Summary

Riband Bar relating to the 1914-15 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal ribbons and representing medals awarded to Dvr. Fredrick Arthur Eastwood, service number 5805, 1 D.A.C. (1st Divisional Ammunition Column), A.I.F.

Driver Eastwood was born in Caulfield, Victoria, He was a butcher when he joined on 23 June 1915, aged 22 years and 10 months. Eastwood embarked from Melbourne on 11 October 1915 on the HMAT Nestor. He was in France in 1916 and was hospitalised with appendicitis. He was sent to England for an operation. Private Eastwood was discharged on 28 July 1919.

'A driver was a soldier trained in the management and use of horses. The six horses drawing the gun, or wagon, were driven by three drivers, all on the nearside horses, and much training was required before drivers would be rated as competent. The drivers, of course, also looked after the horses and the management, condition and state of health of these animals was regarded as one of the most important functions in the battery.'.

Riband bars are small sections of the coloured ribbon from which individual medals are mounted or suspended. (Each medal is presented with its own distinctive ribbon.) The ribbon sections of a riband bar are lined up next to each other and usually fixed to a pin so they can be worn like a badge wiith everyday uniform where medals are not required.

Physical Description

Long, narrow, horizontal badge covered with three faded sections of vertically striped ribbons positioned next to each other. They have been hand-sewn into position with a pin attached at the back. The first ribbon section represents the 1914-15 Star ribbon. It has shaded red, white and blue vertical stripes representing the British Empire. The second ribbon section is the British Medal ribbon that has a vertical, centrally positioned wide orange stripe flanked on either side by two white stripes, flanked by two black stripes, flanked by two blue stripes on the outside edges. The third ribbon section is the Victory medal ribbon that has colourful vertical stripes similar to a rainbow. A vertical, centrally positioned wide red stripe is flanked on either side by two shaded yellow stripes, flanked by two shaded green stripes, then two shaded blue stripes and finally two shaded violet stripes on the outside edges.

Obverse Description

Ribbon bar with multi-colour ribbons.

Reverse Description

Card base wrapped with multi-colour ribbon and metal pin, Ribbon edges have been hand stitched together.

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