| Places | |
|---|---|
| Accession Number | REL31281.001 |
| Collection type | Heraldry |
| Object type | Uniform |
| Physical description | Cotton, Metal, Scotchlite reflective tape, Velcro |
| Maker |
Australian Defence Apparel |
| Place made | Australia |
| Date made | 2001 |
| Conflict |
Period 2000-2009 Afghanistan, 2001-2021 |
Grey working overalls : Able Seaman E Conway, HMAS Kanimbla
Description
Oil stained and dirty grey cotton work overalls size 97R with Able Seaman rank slides on epaulettes. Over the right breast is hand written in black ink is the surname 'CONWAY' and next to this is '129 chicks'. Both sleeves have a 38mm wide band of reflective tape near the elbows. The collar and the bottom of both trouser legs have velcro fasteners.
History / Summary
These overalls are featured in the artwork 'Stoker Emma Conway: the engine room, HMAS Kanimbla' painted 18 February 2002 by the Official Australian War Artist Peter Churcher whilst on board HMAS Kanimbla. Able Seaman Conway was the only female who voluntarily worked as a stoker in Kanimbla. The engine room is very cramped and very hot and extremely noisy. Able Seaman wore these overalls while working in the engine room and they are dirty and oil stained as a result. HMAS Kanimbla (LPA-51) was built for the United States Navy as USS Saginaw and was launched on 7 February 1970. Kanimbla was commissioned into the Royal Australian Navy in August 1994. Kanimbla was heavily involved in Operation Slipper conducting a variety of tasks such as patrol, mine recovery, compliant boardings and non-compliant boardings in the Persian Gulf in 2001-2