By PETER DOUGLAS
A CENTURY old Australian flag that is an integral part of military history will now endure, due to a recent conservation effort.
After being at risk of succumbing to father time, the flag has been conserved and framed through a grant secured from the Victorian Veterans Council.
The project also included the flag’s history being engraved in a bronze-coloured plaque, which has been attached to the frame.
The flag now sits proudly at the Running Rabbits Military Museum, which is located at the Upwey-Belgrave RSL sub-branch.
Museum volunteer, Phil Garland, said it was a fantastic result the item would now live on for future generations to enjoy.
“It’s a particularly significant item for our collection,” he said.
“To be honest, I’m not sure how it survived this long.
“It’s been here longer than me and no-one is really sure how we got it.”
The flag is linked to the No.3 Casualty Clearing Station, so it would’ve been draped over the burial caskets of troops who passed away while in the care of this unit.
The unit was initially stationed in the Somme Valley in 1916 and later moved to Bullecourt, Ypres and many battles in Flanders.
“It’s a tatty flag, but one drenched in Australia history,” he said.
“I suspect at the end of the war, someone’s rolled the flag into their kit and taken it home, which is a very Australian thing to do.”
According to the museum, the dirt on the flag is from the battlefields of France, Belgium and Germany, where the unit was stationed at period during their history.
Mr Garland said the public was welcome to come and view this important piece of Australian military history.
Upwey-Belgrave RSL sub-branch is located at 1 Mast Gully Road, Upwey.
