Autographed answering pendant : Ordinary Seaman Signaller C H Michelly, HMAS Geelong

Red and white wool bunting naval answering pendant, mounted on a short pole. The flag has a lightweight canvas hoist contructed as a pocket into which a pole can be slotted when in use. The hoist is stamped in blue ink '343'. and 'R.A.N.' with a broad arrow, both within a square. The flag is white at the hoist (590mm) and red at the fly (945mm) and tapers from a width of 410mm to a blunt end 100mm wide. There are 43 signatures, written in purple indelible pencil, on the hoist and the white section on the flag. They are, J Cunningham, ERA W McCormack, AB A J Kilner, TEL A R Jolly, TEL R Mellowship, SIG C H Michelly, L/RM G D Madden, S/A W R Bowry, STO J W Blight, STO McDowell AB A A Davis, SPO G Coleman, L/Sea A J H Clark, A/B G Cockburn, A/B M McSwain, L/STO G C Wingham, Coder J R Wilson, A/B B P McDonald, A/B R Diprose, A/B J Armstrong, STO A P Turnbull, A/B Bill Aldridge, STO W J Richardson, L/Sea P Emms, A/B Fred Hayes, A/B A Ludlow, L/Sea J A Reid, L/STO J A Watson, A/B L A Prettejohn, SIG E R Cole, LDG SIG D Munro, STO J Joliffe, STO H R Gore, SPO R G Staple, AB M T Jensen, ERA E A Howell, A/B D Ballard, A/B F Nicholson, STO W V Thwaites, A/B W T Hamburger, SPO J McGuire and PO G F Graham. 'LANGEMAK 19.10.1944' is written within a rectangle on the upper left hoist. Three of this group of men who were rescued neglected to sign the flag. They were Stoker F J Brown, Telegraphist G L Gardiner and Midshipman R S Hill.

In April 1944 the corvette HMAS Geelong was sent to New Guinea where she operated out of Milne Bay. On the evening of 18 October she was northward bound on a voyage to Madang and Hollandia, and in addition to her crew of 86 carried a further 16 passengers. The weather and visibility were good and the sea calm. The ship was unlit. At 8.05pm she was spotted by the southward bound US 10,448 ton tanker York, which was lit only by side lights and dimmed masthead lights. Both ships took immediate evasive action but collided half a minute later, York hitting Geelong on the port quarter and severing her stern. There were no casualties and York's lifeboats were able to rescue all the men on Geelong before she sank at 9.51 pm. York arrived at Langemak Bay early the next morning and landed Geelong's survivors, who were then returned to Milne Bay. Before Geelong sank, Ordinary Seaman Signaller Colin Herbert Michelly, determined to save a relic from the ship, took this answering pendant from the signal locker on the bridge. This type of signalling flag was used to give a visual acknowledgment that a message had been received from another ship.