Embroidered shawl : Miss E J Coventry

Pale pink silk shawl, edged with a deep fringe of pink mercerised cotton, and machine embroidered in two corners with a pattern of apricot and purple flowers and green leaves.

This shawl was purchased in Egypt by 7854A Private Eric Oswald Coventry, as a gift for his sister, Elizabeth Joy Coventry (later Thornhill), possibly for her 18th birthday.

Eric Coventry was born at Waratah, Tasmania in 1890. He trained as a blacksmith and was working in New Zealand when the First World War broke out. He returned to Tasmania to enlist, and, after a preliminary medical in July 1915, joined the AIF at Claremont on 31 August 1915. Coventry undertook his initial training in Victoria and was assigned to the Australian Army Medical Corps. He sailed for Egypt as one of the reinforcements for 1 Australian General Hospital, then located at Heliopolis.

In August 1916, Coventry transferred to England and was posted to 1 Australian Auxiliary Hospital at Harefield. A month later he was posted to 2 Australian Auxiliary Hospital (2AAH) at Southall, London, which specialised in the rehabilitation of amputees. The heavy lifting involved at the hospital exacerbated a hernia and he was hospitalised himself for a month in February 1917.

In November 1917, Coventry arrived in France for service on the Western Front. He was posted to 4 Field Ambulance in February 1918, and remained with this unit until 2 November, when he was sent to England on leave. Coventry returned to duty at 2AAH, helping with the rehabilitation of amputees so that they could return Australia. He was given leave to take up non-military employment in July 1919 so that he could study motor engineering in preparation for post-war employment.

On 12 August 1919, Coventry married Pattie Winifred Lamkin. The couple boarded the Benalla, by now a 'family boat' instead of a troopship, carrying British war brides and their children to Australia on 8 October, and arrived in Melbourne on 25 November. Three days later the Coventrys arrived at the railway station at Burnie, Tasmania. The Launceston Examiner reported that 'Privates Tom Weeks and Eric Carpenter [were] accompanied by their English brides who were showered with confetti and presented with bouquets by members of the reception committee. The happy couples were motored home amid much cheering.'.