| Place | Middle East: Ottoman Empire, Turkey, Dardanelles, Gallipoli, Anzac Area (Gallipoli), Lone Pine Area, Lone Pine |
|---|---|
| Accession Number | REL/00519.002 |
| Collection type | Heraldry |
| Object type | Heraldry |
| Physical description | Glass, Metal, Textile, Wood |
| Maker |
Unknown |
| Date made | Unknown |
| Conflict |
First World War, 1914-1918 |
Display box for pine cone from Lone Pine : Second Lieutenant S G Savige, 24 Battalion, AIF
Description
A lockable polished wooden case with a glass top. A small metal plaque on the lid is engraved, 'CONE FROM LONE PINE PICKED UP BY 2ND LIEUT. S. G. SAVIGE ON DEPARTING WITH LAST PARTY 20.12.15'. A padded white cushion provides a base for the pine cone.
History / Summary
After eight months of fighting and more than 26,000 casualties, the Australians evacuated Gallipoli on 20 December 1915.
Lieutenant Savige of the 24th Battalion was in command of one of the last Australian parties to leave the peninsula and collected a pine cone from the Lone Pine battlefield, which he stored in this specially made box.
Lieutenant Savige went on to serve with the 24th Battalion on the Western Front and was awarded the Military Cross (MC) for his bravery in early 1917. After volunteering for special service, Savige was sent to Persia in March 1918 as part of Dunsterforce. He was awarded the Distinguished Service Order (DSO) for protecting refugees while under fire.
During the Second World War, Savige saw service in the Middle East, Greece and South West Pacific. Rising to the rank of Lieutenant General, Savige commanded II Corps in the Bougainville campaign and accepted the surrender of the Japanese at Torokina.
He is widely remembered for his efforts between the wars in founding the Legacy Clubs (which he modelled on the 'Remembrance Club' formed in Hobart by his friend and former commander Sir John Gellibrand in 1923) to care for the dependants of deceased servicemen and ex-servicemen. These clubs grew into a nation wide organisation which, by the time of Savige's death, was supporting over 80,000 widows and children. Knighted in 1950, Savige died at his home in Kew in 1954.