| Places | |
|---|---|
| Accession Number | REL/12431 |
| Collection type | Heraldry |
| Object type | Headdress |
| Physical description | Fur felt; Leather; Plastic; Wool felt; Rubberised fabric |
| Location | Main Bld: World War 2 Gallery: Gallery 2: Japan POW |
| Maker |
Unknown |
| Place made | Australia |
| Date made | c 1940-1941 |
| Conflict |
Second World War, 1939-1945 |
Slouch hat : Gunner J S L Wilkinson, 18 Anti-Tank Battery
Description
Worn and stained khaki fur felt slouch hat with a leather sweat band, and a hat band made from a length of khaki wool puggaree. The crown has split and been roughly repaired with stitching inside before being covered on the outside with a piece of rubberised gas cape fabric held in place with running stitch below the top of the crown. A faded wool felt colour patch for Royal Australian Artillery 1st Australia Corps is attached to the puggaree with thick white cotton. A piece of felt is missing from the front and rear brim. There is evidence of a 'Rising Sun' general service hat badge but the badge is now missing.
History / Summary
Australian Army slouch hat worn by NX7094 Gunner John Stewart Loder Wilkinson of 18 Anti Tank Battery while a prisoner of the Japanese from 23 February 1942 until the cessation of hostilities in August 1945. Wilkinson was born in Sydney, NSW, in 1921, and enlisted in the AIF in May 1941. During his captivity, he moved from Dutch Timor to Batavia, Singapore and Thailand, where he spent 23 months working on the construction of the Thai-Burma railway. He returned to Australia and was discharged from the army in March 1946.