City of Armadale - History House > Records

RECORD OF SERVICE BOOK

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Overview

A fawn coloured rectangular book. The front cover has text including name, rank, and serial number which reads: [AUSTRALIAN MILITARY FORCES / A.A.B.83 / Revised August 1914 / Record of Service Book / Male Member]. The back cover has a security warning.

Inside are 40 pages of information, covering topics including, keeping fit in the tropics, sickness of or injury to member of the A.M.F. on leave, discipline and grievances. There is also a separate folded sheet of cream paper with information on: [Notes for Guidance in the Wearing of Campaign Stars, Defence and War Medals on Civilian Clothes]. Most of the pages are taken up with personal records of C.H.Kerrisons time in the A.M.F..

Historical information

Part of the Kerrison collection donated by Constance Teague. Cornelius's father built a brick home in Jull Street mentioned in the book First Stage South. Cornelius was born in Armadale on the 17th of February 1906 and died in Bunbury on the 29th of September 1979.
The wallet was owned and used by Cornelius Kerrison when he was serving with Australian forces during World War II.
He enlisted age 33 on the 9th November 1939 and served with the 2/11th Australian Infantry Battalion. The 2/11th served in North Africa and Cornelius saw action at Bardia (5th of January 1941), Tobruk (21st-22nd January 1941) and part of the advance on Benghazi when on the 7th February 1941 the Italian forces in North Africa surrendered. A Inguinal Hernia saw Cornelius hospitalised and missed out of the 2/11th being part of the Crete campaign which saw a large contingent of the unit captured.
In February 1942 the remains of the 2/11 was sent back to Western Australia where they engaged in defensive duties before being transferred to Queensland in 1943. In November 1944 the 2/11th was sent to New Guinea where Cornelius fell seriously ill again and was eventually discharged from the army on the 25th of September 1945. Cornelius spent the rest of his life in Bunbury.

Details

Registration number

cwa-org-33-COA2017.7A

Item type

Books

Themes

People
Social History

Width

90 mm

Height or length

130 mm

Inscriptions and markings

Record of Service Book Male Member

Keywords

World War Two

KERRISON Cornelious Harold

Australia Miltary Forces

Australian and New Zealand Army Corps

PALESTINE

Papau and New Guinea

Bunbury

2/11 Australian infantry Battalion 2nd Australian inventory

Statement of significance

HIGH
This collection represents Cornelius Kerrison's, who was born and raised in Armadale, time in the military during the Second World War. The items used by Cornelius during his service in the Australian Armed forces. Kerrison served with the 2/11th Battalion, 6th Division and saw action in North Africa including Tobruk. An illness meant he was in hospital when the 2/11th was captured in Crete in May 1941. He later served in New Guinea but continuing medical issues saw him discharged and return to Western Australia and move to Bunbury.

Comparative significance criteria

Interpretive capacity

Rare or representative

Well provenanced

City of Armadale - History House

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