Wallet for insect repellant cloth : Lieutenant M T Turrell, 2 Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment

Place Asia: Malaya
Accession Number REL38104
Collection type Heraldry
Object type Personal Equipment
Physical description Cotton
Maker N & Co Dd
Place made United Kingdom
Date made 1945
Conflict Malayan Emergency, 1948-1960
Description

Cream coloured, open top, cotton wallet for the stowing of insect repellant cloth. The ends are reinforced with green cotton, and sewn onto the upper edge of the wallet is a green piece of cotton, on which is printed the instructions for use. Stamped on the inside of the wallet is, 'N. & CO. Dd. 1945 [broad arrow symbol]'. Stamped on the exterior of the wallet is, 'Z W[broad arrow symbol]D 831'.

History / Summary

Used by Lieutenant M T Turrell, 2 Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment (RAR). Born in Sydney on 19 January 1938, Maxwell Thomas Turrell was educated at Crows Nest Intermediate Boys High School and North Sydney Boys Technical High School. At both schools he served in the School Cadets, attaining the rank of cadet lieutenant. Turrell enlisted in the Australian Army in 1956, graduating from the Royal Military College, Duntroon.

In 1961, in the wake of the Malayan Emergency, Lieutenant Turrell served in Malaya with 2 Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment (RAR). Operating as part the 28th Commonwealth Brigade, Turrell commanded 11 Platoon, D Company, 2 RAR in conducting patrols the 'Black Zone' on the Malay -Thailand border, aimed at suppressing continued Communist Terrorists (CT) activity in the region in 1962 and 1963. In May 1966 Captain Turrell was deployed to South Vietnam as adjutant of 6 RAR. Following his service in the Vietnam War, Turrell was promoted to Major and appointed Officer Commanding 2nd Army Recruiting Unit. Major Turrell served in the Army until his discharge in 1981.