Pattern 1944 water bottle, cup and cover : Lieutenant M T Turrell, 2 Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment

Pattern 1944 aluminium water bottle, cup and cover. The water bottle has an aluminium screw top lid, attached with a cotton cord and sits in an aluminium mug. The cup has a two part fold out aluminium handle. It is stamped, 'CN/AA0342 MMS 1955 W[broad arrow symbol]D PATT 44', where this handle is pop riveted to the cup. The water bottle and cup have been painted with a 35 mm wide red stripe. The bottle and mug are in an Pattern 1944 olive drab cover, which has two metal press studs on the front of the cover, each stamped with 'THE LIFT DOT'. Handwritten on the base of the cover in black ink is 'TURRELL'. On the rear of the cover is a canvas flap with a metal hanger loop for attaching to the webbing belt. Stamped on the inside of the cover in black ink is, '[broad arrow symbol]168' and other illegible characters. Sewn on the inside back wall of the cover is a flapped pocket for stowing a filter bag.

Used by Lieutenant M T Turrell, 2 Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment (RAR). Born in Sydney on 19 January 1938, Maxwell Thomas Turrell was educated at Crows Nest Intermediate Boys High School and North Sydney Boys Technical High School. At both schools he served in the School Cadets, attaining the rank of cadet lieutenant. Turrell enlisted in the Australian Army in 1956, graduating from the Royal Military College, Duntroon.

In 1961, in the wake of the Malayan Emergency, Lieutenant Turrell served in Malaya with 2 Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment (RAR). Operating as part the 28th Commonwealth Brigade, Turrell commanded 11 Platoon, D Company, 2 RAR in conducting patrols the 'Black Zone' on the Malay -Thailand border, aimed at suppressing continued Communist Terrorists (CT) activity in the region in 1962 and 1963. In May 1966 Captain Turrell was deployed to South Vietnam as adjutant of 6 RAR. Following his service in the Vietnam War, Turrell was promoted to Major and appointed Officer Commanding 2nd Army Recruiting Unit. Major Turrell served in the Army until his discharge in 1981.