| Place | Oceania: Pacific Islands, Bismarck Archipelago, New Britain, Herbertshohe |
|---|---|
| Accession Number | REL/00722 |
| Collection type | Heraldry |
| Object type | Heraldry |
| Physical description | Cotton |
| Maker |
Unknown |
| Place made | Germany |
| Date made | c 1912-1914 |
| Conflict |
First World War, 1914-1918 |
Damask dinner napkin : SMS Sumatra
Description
White cotton damask dinner napkin with a woven floral pattern. In the centre, within a rectangle, is woven 'Norddeutcher Lloyd Bremen', with crossed anchors and a key within a wreath of oak leaves.
History / Summary
Dinner napkin taken from the Norddeutcher Lloyd Bremen ketch SMS Sumatra. She was one of the German ships lying off Herbertshohe in New Britain, when the settlement capitulated to the Australian Naval and Military Expeditionary Force (AN & MEF) on 17 September 1914. The napkin was collected by Corporal C Wright, who manned the signal station at Herbertshohe and was presented to Lieutenant Eric Keith Carlile, who was also a member of the AN & MEF. Carlile went on to serve with 7 Battalion, AIF and died of wounds received in France, on 28 February 1917.