Supper Cloth : A Battery, Royal Australian Artillery

Supper cloth featuring on one side crossed flags, Lieutenant General George White VC, General Redvers Buller VC and a ship. In the centre is sewn soldier, a photograph of General Frederick Roberts VC and a map of South Africa. The final side depicts a cannon, photographs of Lieutenant General John French and Lieutenant General Herbert Kitchener and a flag crossed with sword. Each corner has signiatures sewn in black and white thread. The cloth has a white lace edging, in each corner there is a small red white and blue rosette, all of which were connected by a thin ribbon of red white and blue, only part of which is still attached.

Names in red are officers of the A Battery NSW Artillery including: Captain George Marshall, Captain Edward Augustus Antill, Lieutenant Henry St. John Sweetland, Colonel Sydenham Campbell Urquhart Smith, Lieutenant Herbert James Cox Taylor, Captain Cecil Walter Lamb Special Service Officer, Captain Horace William Dangar Special Service Officer, Reverand Ernest C. Beck and Lieutenant Sydney Ernest Christian.

Captain Ernest Henry Brass of the East Yorkshire Regiment (signed in Cape Town) and A. G. Salter M.B. are in red and on a corner by themselves.

Names of the officers of the SS Warrigal are in black and include: C. S. Durrad (5th Officer), T. R. Soady (4th Officer), J Cameron (Chief Engineer), W. Sinker (2nd Officer), T. T. Baker (Chief), G. Hollis (3rd Officer) and A. W. Bond (Captain).

A Battery of the New South Wales Regiment, Royal Australian Artillery departed for South Africa on board the S.S. Warrigal on 30 December 1899. This supper cloth was started during the one month journey to South Africa. All the officers of the A Battery and all the officers of the Warrigal signed it. Signatures were still being added upon arrival. The cloth was sent to London while the battery was still in South Africa and was then forwarded on to Australia.