White chiffon 'Souvenir of France' handkerchief : Private J Booth, 20 Battalion AIF

Square white chiffon souvenir flag with a grey cotton machine edged border. The top right hand corner is hand embroidered with the flags of Belgium, Italy, Serbia and the United Kingdom and a posey of pansies tied with a ribbon coloured red, white and blue. The design is titled 'SOUVENIR de FRANCE'. The opposite corner is marked in purple indelible pencil 'To Aunt Portia Love From Jack 29/6/16'.

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 handkerchief was purchased in France by Private Booth 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.