Souvenir pennant : HMAS Bataan

Triangular landscape-format dark blue felt pennant with painted stencil decorations. The hoist features the ship's badge of HMAS Bataan accompanied by the Latin motto 'Unguibus Et Rostro' (with claws and beak). The fly field features the words 'H.M.A.S. Bataan Tokio Bay - Aug. - Nov. 1945'. The castle design within the badge appears to have been built up with red wax and is slightly proud of the surface. A pair of felt suspension tabs are attached to the hoist which is reinforced with a longitudinal felt strip.

The Tribal Class destroyer HMAS Bataan served with the Royal Australian Navy during the Second World War. To honour Australia's American allies and their fight against the Japanese invasion of the Philippines, the ship, originally tnamed HMAS Kurnai was renamed HMAS Bataan in the wake of the Americans naming one of their ships USS Canberra to honour the loss of the Australian ship of the same name. Built by the Cockatoo Docks and Engineering Company Limited at Sydney from February 1942, HMAS Bataan was launched on 15 January 1944 but not commissioned until May 1945. As such, the ship saw little if no active operational service before the Japanese surrender and after reaching the Philippines in July 1945, proceeded directly to Japan for the surrender ceremony in Tokyo Bay. Here the crew assisted in the repatriation of Australian prisoners of war until departing for Australia on 18 November 1945. This felt banner commemorates this period of service. HMAS Bataan saw four more East Asian tours of duty before the start of the Korean war in 1950, where the ship was extensively involved in operations with British and American fleets, and performed two lengthy tours of duty.