DPDU Shirt : Lieutenant A N Christie, 2 Cavalry Regiment

Long sleeved shirt in Disruptive Pattern Desert Uniform (DPDU) fabric. The shirt has a fold down collar and a five button closure with all but the topmost button being concealed. Attached through the top buttonhole is a an LED microlight made of plastic and metal. The shirt has two expanding breast pockets each with a two button closure. Lieutenant rank slides are attached to the shoulder straps. Attached with a Velcro strip above the right pocket is an embroidered name tag reading ‘CHRISTIE’. At the top of the right shoulder is an embroidered ‘AUSTRALIA’ patch featuring the Australian flag, and on the left shoulder is an embroidered patch featuring a Lamassu. Both patches are attached with Velcro and below them is an expandable pocket with a two button closure. The elbows are reinforced with a second layer of fabric and the cuffs can be adjusted using a Velcro tab.

1811830 Lieutenant Andrew Nolan Christie was born in Brisbane on 7 May 1980. He joined the Australian Army in January 1999 and attended the Australian Defence Force Academy in Canberra where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 2001 before marching in to the Royal Military College Duntroon. Christie graduated after 12 months officer training and was allocated to the Royal Australian Armoured Corps (RAAC) and posted to 2 Cavalry Regiment. Christie then went on to complete his six month RAAC Regimental Officers Basic Course at the School of Armour at Puckapunyal and took up an appointment as cavalry troop leader with 2 Cavalry Regiment. His troop, V33, was chosen to form part of the cavalry element of the Al Muthanna Task Group (AMTG) which was deployed in April 2005 to conduct operations in southern Iraq. The AMTG is made up of approximately 450 personnel and they are tasked with providing a secure environment for the Japanese Iraq Reconstruction and Support Group (JIRSG) and to assist in the training of local Iraqi Army units so that they are able to take over the internal and external defence of their country. This shirt was worn by Lieutenant Christie whilst serving in Iraq with the AMTG. It was collected from him, along with his uniform and other personal items, after a patrol on 18 October 2005. The patrol, commanded by Lieutenant Christie, was tasked with the insertion of Australian Army Training Team (AATT) soldiers into the Samawah Army Barracks to facilitate the training and mentoring of Iraqi soldiers. The Lamassu uniform patch as worn on this shirt was worn by headquarters staff of the Multi-National Division Southeast (MND-SE) in Iraq and by Australian soldiers of the Al Muthanna Task Group (AMTG). The Lamassu, a creature with the body of a bull, the wings of an eagle and a crowned human head, was chosen for this patch by the General Officer Commanding British Forces, Multi National Division (South East), Major General Jonathan Riley for its symbolism as a protector against evil. It was first used by the ancient Assyrians who lived in what is now Iraq, and also used as the symbol of the First World War British led Mesopotamian Expeditionary Force that defeated the Ottoman Turkish Army in Mesopotamia

• T-shirt : Lieutenant A N Christie, 2 Cavalry Regiment
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• Pair of Boots : Lieutenant A N Christie, 2 Cavalry Regiment