Lightweight tropical rucksack with tubular aluminium frame : Sergeant A F Stewart, 2 Squadron, SAS

Lightweight tropical rucksack with tubular aluminium frame. The rucksack has single internal compartment secured by a drawstring and top flap. The flap has an internal pocket with a coated, printed set of instructions on the use and care of the rucksack and frame sewn to the inside of the pocket. Stamped in black ink under the pocket is 'INSTRUCTIONS INSIDE 08'. The flap is secured to the rucksack by two nylon webbing straps and aluminium buckles.

The outside of the rucksack has three externally hung pockets. The middle pocket on the outside of the rucksack is slightly larger that the two side pockets. These pockets are secured by nylon tapes, sewn to the pouch flaps, and an aluminium buckle attached by nylon tape on the main body of the pouches. The rucksack has several nylon tape attachment points, each with an aluminium eyelet for attaching extra items of equipment.

The aluminium frame is riveted together, with harness attachment points also riveted to the frame. The four harness attachment points located on top of the frame have '5052 H 34' stamped on the top of them. The frame is painted dark green, but has worn back to bare aluminium at the shoulders and hips. The frame has nylon webbing shoulder and lumbar supports. On the frame where the cross sections are riveted is stamped '5052 H 32'. A number of strap attachment points have also been riveted to the frame.

Alan Frederick Stewart enlisted in the Australian Regular Army at Albany, WA on 24 September 1963 and was allocated the regimental number 54791. He had previously served in the Naval cadets and the Air Training Corps in high school before serving two and a half years as a rifleman in the Western Australia Regiment.

Stewart finished his basic training at Kapooka. He initially hoped to serve with the engineers, but was selected for the infantry instead. Following completion of his Infantry Training at the Infantry Centre School, Ingleburn he was the awarded top trainee award for his platoon, and elected to serve with 3 Battalion, The Royal Australian Regiment (3 RAR).

He was posted to C Company, 3 RAR at Terendak, Malaysia for an 18 month deployment. Stewart was a part of the battalion's operations on the Malay-Thai border countering Communist Terrorist (CT) incursions. Another six months were spent in Borneo on operations against Indonesian infiltrators.

Towards the end of his deployment, Stewart and several other members of 3 RAR were selected to undertake the instructors Course at Ingleburn. He completed the course and chose to stay at the Infantry Centre School, Ingleburn as an instructor. 18 months later, Stewart successfully applied to undertake the Special Air Service (SAS) selection course. He passed and was posted to 1 SAS Squadron in June 1966, which was preparing to deploy to Vietnam.

Stewart undertook three months of pre-deployment training in Papua New Guinea. During this time, his step father, a forestry worker, was tragically killed when a tree fell on him. Stewart returned to Australia on bereavement leave. After returning from leave, Stewart was posted to 2 SAS Squadron as a corporal and was later promoted to temporary sergeant. He spent the next nine months in preparation for service in Vietnam.

Stewart deployed to Vietnam with the advance party of his unit on 5 February 1968. During the following 12 months, Stewart led 22 patrols in Phouc Tuy Province, these included ambush and intelligence gathering patrols. For his actions over several weeks in January 1969, Stewart was Mentioned In Despatches. The end of his citation reads 'Sergeant Stewart, by his judgement and determination to succeed, obtained extremely valuable information on enemy movement under difficult conditions. His performance reflects great credit on himself, his Regiment and the Australian Army'. Stewart returned to Australia on 23 February 1969. During his remaining time with the SAS Stewart specialised in water operations and unconventional warfare.

Over the next nine years, Stewart remained in the Army, eventually being posted to RMC Duntroon as a warrant officer second class. In 1978, he joined the Commonwealth Police as a specialist trainer. He also joined the Army Staff Group and, in conjunction with his police service, spent time over the following three years with the directorate of Special Forces. After this he served 10 years with the RAAF Active Reserve Squadron (28 Squadron) at Fairbairn. Stewart retired from the Australian Federal Police in 1999 after 21 years service. From 1999 Stewart has served as a member of Marine Rescue NSW.