Battledress blouse : Signalman R E Hill, Royal Australian Signal Corps

Khaki wool serge Australian Army battledress blouse with two pleated patch breast pockets and a pair of side opening internal pockets. The blouse is fastened down the centre by five concealed brown plastic buttons, and the belted waist is gathered and fastened by a blackened steel buckle. The collar has a fold-over flap enabling it to be buttoned at the throat. There are concealed brown plastic buttons fastening the cuffs of the sleeves and the flaps of the pockets. The inside of the collar, cuffs, waist and placket are lined with khaki cotton drill. The fabric lining the rear waistband has three button holes for attachment to the battledress trousers. A cotton maker's label stating 'CGCF VICTORIA 1965 Size 2 ^' and a name tag are sewn to the inside of the blouse behind the proper left pocket; the owner has filled in his name and regimental number in ink. He has repeated these on the opposite side. Shoulder straps are secured by brown plastic buttons. Below the shoulder strap on each sleeve is the machine embroidered blue and white shoulder title of the Royal Australian Signals Corps. An shield shaped enamelled badge featuring the Red Cross, Queen's crown and the words 'Blood Donor', made by A J Parkes of Brisbane, is pinned beneath the proper left collar.

Standard issue mid 1960s battledress blouse issued to 2786678 Signalman Russell Errol Hill for his National Service. Born 17 July 1946, Hill was called up in 1967 and entered the Army on 14 April. After 10 weeks basic initial training at Kapooka, Hill undertook specific training at the School of Signals, Balcombe, Victoria; his suitablility for training was chosen based on a tone/pitch test and Hill's natural musical ability assisted in passing this test. He passed top of his course of an entry of 20 and was judged the quickest Morse operator. Of the 20 in his course, seventeen were posted to Vietnam, while Hill and two others were retained in Australia. After a short period at Watsonia, Hill was transferred to the Rockbank Signal Receiving Station (about 60 km west of Melbourne), where he was responsible for receiving the coded incoming message from Vung Tau every 4 hours. His final post was operating the Base Radio at Portsea, Victoria. The badge located under Hill's collar indicates he had been volunteered by the army to give blood.

• Battledress trousers : Signalman R E Hill, Royal Australian Signal Corps