German Imperial Flag : Private S W Brenton, Australian Naval and Military Expeditionary Force

Imperial German flag which consists of horizontal black,white and red stripes, with the white stripe expanding to a roundel in the centre. The centre is adorned with the Imperial German eagle in black gold and red.

Associated with the service of Stephen William Brenton who was born in Bournemouth, England in 1878. Burton enlisted in the British Army, joining 75 Battery, Royal Field Artillery. He served for just over two years in South Africa during the Boer War until illness forced him to be invalided back to England. He was discharged, medically unfit, on 8 December 1900.

Brenton immigrated to Australia settling in Macedon, Victoria where he worked as a grocer. He enlisted for service aged 36, in the Australian Naval and Military Expeditionary Force (ANMEF) on 5 November 1914 and was posted to 3 (Tropical) Battalion.

He embarked from Sydney aboard HMAT SS Eastern on 28 November. The force headed directly for Madang where it arrived on 12 December. Brenton served at Madang and later Rabaul. He embarked for Australia, along with other members of his battalion, for a period of leave in December 1915, returning to Rabaul in late January 1916.

Brenton returned to Australia in August 1916 for a medical discharge. He enlisted as a driver in the AIF in November for home duty as long as his services were required, but requested a discharge in February 1917, which took place on 30 April 1917.