Blanket : Private J Southwell, 4 Anzac Battalion, Imperial Camel Corps

Cream cotton and goat's hair blend blanket with four narrow black horizontal stripes spaced evenly along its length. The warp is cotton, the weft goat hair.

Born in Queanbeyan, NSW, 2229 Private James Southwell, a 39 year old married labourer, enlisted in the AIF on 2 October 1915, together with one of his younger brothers, 19 year old Victor Charles Southwell. After training both men were assigned to the 15th Reinforcements for the 6th Light Horse Regiment. They arrived in Egypt in early 1916.

In April 1916 James was sent to the 2nd Light Horse Brigade Training Regiment, before being posted to the 2nd Light Horse Double Squadron in July, tasked with patrolling the Suez Canal area. In November 1916 he was transferred to the 17th Company, 4th Anzac Battalion, Imperial Camel Corps at Abbassia, for training. He was posted to the Australian Pay Corps on 24 March 1917. Although Southwell did not see active service with the 6th Light Horse he was again posted to this unit, for administrative purposes, when the left Egypt to return to Australia in June 1919.

This blanket, a souvenir of his time in the Camel Corps is thought to be an example of the locally made blankets issued to the Egyptian drivers in the Camel Transport Corps, who were largely responsible for the welfare of the camels themselves.