The Australian War Memorial Collection. Test site
Embossed brass tin with a hinged lid and remnants of an overall gilt finish. The lid features, at its centre, the profile head of Princess Mary within a circular wreath, flanked on each side by the letter 'M'. There is a decorative border portraying heraldic and military devices, and the words 'IMPERIUM BRITANNICUM', 'CHRISTMAS 1914', and the names 'BELGIUM', 'JAPAN', 'FRANCE', 'RUSSIA', 'SERVIA' and 'MONTE NEGRO'. The box contains a cardboard New Year's greeting card from Princess Mary, a small pencil in the form of a silver headed bullet, a cardboard liner (all part of the original contents), and brass propelling pencil.
Herbert Vincent Reynolds was born in 1896 at Sebastopol, Victoria. He enlisted for service in the First World War on 16 September 1914, his 18th birthday. Allocated the service number 622, he was sent to Broadmeadows Training Camp and was allotted to 4 Field Ambulance as a stretcher bearer.
He embarked from Australia with his unit on 22 October 1914 and disembarked at Alexandria in early February. Not long after arriving in Egypt, Reynolds transferred to 1 Field Ambulance. He spent the next two months training before sailing for the island of Lemnos on 5 April.
Reynolds landed at Gallipoli at 9am on 25 April and was immediately set to work. The beaches were still under very heavy fire and many Australians, and even some Turkish casualties, were given treatment before being sent to the hospital ships off shore.
During the August offensive, Reynolds became ill and on 16 August, was evacuated to Mudros with enteric fever. His illness was so severe that he was transported to England and on arrival was sent to King George Hospital in London. Reynolds recovered slowly and did not return to Gallipoli. He was sent back to Egypt in late February 1916 and returned to his unit in early March. In late March, Reynolds and his unit were shipped to France, arriving in Marseilles on 30 March.
Reynolds served throughout Pozieres and the following battles in both France and Belgium. He was wounded on 20 September 1917 during fighting on the Menin Road, receiving a gunshot wound to his left ear. He was evacuated to England on 23 September and spent over a month recovering, before being sent to an overseas training unit for the remainder of 1917.
Reynolds returned to France and rejoined his unit on 26 April near Hazebrouck. The men of 1Field Ambulance remained in this position during the German spring offensive and did not relocate until the Allied August offensive began to push the German forces back.
Reynolds and 32 other men from 1 Field Ambulance left the unit on 3 October for a holding camp before embarking for Australia from Le Havre on 13 October. They had been granted a special six month leave for having enlisted in 1914. He disembarked in Melbourne on 23 December and returned home to Sebastopol. He was discharged from the AIF on 20 March 1919.
Reynolds went on to become Mayor of Sebastopol serving in this position from 1936-37, 1941-42, 1947-48, 1953-54 and 1959-60. Herbert Reynolds died in 1978.
Princess Mary's gift tin was distributed to all British, Commonwealth and Empire soldiers and sailors who were serving on Christmas Day, 1914. HRH Princess Victoria Alexandra Alice Mary was responsible for a public appeal to ensure that 'every Sailor afloat and every Soldier at the front' received a Christmas present. Boxes such as this one, given to Australian troops in Egypt, would originally have contained a New Year's greeting card, a small pencil in the form of a .303 bullet and cigarettes. Because of supply and manufacturing problems the tins were still being issued later in the war.
Pair of ANZAC leave rosettes made from red, white and dark blue wool flannel made up of concentric circles of red (outer), white and dark blue (inner), with three red, white and dark blue tails of equ
Brown cardboard box for a Christmas gift issued by the Australian Red Cross Society. The box opens at the top and has a colour label on the lid portraying a spray of flowering wattle. The front panel
Cardboard tube to hold an iodine ampoule from a field dressing, with a white paper label reading: 'IODINE AMPOULE FOR EXTERNAL USE. INSTRUCTIONS. PUSH THE GLASS AMPOULE OUT OF THE TUBE. HOLD IT IN A V
Handmade wooden crucifix. One side depicts the Virgin Mary with infant Jesus, with cross hatching and two small cut out rectangles, one of green colouring next to Mary. The other side shows Jesus on t
Square white silk chiffon handkerchief with drawn thread work border. there are five coloured silk embroidered flags in the right hand corner. They are from left to right; Italy, a British Red Ensign,
German army field grey woollen field cap (feldmutze) with integral scarlet hat band and scarlet piping around the crown. A national red, white and black painted pressed metal cockade is attached by co
Cut down field grey wool shoulder strap with the backing removed. The strap carries a red felt appliqued crown over a red machine chain stitched 'FRW' over the roman numeral 'IV'representing the 2nd
German army red wool cloth shoulder strap with button hole. The strap carries a yellow chainstitch embroidered '6' for the 6th Strecher Bearer Battalion. The underside is of field grey wool flannel.
Cut down field grey wool shoulder strap with the backing removed. A red cotton '13' is chain stitched on the strap representing the 13th Infantry Regiment (1 Westfalisches). Below the '3' is a miniatu
Field grey wool shoulder strap with buttonhole. The strap carries a red cotton chainstitch crown above the letters 'WE', as worn by the 94th Infantry Regiment in 1917 and 1918. Herbert Vincent Reyn
Field grey wool shoulder strap with button hole. The strap carries a red cotton chainstitch crown above the letters 'GE' representing the 95th Infantry Regiment. Herbert Vincent Reynolds was born i
Cut down field grey wool shoulder strap with the backing removed. A red cotton '478' is chain stitched on the strap representing the 478th Infantry Regiment. The back of the strap has exposed white in
German army yellow wool cloth shoulder strap with button hole. The strap carries a red Russia braid appliqued 'FAS' and appliqued crossed red wool flaming cannons for the Training Regiment of the Fo
Oval German army wound badge in pressed blackened steel, showing a German steel helmet over crossed swords within a laurel wreath tied at the base with a bow. The back carries a vertically placed broo
Faded green cotton bag with narrow cotton drawstring. A white cotton patch is sewn on the front. Herbert Vincent Reynolds was born in 1896 at Sebastopol, Victoria. He enlisted for service in the Fir
White cotton Army issue holdall with a pocket at one end, and finished with an arrowhead shape at the other with cotton ties to secure the kit in a rolled up position. A folded cotton band down the in
Khaki cotton holdall with two pouches. The lower pouch closes with two light brown celluloid buttons, the upper pouch with two similar buttons and an angled flap. Sewn between the two lower buttons is
Cardboard tube containing a full glass iodine ampoule protected by cotton wool. Printed on white paper are the instructions for its use. 'IODINE AMPOULE FOR EXTERNAL USE. INSTRUCTIONS. PUSH THE GLASS
Full glass iodine ampoule protected by cotton wool. Originally held in a cardboard sleeve within a field dressing. Herbert Vincent Reynolds was born in 1896 at Sebastopol, Victoria. He enlisted for
Black canvas kit bag. The tubular bag has 12 brass eyelets placed around its opening, and is reinforced with a second layer of canvas at the base. Stencilled in white paint on the side is 'No 622 H.V.
Rectangular shaped Kodak Vest Pocket model Autographic camera. It has rounded ends, a white metal alloy body and has been finished in black. The lens housing is mounted to a blackened white metal plat
Black leather pouch to carry a shaving mirror. Gold impressed lettering on the front reads, 'From the Ol[indecipherable] Good Luck'. Herbert Vincent Reynolds was born in 1896 at Sebastopol, Victori
White cotton bag with cotton drawstring and appliqued red fabric cross on the front. Herbert Vincent Reynolds was born in 1896 at Sebastopol, Victoria. He enlisted for service in the First World War
Brown leather modified leather strecher strap with brass buckle and metal rivet. It has 'A.A.O.D. [broad arrow symbol] V 2/07' impressed near the buckle. The original strap has had an extra section st
Studio portrait of 622 Private (Pte) Herbert Vincent Reynolds, 1st Australian Field Ambulance. Pte Reynolds, a joiner from Sebastopol, Vic prior to enlistment, embarked with the 1st Reinforcements fro
Prussian enlisted man's wartime Erastz (substitute) pickelhaube with steel helmet plate. The body of the helmet is made from a field grey coloured felt. At the top of the helmet is a detachable steel
White cotton armband with a red felt Geneva cross sewn in the centre. The armband is curved - wider at the centre and tapering to either end, forming straps. The band is fastened by a two-clawed metal
Collection relating to the service of 622 Private Herbert Vincent Reynolds, 1 Field Ambulance, AIF, Australia, At Sea, Egypt, Gallipoli, Western Front, England, 1914-1918. Collection consists of five
Collection relating to the service of 622 Private Herbert Vincent Reynolds, 1 Field Ambulance, AIF, Australia, At Sea, Egypt, Gallipoli, Western Front, England, 1914-1919. Collection consists of a bo
Collection relating to the First World War service of 622 Private Herbert Vincent Reynolds, 1st Field Ambulance, Gallipoli and France. Collection consists of letters, postcards, photographs, news cli
Cream cotton sea kit bag with fine rope drawstring. '622' is printed on one side. Herbert Vincent Reynolds was born in 1896 at Sebastopol, Victoria. He enlisted for service in the First World War on
One red chevron (representing 1914) and four blue chevrons (representing 1915-1918), machine embroidered on to a single piece of khaki woollen fabric. Herbert Vincent Reynolds was born in 1896 at Se
Other ranks' pattern khaki wool twill service dress tunic with stand and fall collar. The collar is fastened by a brass hook and eye with additional pop fastener under celluloid button. A further four
Spare, unused eyepiece for a German gas mask, wrapped in a waxed paper bag with the words 'Klarscheiben vor Feuchtigkeit schutzen nicht wischen, nur am Rand anfassen, so einlegen:' ('For protection fr
Decorative trench art letter opener with a German 7.92mm Mauser round as a handle. The blade, which has a flower pattern engraved into it, is constructed from brass sheet and is hafted into the bullet
Black leather folding wallet with gold embossed writing, 'FROM AUSTRALIAN COMFORTS FUND VIC. DIV.' stamped on front. Inside are three pockets and one small stamp compartment. A leather marker strip is
Handmade wooden crucifix. One side depicts the Virgin Mary with infant Jesus, with cross hatching and two small cut out rectangles, one of green colouring next to Mary. The other side shows Jesus on t
White cotton bag with cotton drawstring and appliqued red fabric cross on the front. Herbert Vincent Reynolds was born in 1896 at Sebastopol, Victoria. He enlisted for service in the First World War
Black leather folding wallet with gold embossed writing, 'FROM AUSTRALIAN COMFORTS FUND VIC. DIV.' stamped on front. Inside are three pockets and one small stamp compartment. A leather marker strip is
Full glass iodine ampoule protected by cotton wool. Originally held in a cardboard sleeve within a field dressing. Herbert Vincent Reynolds was born in 1896 at Sebastopol, Victoria. He enlisted for
Black leather pouch to carry a shaving mirror. Gold impressed lettering on the front reads, 'From the Ol[indecipherable] Good Luck'. Herbert Vincent Reynolds was born in 1896 at Sebastopol, Victori
One red chevron (representing 1914) and four blue chevrons (representing 1915-1918), machine embroidered on to a single piece of khaki woollen fabric. Herbert Vincent Reynolds was born in 1896 at Se