Japanese civilian boat registration flag : Private T P Mahy, 2/1 Pioneer Battalion

White cotton flag printed with Japanese characters, with a 150mm wide band of reddish brown cotton sewn to the fly. The characters translate ' Port's Department', with the boat's registration number, '582', and the year for which it is registered, '1 April 1944 - 31 March 1945'. Each corner of the hoist has a pair of white cotton ties for attachment to a jack or mast.

The white section of the flag, which should be aligned to the viewer's right in order to read the Japanese characters correctly, has been further annotated in black ink, with the white section to the viewer's left, (i.e. so the flag is upside down), 'BALILKPAPEN [sic] BORNEO 1945', and signed in ink and pencil by approximately 75 members of 2/1 Pioneer Battalion. Private Mahy's signature, in pencil, is larger than the rest of the signatures and is located in the centre of the white section.

Thomas Philip Mahy was born at Rutherglen, Victoria on 29 April 1918. He was working at Leeton, in the NSW Riverina when he enlisted in the Citizens Military Force (CMF) on 6 February 1939. He was assigned the service number N34145. After part-time service and training at Cootamundra, Walgrove and Bathurst, he transferred to full-time service with the CMF on 6 June 1941, as a corporal in A Company, 56th Infantry Battalion (Riverina Regiment). The battalion undertook garrison duties, first in New South Wales, and then in Western Australia.

Mahy enlisted in the Second AIF on 9 August 1942. His rank of corporal was confirmed and he was allocated the service number NX125893. He was appointed an acting sergeant in November 1943. In January 1944 he was transferred to Queensland for training. Mahy was posted to 2/8 Infantry Battalion at the beginning of July.

In October 1944 Mahy reverted to the rank of private at his own request and was transferred to 2/1 Pioneer Battalion. In June 1945 he embarked with his unit from Townsville, travelling to Morotai and on to Balikpapan in Borneo.

The battalion came ashore at Balikpapan on 1 July, the first day of the battle. After working to consolidate the beachhead, its next task was to help defend Balikpapan Harbour, before being sent by landing craft to patrol the Penadjam and Riko Rivers.

Mahy left Balikpapan on 23 December 1945 and arrived at Brisbane on 31 December. He was transferred to Sydney, where he was discharged on 25 January 1946.