Summary

Alternative Name(s): Cloth, Scarf

Serviette hand-painted at or near Balikapapan, Indonesia, during World War II. It is numbered VX 80470 and is dedicated by 'Len' to his mother. Private Leonard Edward George Steen enlisted for service in June 1942 in Geelong, Victoria. He was 19 years old, working as a rabbiter and a carpenter's labourer. He probably lived with his widowed mother Mary; he had at least two brothers, Ollie and Bill. Len struggled with the strictures of service, going absent without leave on several occasions, and was disciplined for disobedience and insubordination.

By mid-1945 Len was serving in Indonesia with the 2/31 Australian Infantry Battalion. At the start of July the 31 Battalion moved up to fight in what became known as the Battle of Balikpapan (fought on the island of Borneo from 1 to 21 July 1945). The Battalion landed on Green Beach on 2 July, established itself on a nearby hill and endured airburst artillery before starting 'clearing patrols'. Len landed with his first cousin, Sapper A.M. McKenna ( probably Allan Matthew McKenna from Geelong, service no.VX 112574), and James McKenna. On 3 July the Battalion began operations along Milford Highway and attacked Japanese positions, encountering heavy opposition. By 4 July, 63 members of the Battalion had been killed. One of them was Len. His service record was marked simply 'Killed in action / Buried in the field'. He was aged 20 years and three weeks. His family posted a notice in The Age newspaper: 'We will always remember you smiling'. They treasured the serviette he painted for more than 40 years before donating it to Museums Victoria. The donor is recorded as W. Steen - possibly William Steen, Len's brother known as Bill.

Len now lies in the Labuan War Cemetery, Labuan, Malaysia

In 2020, a member of the public contacted Museums Victoria about Len's story. She recalled that Len had asked his friend Percy Hunt that if he died Percy was to give his girlfriend a box of chocolates as he broke the news. After Len was killed in 1945, Percy kept his word. It is believed that Percy is the person depicted on the serviette.

Physical Description

Hand-painted serviette in blue, red, orange and black. Central Rising Sun motif, topped by Australian and British flags; sea scene beneath, with shoreline, ship, plane flying over and soldier in foreground, holding gun. Disc with black and top and orange beneath at right centre.

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