Jigsaw puzzle : Captain D K Marlin, Water Transport Groups, Royal Australian Engineers

Place Oceania: Australia, New South Wales, Sydney
Accession Number REL27809.001
Collection type Heraldry
Object type Heraldry
Physical description Printed cardboard
Maker John Sands Pty Ltd
Unknown
Place made Australia
Date made pre December 1943
Conflict Second World War, 1939-1945
Description

Small sweetheart cardboard jigsaw puzzle. In the centre is a white panel printed with 'For You / AS YOU SOLVE THIS JIGSAW PUZZLE / YOU'LL EXPERIENCE LOTS OF FUN, / AND YOU REALLY MUST NOT WORRY / WHEN THE JOB IS ALMOST DONE / AND YOU FIND THERE'S SOMETHING MISSING / BECAUSE THAT IS THE CLUE / SO I'LL BE SURE THAT YOU'LL BE SURE / HOW MUCH I'M MISSING'. A heart-shaped piece of the puzzle has intentionally been omitted below this. Around the verse is a colourful 'Australiana' border featuring a tall gum tree, gum blossoms, flannel flowers, wattle blossom, waratahs and desert pea. A koala sits on top of a boomerang in the lower right corner. The word 'AUSTRALIA' is printed on the boomerang and below this, in small red letters, is the manufacturer's initials, J/S.

History / Summary

This jigsaw puzzle was sent to NX147385 Captain Donald Keith Marlin by his wife Beatrice on 22 December 1943 in a brown cotton postal bag (see REL27809.002). Marlin was born in Sydney, NSW in October 1907 and enlisted in the army at the outbreak of war. On 9 July 1941 he was appointed as a Lieutenant in the Australian Army Service Corps and in April 1942 moved to the Australian Army Ordnance Corps. In January 1943 he joined the Royal Australian Engineers with the Transportation Section, Water Transport, based in Sydney. On 24 December 1943 he was promoted to Captain and from September 1944 to September 1945 he served as Deputy Assistant Director, Director of Water Transport "Q" Branch, Land Headquarters. From November 1944 until September 1945 he was temporarily promoted to the rank of Major. He was discharged on 25 February 1947.