Neck tie : Corporal C B S Behm, 2/1 Australian Convalescent Depot, Voluntary Aid Detachment

Dark blue woollen neck tie. On the reverse is a maker's label reading 'Hardy Amies LONDON PURE WOOL MADE UNDER LICENCE IN AUSTRALIA'.

Owned by 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. Corporal 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.