Service dress tunic : Private H V Reynolds, 1 Field Ambulance Reinforcements

Places
Accession Number REL41502
Collection type Heraldry
Object type Uniform
Maker Unknown
Place made United Kingdom
Date made c 1918
Conflict First World War, 1914-1918
Description

Other ranks' pattern khaki wool twill service dress tunic with stand and fall collar. The collar is fastened by a brass hook and eye with additional pop fastener under celluloid button. A further four buttons fasten the front of the tunic. The collar bears oxidised brass Rising Sun badges attached by lugs and split pins. The shoulder straps are secured by celluloid button and bear oxidised brass 'AUSTRALIA' titles. There are pleated patch pockets on each breast, which have triple pointed flaps secured by light brown celluloid buttons. Below the waist are two large expanding pockets which also have triple pointed button flaps (button missing on right pocket). The integral self fabric belt is finished with a brass buckle. A box pleat extends from the centre back yoke to the bottom of the skirt. The straight cuffs are fastened by a single light brown celluloid button. Each sleeve has a brown rectangular colour patch for 1 Division Australian Army Medical Corps units, with a brass Anzac 'A' in its centre, attached by lugs and brass split pins. The lower right sleeve carries one red and four blue overseas service chevrons. Two brass wound stripes are attached above the left cuff. All buttons on the jacket are celluloid. There is an internal field dressing pocket fitted inside the right skirt of the tunic.

Order a copy
History / Summary

Herbert Vincent Reynolds was born in 1896 at Sebastopol, Victoria. He enlisted for service in the First World War on 16 September 1914, his 18th birthday. Allocated the service number 622, he was sent to Broadmeadows Training Camp and was allotted to 4 Field Ambulance as a stretcher bearer.

He embarked from Australia with his unit on 22 October 1914 and disembarked at Alexandria in early February. Not long after arriving in Egypt, Reynolds transferred to 1 Field Ambulance. He spent the next two months training before sailing for the island of Lemnos on 5 April.

Reynolds landed at Gallipoli at 9am on 25 April and was immediately set to work. The beaches were still under very heavy fire and many Australians, and even some Turkish casualties, were given treatment before being sent to the hospital ships off shore.

During the August offensive, Reynolds became ill and on 16 August, was evacuated to Mudros with enteric fever. His illness was so severe that he was transported to England and on arrival was sent to King George Hospital in London. Reynolds recovered slowly and did not return to Gallipoli. He was sent back to Egypt in late February 1916 and returned to his unit in early March. In late March, Reynolds and his unit were shipped to France, arriving in Marseilles on 30 March.

Reynolds served throughout Pozieres and the following battles in both France and Belgium. He was wounded on 20 September 1917 during fighting on the Menin Road, receiving a gunshot wound to his left ear. He was evacuated to England on 23 September and spent over a month recovering, before being sent to an overseas training unit for the remainder of 1917.

Reynolds returned to France and rejoined his unit on 26 April near Hazebrouck. The men of 1Field Ambulance remained in this position during the German spring offensive and did not relocate until the Allied August offensive began to push the German forces back.

Reynolds and 32 other men from 1 Field Ambulance left the unit on 3 October for a holding camp before embarking for Australia from Le Havre on 13 October. They had been granted a special six month leave for having enlisted in 1914. He disembarked in Melbourne on 23 December and returned home to Sebastopol. He was discharged from the AIF on 20 March 1919.

Reynolds went on to become Mayor of Sebastopol, serving in this position from 1936-37, 1941-42, 1947-48, 1953-54 and 1959-60. Herbert Reynolds died in 1978.