Inscribed hardtack biscuit : Lieutenant P K B Quinn, Australian Naval and Military Expeditionary Force

Square army ration biscuit stamped diagonally across the centre with 'PAPUA GOVT'. Written in blue ink across the front of the biscuit is 'What Soldiers' [sic] Live On From Rabaul 5/10/14.'

Army ration biscuit collected by Lieutenant Patrick Kendall Barton Quinn on 5 October 1914 at Rabaul, New Britain. Quinn was born on 10 May 1884 in Emmaville, New South Wales. Before the outbreak of the First World War he was working for Lysaght Galvanised Iron Pty Ltd and was serving in the militia with 18 Battalion.

In August 1914 he joined the Australian Naval and Military Expeditionary Force (ANMEF) and was commissioned as a second lieutenant with the 1st (Tropical ) Battalion. He sailed with the ANMEF on 19 August and after a brief stop for further training at Palm Island, was involved in the landings against German troops in New Britain.

After the German forces surrendered in September, Quinn remained as a part of the Rabaul garrison and was promoted to lieutenant on 1 January 1915. He returned to Australia at the end of February and was discharged in early May.

Quinn then joined the staff of the Quartermaster General, serving is several locations, before transferring to 28 Machine Gun Depot in Seymour, Victoria as an instructor. He enlisted for service in the AIF as a private on 24 November 1916.

He embarked from Melbourne aboard HMAT A29 Suevic with reinforcements for the 5th Machine Gun Company. He disembarked at Liverpool, England on 23 August and marched in to the 5th Training Battalion. On 8 January 1918, Quinn embarked for service in France and was posted to the 35th Battalion who were resting around Meteren.

Quinn went into action with the 35th Battalion at the end of March when they went into the line at Cachy and took part in the attack on Hangard Wood. He also took part in the defence of Villers-Bretonneux several days later. The battalion suffered heavy casualties during this time and on 12 April Quinn was promoted to lance corporal.

Quinn was promoted to corporal on 10 July and took part in the Australian offensive which began on 8 August. On 20 October, he was promoted to sergeant and sent to England for an Infantry Officers course, arriving at the 13th Officer Cadet Battalion on 8 November. Three days later the war ended.

He successfully completed the course and on 6 January 1919 was commissioned as a second lieutenant. He was posted to the 9th Training Battalion. On 6 April he was promoted to lieutenant before going on extended leave ten days later.

On 30 September he returned from leave and a month later, embarked for Australia on HMAT A71 Nestor. Quinn was discharged from the AIF on 16 May 1920.

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