The Australian War Memorial Collection. Test site
Informal portrait of Lieutenant (Lt) Alfred (Pedlar) Palmer DSC, Royal Navy Reserve, captain of the Italian schooner, HMS Maria Giovanna. Lt Palmer sailed the schooner from Alexandria or Mersa Matruh into Tobruk weekly between May and November 1941 to deliver food and supplies to fellow Australians stationed there. He navigated by setting course for the direction of the headlights of the German lorries on the coast road near Bardia until he sighted the shaded green light that marked the entrance to Tobruk Harbour. However, in order to capture Lt Palmer, the Germans placed a decoy light along the coast to the east which Lt Palmer aimed for, running the schooner ashore, and after eight hours resistance he was eventually captured. During his time as a prisoner, he attempted escape on numerous occassions and on 10 Octoner 1943 he was shot through the arm, which was later amputated, while trying to escape from a train. He was repatriated to England in September 1944.
Tobruk, Libya. 11 September 1941. Informal portrait of Lieutenant (Lt) Alfred (Pedlar) Palmer DSC, Royal Navy Reserve, captain of the Italian schooner, HMS Maria Giovanna. Lt Palmer sailed the schoone
Informal portrait of Lieutenant (Lt) Alfred (Pedlar) Palmer DSC, Royal Navy Reserve, captain of the Italian schooner, HMS Maria Giovanna. Lt Palmer sailed the schooner from Alexandria or Mersa Matruh
Australian soldiers unloading stores from the Italian schooner HMS Maria Giovanna, captained by Lieutenant (Lt) Alfred “Pedlar” Palmer, Royal Navy Reserve, in Tobruk Harbour. Lt Palmer sailed into Tob
MERSA MATRUH, EGYPT. 1942-11. A COLOURED MEMBER OF THE SOUTH AFRICAN FORCES POINTING TO AN ITALIAN SIGNBOARD AT MERSA MATRUH WHERE HE HAD BEEN WORKING AS FORCED LABOUR BY THE GERMANS. HE HAD BEEN CAPT
Discusses 10th Light Horse; enlistment; pay and conditions; sport; employment; marriage; religion; politics; 2/28th Battalion; training; discipline; disorganisation; weapons; leisure; mateship; morale
Exterior view of the truck on which the powerful mobile wireless sets described at 020298 was transported. This facility was used to communicate between Tobruk, Cairo and DESFORCE and in this scene w
