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World War 1, France and Flanders, AIF Tunic Jacket, 333 MAWSON MM,1 Australian Machine Gun Battalion AIF, 1918

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Overview

Original World War 1 Tunic worn by 333 Private Robert Milner Mawson of Albany with 1 Machine Gun Battalion insignia and ribbon for Military Medal together with studio portrait.

Historical information

The 1st Machine Gun Battalion was an infantry support unit of the Australian Army that was raised for service during World War I as part of the all volunteer Australian Imperial Force. It was one of five such units raised as part of the AIF during the war. Formed in March 1918, the battalion consisted of four machine gun companies, which had previously existed as independent companies assigned mainly at brigade level. The battalion consisted of 64 medium machine guns, and took part in the final stages of the war, seeing action during the Allied defensive operations during the German spring offensive and then the Allied Hundred Days Offensive, which finally brought an end to the war

Details

Registration number

cwa-org-32-54-334

Inscriptions and markings

Military Medal

'East of YPRES on the night of 19/20th September, 1917, this Signaller was running a line to Battery positions. He laid this line under heavy shell fire, and later when the wires were cut he went through the barrage three times to re-establish communications until ordered to stop by an Oficer. After having a rest he again tried to keep up communications through almost continuous shelling.'
Source: 'Commonwealth Gazette' No. 31
Date: 7 March 1918

Links to additional resources

Australian Army Museum of Western Australia

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