Winter service dress tunic : Captain Charles Shaw, 10 Training Battalion

Accession Number REL/00135
Collection type Heraldry
Object type Uniform
Physical description Brass, Cotton, Felt, Leather, Ribbon, Wool serge
Maker Unknown
Place made Australia
Date made c 1939
Conflict Second World War, 1939-1945
Description

Khaki service dress tunic with Rising Sun collar badges and felt colour patch of the Australian Imperial Force (Middle East) detachment docks operating Company. The square shaped colour patch consists of a horizontally divided square, with red on top and dark green underneath. The colour patch is outlined in medium grey felt. The tunic has shoulder straps with rank insignia for a Captain. There are two pleated breast pockets and two expandable pockets below the waist. Each pocket has a buttoned flap. The tunic is partially lined with an interior pocket at the left waist. Above the left breast pockets are two rows of ribbons; the 1914-15 Star, British War Medal 1914-20, Victory Medal, Australia Service Medal; below are the ribbons of Africa Star and the Pacific Star. Attached over the right shoulder and resting in the right breast pocket is a brass long-bodied whistle attached to a plaited brown leather lanyard.

History / Summary

VX51908 Charles Edgar Shaw was born on 17 Oct 1895 in Fitzroy Victoria. He enlisted in Melbourne on 3 March 1915 aged 24; a grocer’s commercial traveller who had had 8 years in the cadets. By 1 June 1915 Charles Shaw was appointed as a 2nd Lieutenant and allotted to the 54th Battalion. He embarked on HMAT Osterley on 29 September 1915, arriving at Suez on 25 October. It is unclear where Lt Shaw was stationed whilst in Egypt, but in June 1916 he sailed for France, disembarking at Marseilles on 29 June 1916. The following month, on 20 July 1916, Shaw was wounded in action, and sent to England for treatment. He suffered a bayonet wound to the left leg and a compound fracture of the nose. A rifle bullet was removed from the base of 2nd Lieutenant Shaw’s nose and he was treated at the 3rd London General Hospital Wandsworth and returned to France on 2 September 1916.

Just before Christmas 1916, 2nd Lieutenant Shaw was injured again – this time a severe scalding to the foot whilst in the trenches. A court of enquiry was held into the incident which occurred in the front line of trenches, but the Court concluded that 2nd Lieutenant Shaw was not at fault. After a month of treatment and rehabilitation, Shaw marched out to Perham Downs training camp, and returned to France in March 1917. On 17 May whilst on garrison trench duty in the Reincourt sector Shaw sprained his ankle and had three weeks off. This injury was followed by a return to work in June 1917, leave to Paris in September, and promotion to Captain in November. In December 1917, Captain Shaw was admitted to a Casualty Clearing Station with scabies. After a week he rejoined his unit, and in January 1918 embarked for duty in England. He was sent to Codford in Wiltshire, a large depot for housing wounded Australian and New Zealander troops. Whilst at Codford, Shaw suffered hernia, and went between hospitals and medical boards until 4 June 1918, when he returned to France. On 4 October 1918, Shaw was again wounded in action, this time a gun shot wound to the face as well as suffering the effects of gas. He was treated in France, after which he was transferred to the 25th Battalion, resuming duty on 22 October 1918.

On the 8 May 1919, Captain Shaw embarked on HMAT Devanha to return to Australia, disembarking at Melbourne on 23 June 1919. His appointment in the AIF was terminated on 28 September 1919.

Between the world wars, Shaw married, had three children and worked as a store keeper and estate agent.
On 22 March 1941 Shaw enlisted as VX51908, now over 47 years old. Shaw had his First World War rank of Captain reinstated, and was assigned to Specialist Training School with Voyage Only duties Initially he was attached to 10 Training Battalion on the voyage to the Middle East in May 1941. Returning to duty at Puckapunyal Victoria Shaw embarked on another Voyage Only to the Middle East in September 1941, and again in November 1941. Captain Shaw also sailed on a Voyage Only to Singapore, where he arrived a fortnight before the island fell to the Japanese. From 1942 to 1946 Shaw held a variety of appointments; he was attached to Headquarter Legal Branch; the US Army Seamen’s Mission in Melbourne; to Puckapaunyal as Camp Staff; to Tatura Interment camp; to 2nd Echelon Land Headquarters in New Guinea, where he suffered malaria and heart trouble.

In 1961 Shaw took part in an RSL Commemoration World Tour. A veteran of two world wars, Charles Edgar Shaw died on 24 March 1969 aged 78.