Red Cross flag : Flight Sergeant P Matthey Australian Service Contingent 2, UNAMIR

Red Cross flag printed on synthetic fabric, with white hoist with reinforced hoist corners and a pair of brass Inglefield clips. The manufacturer's details are sewn on the reverse.

Red Cross flag flown over the United Nations Military Hospital at the Rwandan capital of Kigali, by members of the First Australian Services Contingent (ASC1). It was recovered and brought back to Australia in August 1995 by Flight Lieutenant Peter Matthey, a hospital Wardmaster with the second contingent (ASC2). The contingents were the Australian contribution to the United Nations Assistance Mission for Rwanda (UNAMIR), which was established by UN Security Council resolution 872 (1993) of 5 October 1993 to help implement the Arusha Peace Agreement of 4 August 1993. Australia was requested to supply the central medical support and infrastructure for the approximately 5,000 members of the Peacekeeping Force. The deployment of ASC1 occurred over August 1994 and was relieved by ASC 2 in February 1995. Flight Lieutenant Matthey was one of 21 RAAF members of ASC 2, which consisted of over 300 personnel drawn from the three services.

The RAAF element included medical officers, nursing officers, medical assistants and an interpreter. They were formed in Townsville in January 1995 and deployed on 20 February 1995, after three weeks of training. Statistics supplied by Defence state that over 12 months, the two contingents performed 750 operations on 547 patients, and that 85% of patients were civilians, 74% were operated on for trauma-related injuries, of which 36% were war-related, and 39% were children.

Matthey’s responsibilities included medical administration, in flight nursing during aeromedical evacuations and trauma and resuscitation care.