Woven cellophane belt : Driver F E Vince, 151 General Transport Company

Place	Oceania: New Guinea1, Papua New Guinea
Accession Number	REL32820.001
Collection type	Heraldry
Object type	Heraldry
Physical description	Cellophane, Paper
Maker	Vince, Frederick Edwin
Place made	New Guinea1: Papua New Guinea
Date made	c 1943-1945
Conflict	Second World War, 1939-1945

Description

Belt made from yellow, white and red patterned paper encased in folded pieces of cigarette packet cellophane and woven together.

History / Summary

This woven belt was made in New Guinea by S36644 Driver Frederick Edwin Vince from Summertown, South Australia. Vince was born in April 1914 and was working as a gardener in the family business when war broke out. He enlisted in the Citizens Military Forces (CMF) on 3 March 1941 and was assigned to 6 Cavalry Brigade, Australian Army Service Corps.

He was promoted to lance corporal on 26 September and to acting corporal on 20 October. Vince's work primarily involved loading and unloading transport ships and trains with supplies and driving supply and support vehicles. In May 1942 he was admitted to hospital with a broken jaw, and after his recovery joined 6 Armoured Brigade. In January 1943 he reverted to the rank of private and on 9 April transferred to 151 Australian General Transport Company before embarking for New Guinea in July. Vince also served with 1 Australian Amphibious Platoon, working to unload supplies from the ships which came into port.

In September 1944 Vince was admitted to hospital with illness and spent some weeks moving between hospitals before returning to Australia on 27 October. During his leave he travelled from Townsville to South Australia and married Ida Beatrice on 18 November. He returned to Lae on 2 January 1945 and in February was once again in hospital with dengue fever. Vince was discharged on 17 October.