour patches, 1941. world war 1939-1945 - australia, world war 1939-1945 - campaigns - north africa

Index, ill, maps, p.336.non-fictionBetween the wars A second A.I.F. The volunteers To the Middle East After the fall of France Victory at Sidi Barrani Before Bardia The battle of Bardia The capture of Tobruk The engagement at Derna Beda Fomm and Benghazi The capture of Giarabub Appendixes : 1. The A.I.F. in the United Kingdom ; 2. The 6th Division's operation order for the capture of Bardia ; 3. Abbreviations ; 4. A.I.F. colour patches, 1941. world war 1939-1945 - campaigns - north africa, world war 1939-1945 - australian involvement