The Australian War Memorial Collection. Test site
Shoulder strap for the 265th Reserve Infantry Regiment. Field grey wool strap with white piping and red chain stitched number '265'. With the strap is a handwritten note, in indelible pencil on the back of a piece of a German postcard, that reads: ' 265th Reserve Inf. Rgt / 2nd Bttn. / 108th Div. / captured by / 2nd Div. / 11/6/18 / Morlancourt.'
Single shoulder straps were routinely removed from dead or captured Germans for intelligence purposes, so that the names of the units opposing the Allied forces could be established.
This shoulder strap, from a member of the German 265th Reserve Infantry Regiment (RIR), was captured by members of the 27th Battalion, AIF and sent to the Australian Corps Headquarters, under the command of Lieutenant General Sir John Monash.
The strap came from the uniform of a German soldier from the 2nd Battalion, 265th RIR who attempted to counter attack the Australians to regain German trenches south of Morlancourt, which had been taken the previous day, on 10 June.
At 10.45 pm on 11 June, after a 15 minute bombardment, the 265th, 107th and 104th RIRs attacked. They were met by heavy Australian artillery and machine gun fire and did not advance very far.
Not realising the Germans were counter attacking, a 27th Battalion post saw what they thought was a lone German patrol and shot all but one man, a machine gunner from the 265th RIR, who was taken prisoner. It is possible the shoulder strap came from his uniform.
Shoulder strap for the 203rd Reserve Infantry Regiment. Field grey wool strap with white piping and red chain stitched number '203'. With the strap is a handwritten note, in indelible pencil on the ba
Shoulder strap for the 232nd Reserve Infantry Regiment. Field grey wool strap with white piping and red chain stitched number '232'. With the strap is a handwritten note, in graphite pencil on the bac
Shoulder strap for the 202nd Reserve Infantry Regiment. Field grey wool strap with white piping and red chain stitched number '202'. With the strap is a handwritten note, in indellible pencil on the b
Shoulder strap for the 52nd Reserve Infantry Regiment. Field grey wool strap with white piping and red chain stitched number '52'. With the strap is a handwritten note in indelible pencil on the back
Shoulder strap for the 231st Reserve Infantry Regiment. Field grey wool strap with white piping and red chain stitched number '231'. With the strap is a handwritten note in graphite pencil on the back
Shoulder strap for the 81st Infantry Regiment. Field grey wool strap with white piping and red chain stitched number '81'. With the strap is a handwritten note, in indelible pencil on the back of a pi