The Australian War Memorial Collection. Test site
3/5125 Private (Pte) Fred Airs, of Portland, Vic, D Company, 2nd Battalion, The Royal Australian Regiment (2RAR), laid back and very content as he has a cooling drink of water from his canteen. Carrying weapons, ammunition, bedding and food through the jungle is hot, thirsty work and the soldiers often find that water is scarce, as most streams marked on their maps turn out to be muddy swamps. Patrols often have to rely on wells at the edges of kampongs (villages) for their water supply. The soldiers are all issued with sterilisation tablets to purify their drinking water. His Owen gun lies close by his side. Pte Airs was later promoted to Corporal.
There's no better way to fill in time than a card game, whether it's pontoon, 500, bridge or rickety Kate, out come the cards when troops have time on their hands. Here, men from D Company, 2nd Battal
It's mail call in the jungle, and that's when a letter from home is very welcome. Here, 3/5125 Lance Corporal (later Corporal) Fred Airs, 21, of Portland, Vic (left) hands a letter to 3/4608 Private (
Armed with his Owen gun, 1/1836 Private (Pte) (later Corporal) Stan Arnold, 24, of Cullamulla, Qld, 2nd Battalion, The Royal Australian Regiment (2RAR), lies back on a hammock as he takes a two hour b
Affection between man and his dog is clearly shown here, as dog handler 2/5733 Private (Pte) Keith McDonald, of South Yarra, Vic, and his dog Prince, a three year old black and tan Alsatian, get toget
Dog handler 2/5733 Private (Pte) Keith McDonald, of South Yarra, Vic, and his dog Prince, a three year old black and tan Alsatian, get together after a patrol. Prince is a member of the War Dog Sectio
Informal portrait of 4/1796 Private (Pte) Ted Barwick, of Northville, SA, C Company, 2nd Battalion, The Royal Australian Regiment (2RAR), with his pet bird 'Cheeper'. After returning from a recent jun
