| Place | Middle East: Persian Gulf |
|---|---|
| Accession Number | REL36919.002 |
| Collection type | Heraldry |
| Object type | Uniform |
| Physical description | Cotton, Plastic |
| Maker |
Great Australian Workwear |
| Place made | Australia |
| Date made | Unknown |
| Conflict |
Afghanistan, 2001-2021 |
Blue cotton trousers : Rigid Hulled Inflatable boat crew, HMAS Kanimbla
Description
Navy blue coloured cotton trousers with elasticised trouser leg ends. The trousers have two slash pockets at the hip, two cargo pockets at the thigh and a single rear pocket on the right hand side. Cotton tabs and buttons run around the waist for size adjustment. 'LIDS BP BLUE' has been hand written in red ink on the inner tag. There are numerous stains around the trouser front and sides.
History / Summary
This pair of trousers was worn by a member of HMAS Kanimbla's 'Blue' boarding team. It was collected by a naval historian from HMAS Kanimbla during Operation Slipper in 2001 and 2002. The word 'LIDS', which is written on the shirt's tag, refers to the wearer's nickname - though 'Lids' identity is unknown. HMAS Kanimbla had several boarding teams during Operation Slipper, including Gold Team, Pronto Team and Blue Team; to which this item is related. The boarding teams were ready to deploy 24 hours a day, regardless of conditions and were inserted by helicopter fast rope or boat.