Winter service dress tunic : Corporal C B S Behm, 2/1 Australian Convalescent Depot, Voluntary Aid Detachment

Dark blue woollen Voluntary Aid Detachment winter outdoor uniform jacket. The jacket has a fold down collar and fastens at the front by two oxidised brass Australian Military Forces buttons. There are two expanding patch pockets with buttoned flaps below the waist, and a small left breast pocket with a woven Red Cross badge. The shoulder straps are held in place by small oxidised brass AMF buttons and bear the voided white metal shoulder titles 'V.A.D AUSTRALIA'. The colour patch of the 2/14th Australian General Hospital is sewn to the upper arm of both sleeves. Below the colour patch on the right arm are two woven chevrons denoting the rank of corporal. There are two oxidised brass AMF buttons at the cuff of each sleeve. The jacket is fitted at the waist and has a self fabric belt which is sewn to the rear and fastens at the front with a brass buckle. The jacket is fully lined with black cotton and bears two maker's labels for tailors Allan & Stark Ltd of Brisbane. Written on one of the labels is 'MISS C B GRANT 30 6 42'.

Worn by Corporal Claire Bernadine Soutar Behm (nee Grant), born on 26 April 1921 in Brisbane, Queensland. She was a 21 year old doctors secretary and assistant when she joined the Voluntary Aid Detachment in Brisbane on 4 May 1942 with the service number Q142340. In October she transferred to the Second AIF and was allotted the service number QX40411.She served as a clerk with the 117th Australian General Hospital which was established at Downlands College, Toowoomba. In March 1944 she transferred to the 2/1st Australian Convalescent Depot, based at Rocky Creek in the Atherton Tablelands. On 20 February 1945 she married QX19096 Lieutenant John Charles Behm who served with the 2/2nd Australian Tank Attack Regiment. She was discharged on 8 June 1945. Claire Behm is one of several family members to have volunteered for military service during times of war. During the First World War her aunt, Staff Nurse Elsie Rose Grant served in Egypt, France and England with the Australian Army Nursing Service (P04484.002; PR00596). Her uncle, 2nd Lieutenant Allan Herbert Grant, 40 Battalion, was killed in action at Passchendaele on 12 October 1917 (P04484.001). Her brother, QX351 Allan Joseph MacDonald Grant served with the 2/1st Australian Tank Attack Regiment, and they are photographed together in P04532.001. Behm's son, 2nd Lieutenant Lloyd Charles Behm was a national serviceman who served in Vietnam with the 1st Special Air Service Regiment (SAS) from 1970 to 1971.

• Winter service dress skirt : Corporal C B S Behm, 2/1 Australian Convalescent Depot, Voluntary Aid Detachment
• Neck tie : Corporal C B S Behm, 2/1 Australian Convalescent Depot, Voluntary Aid Detachment
• Rising Sun badge : Corporal C B S Behm, 2/1 Australian Convalescent Depot, Voluntary Aid Detachment