Kitbag : Private W G Humphreys, 2/2 Pioneer Battalion, AIF

Brown canvas AIF embarkation kitbag. At the top of the bag are 11 brass eyelets with a hole in the bag where there is an eyelet missing. A cotton cord is threaded through these eyelets to close the kitbag. A circular brown canvas flap is attached inside the mouth of the bag which enables the bag's contents to be protected from the elements when closed. The side of the bag has been stencilled in grey paint 'VX 91116 / HUMPHREYS W G / 61232'. Next to the 61232 are three horizontal stencilled lines one above the other. The top and bottom lines are in yellow paint and the middle line is in grey paint. The circular base of the bag is reinforced with a second layer of brown canvas and is stencilled in yellow paint 'W G H' the rest of the stencilling is illegible due to an identity sticker having been attached to the bottom of the bag. The sticker itself is damaged, but mostly still legible. The label is tan in colour with black print '(obscured) GROUP / NAME / SOLDIER NUMBER / UNIT / (obscured) / K NO. 80724 / NO. SECTION, AUST KIT STORE. NO.___ / TO BE SECURELY (obscured) ON END OF PACKAGE (obscured)'.

Wallace George Humphreys was born 30 July 1910 in Flemington, Victoria. After his schooling, he worked as a railway clerk in the Flemington area and resided in Ascot Vale. Humphreys enlisted in the 58th Battalion on 3 June 1941 in Moonee Ponds. He was married on 28 June 1941 and spent a little over a month with his wife before reporting for training at Mt Martha, Victoria on 5 August 1941. Humphreys undertook training as a rifleman and after completing basic training at the end of October, was posted to Seymour for further training. On 16 December, Humphreys transferred to Area 58A in Seymour where he remained for the next year. On 7 January 1943, he was transferred into the AIF. Humphreys spent the next six months training as an anti-aircraft artilleryman before transferring to the infantry. He spent from 31 July 1943 to 3 November 1943 in training until 4 November, when he was hospitalised after suffering a back injury during his training. Humphreys spent the next six months recovering from his injury. He was released from hospital in May 1944 and on 30 May was taken on strength of the 2/2 Pioneer Battalion. In late July, he had a relapse of his back injury and returned to hospital where he spent the next month recovering. He returned to his unit in late August and continued training. Humphreys embarked with his unit on 16 March 1945 from Cairns, arriving at Morotai on 28 March. The 2/2nd Pioneer Battalion took part in the initial landings on Tarakan on 1 May 1945 and assisted 26 Brigade in repelling Japanese attacks on the beachhead. The Pioneers also assisted in holding a position known as the Finch. On 18 May, the Battalion embarked for Morotai to prepare for the landings on Balikpapan. Humphreys took part in the initial landings on Balikpapan and assisted in securing and organising the beachhead. As the Infantry progressed inland, the pioneers provided parties to guard Japanese prisoners, burial details and other activities. Humphreys was still on Balikpapan when Japan surrendered on 15 August 1945. As soldiers were returned to Australia, the 2/2 Pioneer Battalion was disbanded. Humphreys was transferred to the 2/10 Infantry Battalion on 10 October 1945 and remained on Balikpapan until the end of 1945. On 1 January 1946, Humphreys embarked for Australia aboard SS Stamford, arriving in Brisbane on 10 January. He was discharged from the AIF on 4 February 1946 in Victoria.