Officer's shirt with bullet hole : Lieutenant R J Webster, Australian Army Service Corps AIF

Custom made long sleeved khaki cotton drill shirt with long sleeves, a narrow two piece yoke, placket front opening, and integral stand and fall collar with rounded points, secured to the body of the shirt with three small mother of pearl buttons. There are two breast pockets with pointed flaps, which were originally able to expand by means of a central inverted pleat, which have subsequently been roughly hand-sewn closed. The placket is closed with three brass Australian Commonwealth Edward VII buttons, made by Stokes & Sons, Melbourne. Two similar buttons close the pockets. The cuffs which are fastened with two small white buttons, one mother of pearl and one of celluloid, have been roughly reattached to the sleeves after the sleeve length has been shortened. A large square section of the proper left front has been cut out.

The back of the shirt is loosely pleated into the yoke at the centre. There is a small entrance and exit hole made by a bullet passing through the folded fabric near the centre back of the wearer's waist.

A black and red woven manufacturer's label is sewn inside the neck. It reads: PIKE BROTHERS LTD BRISBANE TOWNSVILLE LONDON'. 'R.J.W' is written in black ink inside the proper left side of the placket.

Robert Joseph Webster was 23 when he enlisted as a 2nd Lieutenant in August 1914 with four years military duty behind him with the Army Service Corps. He serving with the 1st Light Horse Brigade Train at Gallipoli and was wearing this shirt when a bullet passed through it, leaving him unharmed.

Webster was employed in Upper Egypt against the Senussi between November 1915 and February 1916 against the Senussi, a political-religious organisation based around Libya and Sudan who fought a guerrilla war against the British Army during threatening the Nile Delta.

Returning to Egypt Webster was posted to the 28th Company Australian Army Service Corps (AASC), 5th Division. He was promoted to captain in March 1916 and embarked with his unit for France, arriving at Marseilles on 24 June 1916. The company entered the 'nursery' sector near Armentieres in time for the Battle of Fromelles on 19/20 July. By the end of 1916 Webster had been transferred to the 29th Company AASC in temporary command.

Two months later he was posted to the Headquarters of the 5th Divisional Train as assistant Supply Staff Officer . For his service in 1915 and early in 1917 he was awarded the Military Cross. His citation reads, 'he has been an example of courage, resourcefulness and devotion to duty.'

After a period on leave in Britain Webster returned to France. He was seconded for training as Staff Captain at the end of July 1917. After further training to be a Quartermaster he was appointed Staff Captain and served with the Quartermaster Master General's branch at General Headquarters. Webster was mentioned in dispatches in 1918. He embarked for Australia on 8 October 1918.

After the war Webster was appointed general manager at the Bradford Cotton Mills, then managing director and chairman of directors until his retirement on 1976. He was also closely involved with the University of New South Wales, becoming deputy chancellor from 1960 - 1970, then chancellor between 1970 and 1975.