Commanding Officer's Pipe Banner : 5/7 (Mechanised) Battalion The Royal Australian Regiment

Black cotton pipe banner machine embroidered on the right with a leaping tiger with green eyes, the mascot of 5 RAR, with 'CO V/VII' embroidered in yellow cotton above it. The left side of the banner has the battalion colours, gold and maroon, with a machine embroidered badge of the Royal Australian superimposed on it. The banner has gold coloured fringe around sides and bottom and four pairs of green cotton ties to attach it to the bagpipes' bass drone.

On 3 December 1973, 5 Battalion Royal Australian Regiment (RAR) and 7 RAR were linked to form 5/7 RAR. The 5 RAR mascot, the Sumatran Tiger, Sergeant Quintus, and the Pipes and Drums of 7 RAR were adopted by the new composite battalion. 5/7 RAR maintained one of only three pipe bands in the Australian regular army. In January 1975 the Battalion assisted the population of Darwin in the cleaning of the houses and the general area damaged by Cyclone Tracy on Christmas Day, 1974. Between 1976 and 1978 5/7 RAR trialled a mechanised infantry organisation using armoured personnel carriers. Initially only one of 5/7 RAR's companies was mechanised, with the role rotating between the battalion's rifle companies every 12 months. In 1984 the battalion became fully mechanised. The battalion was called out to assist after the bombing at the Sydney Hilton Hotel during the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting on 13 February 1978 and was deployed between Holsworthy and Bowral to secure the route for the visiting Heads of Government. Throughout 1988 the Battalion contributed to Australia’s bicentennial celebrations. In 1993 when two companies of the battalion were taking part in training exercises in Malaysia five soldiers were killed in an accident between their truck and a bus during B Company's rotation. The battalion relocated from Holsworthy to Darwin in early 1999. In October 1999 it was deployed to East Timor for seven months, initially as part of the Australian force entitled INTERFET (International Force in East Timor). The title of the deployment changed to the United Nations Transitional Administration in East Timor (UNTAET) in February 2000 when the UN assumed command later in the operation. From October 2002 to May 2003 the battalion deployed on its second tour of East Timor as part of Operation CITADEL, part of the United Nations Mission In Support of East Timor (UNMISET). In 2004 the battalion deployed personnel to Iraq as part of Operation CATALYST. They provided an ongoing security detachment at the Australian embassy in Iraq and a component was also deployed to train the new Iraqi Army, as a part of the coalition force CMATT. In 2006 the Prime Minister, John Howard, announced that due to the requirements of the Australian Defence Force 5/7RAR would de-link to once again form separate 5th and 7th battalions. 5RAR remained in Darwin and 7RAR moved to a new base in South Australia. This banner is the last Commanding Officer's Pipe banner for 5/7 RAR. It was presented by Lieutenant Colonel Peter Short to the 5/7 Battalion, The Royal Australian Regiment Association. The banner was donated by the Association to the Australian War Memorial on 22 April 2007.