German Red Cross flag found at Marcelcave : Private B M Thwaites, 23 Battalion, AIF

German Red Cross flag consisting of a roughly square panel of off-white cotton, hemmed all round, with a central red cotton red cross made from two overlaid rectangular panels sewn to the backing. Six small metal tacks have been used to attached the flag to a black-painted 1.42 metre long wooden pole, 19 mm in diameter. The abbreviation 'BA IV' is stamped onto the flag in its upper left corner near the hoist. At least three signature blocks are evident, with two further names visible, but indecipherable. Those that can be read are: 'F Matthews / D Coy, 23rd Btn AIF'; 'Pte A.V. Thomson / D Coy / 23rd Batt AIF' and 'Pte N McNeill / D Coy 23 Batt'. Overall the flag is stained and spattered.

German Red Cross flag found on 9 August 1918 by Private B M Thwaites, 23 Battalion when his battalion moved through Marcelcave the day after its capture. At least three other members of D Company, 23 Battalion have signed the flag, with evidence of another two which have extensively faded. The German abbreviation in the top corner indicates it came from a Bavarian unit.

Berthold Morrison Thwaites, a bank clerk of Ballarat, Victoria enlisted on 1 March 1915 at Melbourne, aged 23 years 9 months. He was promoted to corporal on 1 May and assigned to D Company, 23 Battalion, part of 6 Brigade. After initial training, he embarked for overseas service aboard the transport HMAT Euripides which left Melbourne on 10 May 1915, arriving in Egypt in June. After training, his battalion landed at Gallipoli in early September where they spent most of their time manning the Lone Pine trenches until the Peninsula was evacuated. After reorganisation in Egypt, 23 Battalion were transferred to France in mid-March 1916 and, at his own request, Thwaites reverted to the rank of private on 1 April.

In July, 23 Battalion fought at the battles of Pozières and Mouquet Farm, after which it was estimated that the Battalion lost almost 90 per cent of its original members. After the winter of 1916-1917, the battalion fought at the second battle of Bullecourt in May 1917 and succeeded in capturing all of its objectives, and holding them until relieved. Subjected to heavy counter-attacks, the first day of this battle was the battalion's single most costly of the war. Later in 1917, the battalion moved with the rest of the AIF to the Ypres sector in Belgium, and in October participated in the battle to secure Broodseinde Ridge.

In April 1918 the battalion helped to turn back the German spring offensive, and then took part in the battles that would mark the beginning of Germany's defeat; Hamel in July and the 8 August Offensive. 23 Battalion were holding the line east of Villers-Bretonneaux in the days leading up to the offensive and acted in support on 8 August, moving up to hold newly captured positions at Warfusse-Abancourt. On 9 August they moved forward, passing through Marcelcave, Lamotte and Weincourt, bivouacking for the night at Guillaucourt. It is likely Private Thwaites picked up this flag during the march to Guillaucourt.

The defeat of the German forces in August 1918 led to large quantities of material being captured. This is one of dozens of items collected by the 23rd Battalion in the wake of the 8 August Offensive, some of which were offered to the Australian War Records Section in September 1918.