Loading

39th Battalion flag

maker unknownc 1914

Shrine of Remembrance

Shrine of Remembrance
Melbourne, Australia

On 8 August 2006 the Deployed Forces Support Unit was renamed the 39th Support Battalion at a ceremony at the Shrine of Remembrance. This Union flag, bought at auction by the new battalion in 2006, was presented to the Shrine to mark the creation of their unit and to honour its illustrious forebears, the 39th battalions of the First and Second World Wars.

The original 39th Battalion was formed at the Ballarat showgrounds on 21 February 1916 and drew most of its recruits from Victoria's Western District. Together with the 37th and 38th Victorian battalions and the Tasmanian 40th battalion, it made up the 10th Brigade of the 3rd Australian Division, commanded by General Sir John Monash from July 1916 until May 1918.

The battalion flag was stencilled on the reverse. In order to enable visitors to view the names of the battles fought by the battalion the flag has been mounted upside down.

The stencils on the flag present the battle honours of the 39th Battalion. They testify to the endurance of the battalion throughout the war. The flag came into the possession of Private William Kearney, who added his name and service number to the flag. Kearney was a 44-year-old widower when he joined the AIF in 1916.

Details

  • Title: 39th Battalion flag
  • Creator: maker unknown
  • Date Created: c 1914
  • Physical Dimensions: 101.0 x 183.0 cm irreg.
  • Provenance: Donated 2007
  • External Link: Shrine of Remembrance
  • Medium: cotton, rope, paint

Get the app

Explore museums and play with Art Transfer, Pocket Galleries, Art Selfie, and more

Flash this QR Code to get the app
Google apps