Field chapel cross : Warrant Officer Class II J D Shields, 2/2 Australian Field Workshop

Electrically illuminated field chapel cross commemorating the service of 2/2 Australian Army Field Workshop, a unit of the 6th Australian Division. The structure is made of varnished timber, with a hinged timber and perspex door on front and back. Each door is latched by a rotating hook, and gives access to a display panel. The front panel is painted in white, red, blue, grey, green and gold with the Australian coat of arms, crossed British and Australian flags, the colour patch of 2/2 Australian Army Field Workshop (a red square within a blue square upon a grey background) and a silhouette of Australia with a photograph attached to it. This photo, which is hand coloured, shows Brigadier W D Chapman, former commanding officer of the unit. Plastic lettering attached to the panel reads; 'AUSTRALIA EGYPT LIBYA PALESTINE SYRIA GREECE CRETE NEW GUINEA BORNEO BDR. W.D. CHAPMAN C.O. 2ND/2ND A.F.W. 1ST AUST. CORPS.' The rear panel contains a white painted wooden cross attached to a black painted background. Each panel has a series of four small illuminating bulbs set around its edge, those on the front being clear, while those around the cross are red glass. The base of the structure contains cabling for the bulbs, and a small door on the rear opens to reveal power cords and spare bulbs. Inset at the ends of the base are a pair of pull/push switches, presumably to control the illumination, and a four-pin power inlet socket. A slide over cover protects the device when it is not in use. The cover is made of brown 'timber look' laminate, reinforced with metal edging, and has a plastic handle. The colour patch of 2/2 Australian Army Field Workshop is repeated on the front.

Field chapel cross commemorating the service of 2/2 Australian Army Field Workshop in North Africa, Greece, Crete, New Guinea and Borneo during the Second World War. The history of this item is not known, but it was in the possession of Mr Joseph Dallimore Shields, who served with 2/2 AFW as Warrant Officer Class II VX19004, and was later secretary of the unit association. It is believed to have been used in post-war commemorative services, and particularly recognises the role of the unit's first commanding officer, VX13682 Lieutenant Colonel (later Brigadier) Wilfred Dinsey Chapman. Chapman was a distinguished civilian engineer and First World War veteran who was later chief superintendent of design for the AIF, and oversaw the 'tropicalisation' program which led to major improvements in the equipment supplied to Allied forces in the Far East. The colour patch featured on the outer case and front panel of the structure is that of the Ordnance Corps, 1st Australian Corps, and would also have been worn by various artillery and ordnance field parks.