Commissioning pennant : HMAS Stuart

White wool bunting commissioning pennant with red cross of St George (45.5 x 7cm). Pennant has canvas bound hoist with wooden toggle.

This commissioning pennant was flown by the destroyer leader HMAS Stuart, leader of the 10th Destroyer Flotilla, Mediterranean Fleet, commanded by Commander (D) H M L Waller, during the Battle of Calabria on 9 July 1940. The battle was the first major clash between the British and Italian fleets during the Second World War, and occurred when ships of the Mediterranean Fleet were covering Allied convoys moving from the Sicilian channel to Alexandria. The Australian ships taking part in this engagement were HMA ships Sydney, Stuart, Vampire and Voyager. As a result of this action the convoys remained unmolested and the Italian fleet retired behind a smoke screen. Italian losses in the action were a destroyer, Zaffiro, sunk, and a battleship, Cavour, damaged. The British suffered bomb damage to the heavy cruiser HMS Gloucester. Captain Waller went on to command HMAS Perth and lost his life when the ship was sunk in the Java Sea on 1 March 1942.