Brass, star and crescent finial from Turkish regimental standard : Able Seaman R Luxbridge, 1 Royal Australian Naval Bridging Train

Heavy brass and nickel plated 'star and crescent' finial taken from a Turkish regimental flag captured at Suvla Bay, Gallipoli. The hollow ornamental finial is in the form of a brass crescent moon encircling a small nickel-plated five-pointed star, mounted on the top of a nickel plated ball and socket.

This finial would originally have been fitted to the top of a Turkish flag pike bearing a gold embroidered crimson regimental standard. It was collected by Able Seaman Robert Luks who served, under the name of Luxbridge, with the Royal Australian Naval Bridging Train on the Gallipoli peninsula. He found the finial on 8 August 1915, a day after the Suvla Bay landing, about a mile from the beach, in a bush shelter which Luks thought had been either a Turkish brigade or regimental headquarters judging by the papers and litter lying around. Later research suggests that this may have been the headquarters of the 34th Regiment.