The Australian War Memorial Collection. Test site
Improvised German national flag in even horizontal stripes black (top), white, red (bottom). A rough hoist to take a pole has been made by folding over one end of the flag and securing it with running stitches. The black stripe is made from two pieces of fabric joined together by hand stitching. The white stripe has part of a machined hem on the fly end. There are two lines of German writing in indelible pencil along the white stripe which translate 'These flags are for presentation. Authorised "Lunt"'.
This flag was brought back to Australia by Sergeant Major Bert Blyth, of B Company of the NSW Marine Detachment who served in China with the New South Wales Contingent to the Boxer Uprising. Blyth, who was born at Christchurch, New Zealand, was 32 when he served in China and described himself as a soldier 'adventurer'. He embarked on SS Salamis on 8 August 1900 and returned to Australia aboard SS Chingtuon on 25 April 1901. The flag appears to have been taken from a pile of German national flags prepared for presentation by the German Legation in Peking. The fact that this example is improvised and bears the inscription that 'these flags are for presentation' suggests that it was used as a covering 'sheet' for the real presentation flags, and was not intended for presentation itself.
Studio portrait of Warrant Officer Bert Blyth, Regimental Sergeant Major, who served in China during the Boxer Rebellion. (From the H. E. Lofts collection and inscribed to him "Yours to command" on 20
Triangular red cotton flag with two white Chinese characters, translated as 'left one', appliqued to the centre. The flag has a tubular white cotton hoist which extends above and below the flag prope
A triangular cream cotton flag with a single dark blue cotton Chinese character 'ling', meaning a command or an order, appliqued to the centre of each side. The two free sides of the flag are edged wi
Triangular red cotton flag with two white Chinese characters, translated as 'left one', appliqued to the centre. The flag has a tubular white cotton hoist which extends above and below the flag prope
A triangular cream cotton flag with a single dark blue cotton Chinese character 'ling', meaning a command or an order, appliqued to the centre of each side. The two free sides of the flag are edged wi
Pair of silver fingernail guards with embossed plum blossum decoration surrounded by a meander pattern border. The Chinese upper class grew their nails long as a sign that they did not have to under
Black/brown human hair three-strand plait, with some grey hairs. The hair at the top of the plait is turned over and bound with scarlet cotton twine. A double length of the same twine is threaded thro
Collection relating to the Boxer Uprising service of Sergeant Major Bert Blyth, Marine Light Infantry, New South Wales Naval Contingent, Australia and China, 1900-1901. Wallet 1 of 3 contains two fol
Red cotton flag edged with a silver fringe on three sides. Seven aluminium rings are evenly spaced along the hoist, attached with strips of self fabric. A large black swastika on a circular white grou
