Souvenir Egyptian cushion cover : Private G Kinniburgh, 14 Battalion AIF

Square, cream cotton sateen silk cushion cover with a gold fringe. The cover is printed with a design of an Egyptian on a camel beside an oasis, with a veiled woman carrying a water pitcher behind him. The background is composed of the Sphinx and two pyramids. A scroll appears under the design with the words 'SOUVENIR OF EGYPT'. Encircling the main design are groups of pink roses and seven photographic portrait vignettes, each backed by a pair of national flags. The personalitites depicted are (l to r): King Albert of Belgium; Prince Hussein Kamel of Egypt; Raymond Poincare, President of France; King George V of England; Tsar Nicholas II of Russia; King Victor Emmanuel of Italy and King Peter of Serbia. The cover has been personalised with the following lines in machine chain stitch: '1915 1916 A Merry Xmas & Happy New Year / From Garnet to My Dear Sister'.

Souvenir sent home to his sister from Egypt by 1171 Private Garnet Kinniburgh, who served with 14 Battalion, AIF. Kinniburgh was born at Carisbrook, Victoria and enlisted on 20 October 1914. He embarked from Melbourne for overseas service aboard HMAT Ulysses on 22 December 1914. After training in Egypt, 14 Battalion landed at Gallipoli on the afternoon of 25 April 1915. Kinniburgh remained with them until 22 July when he was evacuated to the Hospital Ship Soudan with tonsillitis. He suffered further medical conditions, including malaria and bronchitis throughout the next eight months and was finally admitted to 3 Australian General Hospital at Cairo on 13 June 1916 suffering from a nervous condition, and declared unfit for further service. He returned to Australia aboard the SS Clan McGillivray and was discharged on 10 July 1916.