Wallet : Bombardier A F Gauld, 2/10 Field Regiment

Rectangular brown leather wallet with crocodile patterned exterior. The front upper right hand corner has a rectangular brass plate with the following engraved ' A. F. G / QX 10129 / Jondaryan / 1940'. the left inside pocket has a plastic sleeve with a white identification card that reads 'IDENTIFICATION CARD / Regl. No QX10129 Rank Bdr / Name Alan F Gauld / Battalion Company / Highgrove / Kulpi / Toowoomba QLD ' The right inside pocket has a large plastic sleeve with an American Red Cross card in it. The front of the card reads' AMERICAN RED CROSS / Washington, D.C. / United States of America'. The top left hand corner has a red cross. The top right hand corner has the following written 'Kriegsgefangenenpost / Prisoners of War Post / Prisonniers de Guerre'. The bottom left hand corner has 'Gebuhrenfri / Postage Fre / Franc du Port. The reverse of the card reads 'AMERICAN RED CROSS / RECEIPT FOR INVALID FOOD PACKAGE / (Last name) (First and Middle Names) (Rank) / (Number) (Prison Camp) / (Country) / I have received today one invalid food package from THE AMERICAN NATIONAL RED CROSS through the International Red Cross Committee. / (Signed ) / Nationality Date. The top right hand corner has the text 'Form 1680 / April 1943'.

This wallet was presented to QX10129 Bombardier Alan Forbes Gauld to commemorate his enlistment in the AIF. Jondaryan is a town located south west of Toowoomba.

Gauld was born on 11 September 1915. Before enlistment with 2/10 Field Regiment at Toowoomba on 19 June 1940 he worked as a garage proprietor. On the 22 October 1940 Gauld was promoted to acting bombardier and detached to Singapore for duty on the 26 April 1941.

While in Malaya, Gauld was temporarily detached to the 2/26th Battalion on 5 October 1941 for a course, returning to his unit five days later. On 15 February 1942 he was captured by the Japanese and became a Prisoner of War. In March 1943 he left Changi prisoner of war camp in Singapore with D Force for Thailand to work on the Thai-Burma railway.

After three and a half years as a prisoner, Gauld was recovered from Thailand on 20 August 1945. and embarked from Singapore for Australia aboard the ship, Moreton Bay on 15 October, arriving in Australia on 1 November. Gauld was discharged from the AIF on the 4 April 1946.