Metal camel brooch sent from Jerusalem by Stanley Richard Steele

(Stanley) Richard Steele was born in Ilford, Essex on 3 February 1911. He enlisted with the Australian Army Service Corps Militia in September 1939 and attained the rank of Lieutenant. He served 659 days on active service in Australia prior to enlisting with the Australian Army on 19 November 1940 with the service number QX6446. He was 29 years old and a single advertising copywriter at that point. His next of kin was given as his grandmother, Elizabeth Steele.
Between December 1940 and March 1946, he served a total of 1323 days overseas in theatres of war including the Middle East, New Guinea and Borneo and Celebes. He served in the Middle East between February 1941 and January 1943, so this brooch was likely to have been purchased during that time.
His appointment was terminated on 31 May 1946, at which point he held the rank of Captain and was attached to the 2/6 Australian General Transport Company. He was awarded a Mention in Despatches for his service.
The collection contains a huge number of items retained by Richard Steele relating to his war service. These were all kept in his metal foot locker and included uniform insignia such as colour patches, epaulettes, badges, shoulder titles and buttons; issued instruction booklets from the Army; annotated notebooks, and paper ephemera. He appears to have kept everything including occupation currency, used theatre tickets, dinner menus and even x-rays of his teeth and his prescription for eyeglasses.
He married Petronella Tine Posthumus on 10 June 1947.

Visiting servicemen and women purchased a variety of souvenirs from Jerusalem, Bethlehem, Palestine and The Holy Land while passing through on active service during both world wars.
Some of the more common items were embroideries such as cushion covers, painted artworks on fabric, jewellery made from mother of pearl, metal and timber, and photo albums with wooden covers filled with postcards of local scenes and pressed dried flowers.
There was also a range of trinket boxes, often with hidden drawers, made from the local olive wood and a range of other olive wood items including napkin rings and even a portable book shelf.