Khaki slouch hat with Militia puggaree : Sergeant D M McLean, Australian Fortress Engineers

Heavily worn Australian Army issued khaki fur felt slouch hat, missing sweatband and chinstrap. A Rising Sun badge is attached to the left side of the brim. The hat carries a dark blue wool six fold puggaree, with a light blue third fold, as worn by members engineers units in the militia between 1930 and 1932. The exterior of the hat has been extensively autographed, with one further signature on the inside. Some of the legible names include : 'R Humphries N.S.W', 'A Leech N.S.W', 'J.W. Ling N.S.W', 'S. Walton Sydney N.S.W', B Henderson N.S.W', 'V A Kellaway Sydney NSW 18/11/41', 'M.Triffitt', 'Boris Bennett OMSK', 'H. Roberts N.S.W. 1939-41 DARWIN', 'J.W.Hamilton W.A', 'Alabama Benson N.S.W', 'Harry Everingham Chowder Bay Sydney N.S.W', 'Sugar Pye ARTILLERY N.S.W', 'D McLEAN QX49851', 'B L Reynolds Darwin 18.1.41', 'W J Milne 7 Sailors Bay Rd Willoughby Sydney'. 'R.F.MILLER / W.A. / M.O. EMERY PL DARWIN' is written beneath the brim of the hat.

This slouch hat is associated with the service, in the Australian army militia and the Second AIF during the Second World War, of Sergeant Donald Murdoch McLean.

McLean was born on 2 September 1918 in Brisbane, Queensland. He joined the militia engineers in Queensland and was given the regimental number of Q188012. McLean was posted to full-time duty in Darwin in 1941, where this hat was signed. He later returned to Brisbane, to service with the 32nd Fortress Engineers, who manned the searchlights on Bribie island, one of the defences for Brisbane.

In March 1943 McLean resigned from the militia and enlisted in the Second AIF. Assigned a new service number, QX49851, McLean was posted to the Fortress Engineers in Darwin. He was discharged from the army on 12 October 1945.