9th (QLD) Battalion marker pennant, c. 1915

Historical note:

This marker pennant bears the faded colours of the 9th Battalion, originally black over pale blue. These same colours comprised the battalion's colour patch, worn at the top of the sleeve of the men's tunics. Although the principal recruiting area for the battalion was around Brisbane, a significant number of recruits came from northern New South Wales.

The marker pennant was used to mark unit lines for the 9th Battalion while training in Egypt and on Lemnos before becoming the first AIF unit ashore at Gallipoli.

After its use in the war the pennant was carried to several post-war reunions where it picked up the signatures of HRH Prince Albert, the Duke of York, HRH Prince Henry, the Duke of Gloucester, Field Marshal William Riddell Birdwood, Field Marshal George Francis Milne and Lieutenant General Baden Powell.

Materials:

[cotton]

Category:

Equipment

Conflict:

First World War (1914-18)

Location:

[Egypt]

Production Date:

c. 1915

On this day

3 June

1942 — Battle of MIDWAY began. This decisive victory by the US Navy over the Japanese Navy shifted the balance of sea power in the Pacific and forced Japan to abandon plans to attack New Caledonia, Fiji and Samoa. Japanese losses were 4 aircraft carriers, 1 cruiser, 248 aircraft, and over 3,000 sailors. American losses were 1 aircraft carrier, 1 destroyer, 150 aircraft, and 307 men

1944 — 78 Squadron, RAAF, carried out the last major air combat by the RAAF in WW2, off BIAK Island, New Guinea. 10 enemy planes were shot down for the loss of one Australian plane and pilot

1969 — HMAS MELBOURNE collided with USS FRANK E EVANS in the South China Sea. EVANS was cut in half and 74 of her crew were killed