The Australian War Memorial Collection. Test site
Improvised notice board constructed of wood and painted with white enamel paint with black stencilled lettering 'A.M.C 59TH BN. HOURS FOR MEDICINES & DRESSINGS, MORNING SICK PARADE MID DAY 1.30 TO 2 EVENINGS 4.30 TO 5' The sign also bears the 59th Battalion colour patch, a vertical rectangle brown on the left and red on the right. At the top of the sign are two small tan leather straps possibly used to hang the sign.
The 59th Battalion was raised in Egypt on 21 February 1916 as part of the expansion of the AIF. Approximately half of its recruits were Gallipoli veterans from the 7th Battalion, and the other half were fresh reinforcements from Australia.
On 19 July 1916, the battalion took part in the battle of Fromelles. Attacking in the first wave, they suffered heavy casualties at the hands of German machine-gunners, and its advance faltered far short of its objective.
They spent the winter of 1916-1917 rotating in and out of the front line. In March 1917 the battalion participated in the advance that followed the German retreat to the Hindenburg Line, but was spared having to assault it. It did, however, defend gains made during the second battle of Bullecourt. Later in the year, the AIF's focus of operations switched to the Ypres sector in Belgium. The battalion's major battle there was at Polygon Wood on 26 September.
With the collapse of Russia in October, a major German offensive on the Western Front was expected in early 1918. This came in late March and the 5th Division moved to defend the sector around Corbie. During this defence, the 59th Battalion participated in the counter attack at Villers-Bretonneux on 25 April.
When the Allies launched their own offensive around Amiens on 8 August 1918, the 59th Battalion was among the units in action, although its role in the subsequent advance was limited. The battalion fought around Peronne in the first days of September and entered its last battle of the war on 29 September to break through the German defences along the St Quentin Canal. The battalion withdrew to rest on 2 October and was out of the line when the war ended. The 59th Battalion was disbanded on 24 March 1919.
Raw timber sign board, made from a section of wood cut from a single plank. The sign has the words 'Verband Stelle' [dressing post], painted in black, separated by a white circle, with a black border,
Improvised sign constructed of single plank of wood painted white with bevelled edges and the corners cut at 45 degrees. '35th BN HQR COY ORDERLY ROOM' is stencilled in black letters. The white paint
Improvised sign constructed from two wooden planks, has a bevelled edge and is supported by batons at the reverse. The sign is painted white and has 'BATTALION HEADQUARTERS' painted in brown with yell
Improvised sign constructed from a piece of wood with a bevelled edge. A piece of string, used for hanging the notice board, is fed through two holes located centrally at the top of the notice board.
Metal trench art in the shape of a British Mark IV Male tank. The tank has been soldered and screwed together. There is evidence of polish in the joins of the body, tracks and guns on the tank, and si
The notice board is constructed of wood with a bevelled edge, painted white. Painted on the left is a 43rd Battalion colour patch, an oval split horizontally and coloured brown over light blue. To the
