King Gee shorts : Lieutenant K M Sturtevant, Bougainville Combined Health Element, PMG

Pair of bone cotton drill shorts with metal zipper and size adjustment straps on the waist. A pair of plastic bone buttons are above the fly. On the right rear pocket is a machine sewn rectangular logo for the 'King Gee' clothing company. Inside the rear waist of the object is hand written in faded black ink 'F4800711 STURTEVANT'.

These shorts were worn by Lieutenant Kristy Michelle Sturtevant, who was a Registered Nurse serving with the Nursing Corps of the Australian Army in Bougainville, as part of the Peace Monitoring Group (PMG) from April to August 1998. She served with the Bougainville Combined Health Element based at Loloho and was the Nursing Officer in charge of medium and low dependency unit. The PMG was deployed in on 1 May 1998, taking over from the New Zealand-led Truce Monitoring Group (TMG). The PMG comprised a mix of military and civilian personnel from Australia, New Zealand, Fiji and Vanuatu. Its headquarters were variously located at Arawa and Loloho in central Bougainville. Sturtevant later served in East Timor from September 1999 to February 2000 with the Field Surgery Team (FST) Heavy, which was part of the 1st Field Hospital based at Holsworthy Barracks in Sydney. During her time in East Timor, she was field promoted from lieutenant to captain, and her unit, the 1st Field Hospital changed its title to the 1st Health Support Battalion.