Blog category - New acquisitions
Smokin’ Aces
15 February 2008 by Alexandra Orr.
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Collection,New acquisitions, Ephemera
It seems one of the most expedient weapons deployed personnel can have these days is a deck of cards. Yes, you read correctly. A common form of ephemera coming into the Memorial from those involved in recent conflicts like Iraq, are playing cards, which have been produced by Australia and the United States to reach beyond mere entertainment value into the realm of Intelligence.
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Zif’s sketchbook
11 February 2008 by Yasmin Green.
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New acquisitions, Art
A sketchbook of humorous pre-First World War caricatures has recently been acquired by the Australian War Memorial. Members of the Royal Australian Artillery (RAA), located at Queenscliff, Victoria, are depicted in this work dating from 1909-1910. Referred to as the “budget” of the regiment and located in what once appeared to be an accounting book, the works were created by an anonymous artist using the name “Zif”. read on
Colditz Collection
30 January 2008 by Nick Fletcher.
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New acquisitions,News,Personal Stories
Escape maps, medals and military insignia from an infamous German prisoner of war camp are among the latest additions to the Australian War Memorial’s collection.
The items belonged to WA-born Lieutenant JR ‘Jack’ Millet who enlisted in 1940 with 2/11 Infantry Battalion. He served in the Middle East before being captured by the Germans on Crete in May 1941.
After several escape attempts, Millet was sent to Oflag IV-C, the ‘escape-proof’ high security prisoner of war camp for officers popularly known as ‘Colditz’.
Millet was famed for producing high quality escape maps, essential documents for allied prisoners trying to escape from occupied Europe. He was one of approximately 20 Australians interned at Colditz. The last survivor of that group, he died in Perth in 1999. read on
