| Place | Africa: North Africa, Libya, Cyrenaica, Tobruk Area, Tobruk |
|---|---|
| Accession Number | AWM2020.57.1.3 |
| Collection type | Heraldry |
| Object type | Heraldry |
| Physical description | Cork, Nickel-plated brass, Rubber |
| Maker |
Unknown |
| Place made | United States of America |
| Date made | 1940s |
| Conflict |
Second World War, 1939-1945 |
Alto saxophone neck: Private Pretoria Herbert Zanker, 2/43 Battalion
Description
Standard alto saxophone neck with a cork tipped end for the mounthpiece. Unfortunately the neck is too narrow to slot into the saxophone and must have belonged to another instrument.
History / Summary
Alto saxophone neck used by Private Pretoria Herbert Zanker, 2/43 Battalion in the AIF band in the Middle East. Zanker was born on 20 January 1902 at Orroroo, SA, and enlisted at Adelaide on 2 July 1940 with the 2/43 Battalion. After training he embarked for service in the Middle East in December 1940, serving as a stretcher bearer and band member, playing such wartime melodies as "Elmers Tune", "There's Nothing Like Music" and "Comin' in On A Wing and A Prayer", for which his family donated the music. He was wounded at Tobruk on 21 October 1941, served in Syria and was discharged from the AIF on 14 November 1943. According to his family Zanker acquired this alto sax in Australia in 1938.