Kit or barrack bag: Damien Parer, front-line cameraman, US Liberty Ship 'Nancy Hanks'

Heavy cotton canvas kit-bag with an enclosed rope draw-string. There is a vertical tear one side crudely repaired with heavy duty cotton. The name "Parer" is inked twice on the inside ('PARER' and 'W/O PARER') and in much larger letters ('DAMIEN PARER / CORRESPONDENT') on the outside.

American Army barrack bag used by combat cameraman Damien Peter Parer. Parer had rightly established a reputation as a front-line cameraman and covered the RAN in action in the Mediterranean, the AIF in action at Derna, Greece, Syria and Tobruk during 1940-41. When the AIF changed focus to the South West Pacific Area, he covered operations on the Kokoda Trail and at Salamua, with the commandoes on Timor and the RAAF in the Battle of the Bismark Sea in 1942 - 43. He always had a great desire to film ahead of the troops and frequently placed himself in danger.

In August 1943, after almost 12 months of a bitter relationship with his employer, the Australian Department of Information, he resigned and joined Paramount News, covering the Americans in the Pacific. His ‘handler’, censor and guide was Major Theodore P. Wagner, the Public Relations officer for the 5th Air Force. Parer had already covered the invasion of Guam in July/August 1944 before and was preparing for the invasion of Pelileu when he left his slouch hat with Wagner. The hat is catalogued as REL/18202 in the Australian War Memorial’s collection.

Less than a week later, on 17 September 1944, Parer was killed filming the landing of US Marines on Pelileu, while following in the wake of a Sherman tank, and as always, ahead of the troops.

This American barrack bag was left in the care of an Australian merchant seaman, Ernest ('Ern') Collins serving in the U.S. Liberty Ship 'Nancy Hanks' shortly before Parer was killed. Collins had taken the bag to fill it with some food for Parer, however Parer had gone ashore from the ship without waiting for the bag and was killed before Collins had a chance to deliver it. Collins kept the bag and later offered to return it to Parer's wife. She asked that instead it be donated to the Australian War Memorial.