Embroidered 'Souvenir of Egypt' cloth : Private J Booth, 20 Battalion AIF

Square red cotton sateen souvenir cloth with a blue lace and tassel fringe. The cloth is embroidered in yellow, blue, red, white, green, purple, pink and black machine chainstitch and is entitled 'Souvenir of Egypt 1915'. Under this are four crossed allied flags including the blue Australian ensign, enclosed in a wreath of flowers. Chainstitched around the lower edges is the message 'To Dear Aunt Portia from Jack A Coy 20 Batt AIF 14/8/15'.

Related to the service of 164 Private John (Jack) Booth, A Company, 20th Battalion. A shipwright of Balmain, NSW, he enlisted in March 1915 and embarked on HMAT Berrima in June of that year. This souvenir cloth was purchased by Private Booth during his period in Egypt and sent home as a present to his Aunt, Portia Bennett. He was transferred to the 20 Battalion ten days before it went into the lines at Broodseide Ridge, Passchendaele. He was noted as missing in action on 9 October 1917, but it was later changed to killed in action after his pay book was handed in, that had been removed from his body. He was buried near where he fell. His body was not recovered, or recovered but not identified after the war and his name is listed on the Ypres Menin Gate Memorial.