Embroidered sugar bag: Private William Alfred Shardlow, 8 Field Ambulance

Embroidered hessian sugar bag with fawn fringed edging. Horizontally, the front of the bag has an embroidery depicting a garden and the text 'New Guinea 1943-44'.

The design is three central rectangular gardens growing fruit and vegetables; surrounding these are four flower beds in the shape of card suits - a club, diamond, heart and spade. Additionally there is a coconut palm and eight small circular garden beds with small plants.

The right side if the bag has a long tear or cut-mark. There is a rusted safety pin attached to the top of the tear.

Believed to have been made by N185493 Private William Alfred Shardlow while on active service in New Guinea.
William Shardlow enlisted for war service in Leichardt, Sydney on 3 June 1941.

A shoemaker by trade, Shardlow was allotted to the 35th Infantry Battalion and spent his first two years military service in training; mainly in Western Australia where the 8th Brigade was employed on garrison duties along the coast.

In April 1943 Shardlow transferred to the 8 Australian Field Ambulance. He embarked for active service in New Guinea on 17 November 1943. Except for a period on Bougainville, Shardlow remained in New Guinea for the duration of the war.

William Shardlow died in 2008 aged 99.