General Service whistle : Brigadier R W Tovell, 4 Brigade AIF

Standard nickle-plated brass tube-bodied whistle with intergal suspension loop, double window and lead fipple. The barrel is impressed 'THE CITY / WHISTLE / PATENT / ARMY STORES / MELBOURNE / MADE IN / ENGLAND'. A plaited leather lanyard with a sliding knot at the wearer's end is secured to the suspension loop. A series of loose knots have been tied along the centre of the lanyard, presumably to shorten it.

General service whistle used by Raymond Walter Tovell, born 9 March 1890 at Brighton, Victoria. Tovell qualified as an accountant in 1911 and furthered his studies in London in 1912-13 before returning to Melbourne where he began work as an auditor. He enlisted on 28 April 1915 with 29 Battalion and embarked from Melbourne on 29 December aboard the transport 'Demosthenes' before landing in Egypt on 31 January 1916. He was temporarily transferred to 46 Battalion on 11 March and moved again, after a promotion to Sergeant, to 4 Pioneers Battalion on 23 March, a week after its formation at Tel-el-Kebir; he rose to captain before his unit transferred to France in early June. His unit was involved in the Pozières battle, suffering casualties, and was supporting the assault on Delville Wood, maintaining the Decauville Tramway in December when Tovell was admitting to hospital on 1 December suffering nervous shock. He was suitably recovered to rejoin his unit on 21 December, before being detached on 26 January 1917 to Anzac Light Railways.
On 11 June he was transferred to the Staff School at Tidworth, briefly returning to his unit before transferring to serve as a trainee staff officer with 4 Infantry Brigade, on 31 July 1917. Promoted to Major on 22 October, Tovell was appointed Brigade Major, 4 Australian Infantry Brigade on 19 February 1918. He was mentioned in Haig's despatches of 28 May 1918 'for good work during period 22 September 1917 to 24 February 1918' (he was twice more mentioned in despatches) and was recommended for the Distinguished Service Order for 'consistently good work ... in the capacity of Brigade Major', noting his personal and on-the-ground preparation and involvement on 'raids and operations at Herbuterre in May, at Hamel in June and July and again in the August Offensive. His energy, cheerfulness and general all round knowledge greatly assisted Commanding Officers.' This award was announced on 1 January 1919; from late March 1919 he was involved in organising the transport of the AIF back to Australia before returning himself, aboard the HMT 'Euripides'. He resigned from the AIF and returned to the Reserves, becoming a staff officer during the early 1920s before commanding 14 Battalion (1924 to 29) and 46 Battalion (1932 to 38) before being appointed commander of 10 Infantry Brigade.