In 1944 Reg Saunders was the first Aboriginal Australian to be commissioned as an officer in the Australian army. He had seen action during the Second World War with the 2/7th Battalion in North Africa at Benghazi, in Greece, in Crete and on the Kokoda Track. During the Korean War he served as Officer Commanding, C Company, 3 RAR, leading his company through fierce fighting, including the battle at Kapyong in April 1951 for which the battalion was awarded a US Presidential Unit Citation.
He kept this souvenir pennant as a proud memento of his service. It displays the colour patch and battle honours of the 2/7th battalion and is pinned with badges from his time in Korea, including the US Presidential Unit Citation and significant American insignia.
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