Unofficial MINURSO cap badge : Regimental Sergeant Major Matthew Charles Burke, 5 Australian Service Contingent

Brass and enamel cap badge featuring design of a white camel standing on a crescent-shaped base, which contains the letters 'MINURSO', in blue. The area between camel and the base is voided, and the camel's head stands proud of the badge. The reverse is fitted with a pair of stickpin attachments. Badge is still sealed in its original issue plastic bag.

Unofficial cap badge adopted by Australians serving with the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO). The design features a camel which became the popular symbol of the mission and this badge was 'worn on civilian attire quite regularly around Western Sahara and precincts' according to 3801035 Regimental Sergeant Major (RSM) Matthew Charles Burke, speaking of his MINURSO deployment as Force Sergeant Major of 5 Australian Service Contingent. Burke originally enlisted as a National Serviceman on 7 July 1971 and remained in the army for the next 25 years, rising from a Driver with 103 Transport Company in 1972 to Warrant Officer Class 1 (WO I) upon his discharge in September 1996. In 1981 Burke was posted to 1 British Corps, British Army on the Rhine, Germany, on Exercise ‘Long Look’ as Transport Platoon Sergeant 14 Squadron RCT. After a number of successful logistics and instructing positions, Burke was appointed RSM of Bandiana Logistic Group (BLG) and area RSM of the Albury/Wodonga Military Area in 1992; the following year he successfully applied for the position of Force Sergeant Major and RSM of 5 Australian Service Contingent with MINURSO. He served in this position from 15 November 1993 until 25 May 1994. WO I Burke returned to Australia to his position with BLG before retiring from the Army on 1 September 1996; he was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia in 1991 for ‘outstanding and exemplary services to the Australian Army’. MINURSO was established in September 1991 to monitor the ceasefire between West Sahara and Morocco, and supervise a referendum on whether the Saharawi people wanted independence or incorporation with Morocco. Since the establishment of MINURSO, Australia has provided a communications unit of 45 personnel, dispersed over four areas. The Australian contingent was withdrawn in 1994 and at that time a referendum had still not been held. One Australian, Major Susan Felsche, was killed during the MINURSO deployment on 21 June 1993 in an aircraft crash.