polygon wood

Jumping-off (forming-up) tape from the Battle of the Menin Road [Ypres]. Length of white herringbone weave, infantry pattern, jumping-off (or forming-up) tape. One end is turned over and stitched in place, to hold a short length of fine hemp cord, which has a loop at each end. The loop on the free end has a whipped end to prevent fraying, and can be adjusted around a securing peg (not present) by means of a slip knot. The tape is stamped in black ‘Waring & Gillow Ltd. 50 YDS. 1917. (AWM RELAWM00646)

Australian Red Cross Society Wounded and Missing Enquiry Bureau files, 1914-1918 War 1DRL/0428. 2978 Private Phillip Dennis Joseph Sheridan. 59th Battalion (AWM)

Circular aluminium identity disc impressed ‘C.L. CHANDLER 28 A 2.A.I. C.E.’ Attached by a length of string to a small brown paper package in which the identity disc was sent home to his family. A typed label has been attached to one side of the package and reads '28 Private Chandler C.L. 2nd Bn. Disc.’ '3608’ has been written in red ink underneath. The other side is sealed shut by red sealing wax. (AWM REL29389)

Calico packaging cloth. One side of the cloth has the sender's details written in purple ink 'From MAVIS CHANNELLS URUNGA N.S.W'. The recipient's details are written beneath this twice with a mixture of purple, blue and black ink, the details read 'NX71463 PTE. J.P. BRADLEY 2nd Reinforcements 2/18 BAT A. Co. GENERAL BASE DP. MALAYA'. The reverse side of the cloth has a paper customs declaration attached with details of sender Driver A J Gimbert. The customs declaration also lists the original contents of the package as '1 table-cloth, 1 serviette, 2 books, 1 bracelet'. Next to this in purple ink are the details of the sender 'From NX31033 Dvr., a.j. Gimbert H.Q. Coy 2/18 Bn A.I.F MALAYA'. Underneath this, written in black ink, are the details of the recipient 'To Mrs. A. J. Gimbert ADELAIDE. ST., Murrurundi N.S.W. Aust.,' with the postage paid stamp marked 'JOHORE'. The cloth has original cream cotton stitching in areas, particularly on the top left corner, where it has been sewn around a parcel. (AWM REL31367)

Heliograph mirror with handheld foresight, c. 1970. (AWM : REL35068)

“Plate V: Traverse book, and plot of traverse”, from Ministry of Defence (Army), Manual of map reading; air photo reading and field sketching (London, 1957) 

Red Cross measure for knitting socks : Miss E R Kendall, c 1914-1918. Red Cross folded white cardboard measure for knitting socks (copyright). The measure is printed on one side with 'RED CROSS SOCK MEASURE' and the red cross symbol. 'XB4823' has been handwritten at the other end. The opposite side is printed with a fifteen inch ruler marked at zero with 'LEG', at 5 inches 'END OF RIBBING' and at 12 inches 'START OF HEEL FLAP'. Above the ruler are instructions on making socks and advice to seek further information in 'The Red Cross Record' Knitting Book. (AWM : REL28154)

MI9 Escape & Evasion map K1 Cyrenaica / K2 North Africa, c 1942. Double sided map printed on rayon in black, red and green ink. One side is numbered K1 and is titled Cyrenaica. It covers Cyrenaica, northern Egypt and Crete at scale 1:1657000. It includes a key and index to adjoining sheets. The other side is numbered K2, but is not titled and is at a smaller scale. It covers North Western Africa, including Cyrenaica, Crete, western Egypt, Sicily, Tripolitania, Italian Libya, Algeria and Nigeria. (AWM : REL37873.005)

MI9 Escape & Evasion map J 4 Southern Italy and Sicily, c. 1941-1942. Single sided map numbered J4 printed on silk in black and red ink, covering southern Italy (scale 1:1378000) with an inset map of Sicily at the same scale. (AWM : REL37873.007)

Rubberised cotton pouch containing six textile escape and evasion maps as carried by aircrew over Europe and Africa. The waterproofed khaki pouch has been cut open and is wrapped around the maps. One side of the pouch is printed with a square in a black and yellow chequer pattern. c. 1941-1942. (AWM : REL37873.001)

Housewife : Major R J Fletcher, Headquarters Australian Force Vietnam, 1966. Australian Army khaki drill sewing kit, or housewife roll, without contents. (AWM : REL36214)

Housewife : Private H E Curtis, 10 Battalion, AIF, 1915-1917. Khaki wool housewife (sewing kit) with black tape ties. One end is folded to make a pocket which contains a small ball of grey darning wool. Attached to the pocket is a square of grey flannel which would originally have held needles and pins. The housewife is lined with brown polished cotton which is machined to the wool backing so that three long open ended holding tubes are formed. Threaded through two of these are multiple lengths of pre-cut cotton thread in cream and olive green. (AWM : REL34295)

Housewife : Private T Bodel, 58 Battalion AIF, 1914-1918. Rectangular khaki cotton housewife. At one end is a length of khaki cotton tape so that the two ends can be tied together to secure the housewife when is rolled up, securing the contents. There [is] a pocket at each end, one empty and one containing nine metal buttons - four small and five large. This pocket also has a piece of brown felt sewn to it to hold needles or pins; three needles - two large and one medium - are threaded through it. In the centre of the housewife, is a white cotton sleeve attached centrally and divided into two segments. One segment contains a length of plaited olive green darning wool, the other is empty. Four spools of cotton thread, two white and two khaki, are held within the housewife when rolled. (AWM : REL35299)

Leather housewife : Corporal L D Orchard, 10th Field Artillery Brigade, AIF, 1914. Private purchase brown leather soldier's housewife (sewing kit) containing reels of white, brown and green thread, two small metal buckles, nine buttons, twine and a number of needles and pins. The housewife can be rolled-up and secured with the attached leather tie. Marked on the outside is a kangaroo and 'Tasmania'. (AWM : REL35443)

Housewife : Sergeant N M Partridge, 2/11 Field Ambulance, 1939-1940. Unbleached calico housewife with a rectangular pocket at one end, three open-ended storage compartments and a triangular end with a pair of cotton tape ties to secure the housewife and its contents in a roll. A patch of wool flannel is sewn to the outside of the rectangular pocket to hold needles and pins. The housewife contains a wooden reel of heavy white cotton thread, loose white and khaki cotton thread, a hank each of black and khaki darning wool, three large needles (all with corrosion), a large steel safety pin, a small brass safety pin and two large Australian Military forces brown Bakelite buttons for an Other Rank's greatcoat. The outside of the roll is faintly stamped in black ink 'AUSTRALIAN RED [Red Cross symbol] CROSS SOUTH AUST. BRANCH'. (AWM : REL/04641B)

Personal effects bag, 1918, maker unknown. Gift of Miss Phyllis A Rolfes, 1966. CC BY-NC-ND licence. Te Papa (GH011794)

Small cardboard box containing black, gold, turquoise, purple, and emerald green butterfly wings. Collected by Sapper L. McLennan, 2/2 Forestry Unit, New Guinea, c. 1944-1945. [AWM]