This hat was sent home to Laanecoorie, from Malaya, in 1941 by Driver Cyril John Johnson VX36298, 1 Coy A.A.S.C whilst a POW. Cyril enlisted in the 2nd AIF on 17.6.1940 age 22 years 2 months. Posted to 8th Div Petrol Coy Seymour 25.7.1940, hospital 12.8.1940 with Mumps, rejoin unit 31.8.1940, embark for overseas 2.2.1941, disembark Singapore 19.2.1941. He is listed as missing on 16.2.1942 and later listed as POW in a Thai Camp no date. (He was on the Burma Railway) Last entry on his records states Presumed to be dead 12.9.1944 SWPA. (South West Pacific Area) He with hundreds of others were on the Japanese prison ship Rakuyo Maru to Japan when it was sunk by an American submarine. The hand written signatures on the hat include high ranking AIF Officers, major local Officials and dozens of 8th Division AIF soldiers. British pattern Pith Helmet, khaki coloured cotton cloth with brown leather strap over the top. Large quantity of hand written names on top. Inside rim has green felt lining. Dome section is plaited red silk with manufacturer's label at crest. Hat band is brown leather.On top written in pen & ink: Many army numbers & names of soldiers and some dignitaries.. On top written in ink: To Dad etc from Cyril.military equipment - army, costume - male headwear

German Prisoner of War identity tag stamped Stalag XVIIIA Nr 3527 - traced to Private Eric Salmon VX34416 Born 8/12/1918 at Footscray. Enlisted 3/7/1940. Embarked overseas on 3/2/1941 with the 2/6 Battalion. Embarked for Greece on 9/4/1941 and reported missing on 2/6/1941 Captured in Greece and sent to German POW work camp Stalag XVIIIA. Returned to Australia 24/7/45 and discharged on 25/8/1945. Stalag XVIII-A was a World War II German Army (Wehrmacht) prisoner-of-war camp located to the south of the town of Wolfsberg, in the southern Austrian state of Carinthia, then a part of Nazi Germany. As with all German identity tags, they are designed with a central perforation so that if the owner died, the bottom half of the tag would be broken off, while the other half remained with their body.Dark grey rectangle shaped piece of metal with small hole in three of the four corners and narrow cut out slots across centre line stamped either side with letters and numbers.STALAG XVIIIA Nr 3527id tag, dog tag, germany, 2/6 battalion, stalag xviiia