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Black braided uniform cord
Black braided uniform cord

Black braided uniform cord

Date1920s
Object number00036211
NameAiguillette
MediumCotton
DimensionsOverall: 460 x 550 x 50 mm, 140 g
ClassificationsClothing and personal items
Credit LineANMM Collection Gift from John B Kiley
DescriptionThis black braided uniform cord or aiguillette belonged to John Berchmans Kiley, who served in the Royal Australian Navy.HistoryJohn Berchmans Kiley was born on 29 January 1910 and joined the Royal Australian Navy in 1925. He began his naval service on HMAS TINGIRA, a ship for boy sailors moored at Rose Bay in Sydney, where he trained for 15 months. He went on to join HMAS SYDNEY and travelled to England, returning home on HMAS AUSTRALIA. Kiley also served in HMAS MELBOURNE, and undertook four years of training at HMAS CERBERUS studying a range of gunnery courses. Kiley reached the rank of Leading Seaman, and to his great disappointment was invalidated out of the navy around 1930 due to respiratory illness.SignificanceThis aiguillette is part of a collection of personal effects belonging to John Berchmans Kiley. It is an important historical record of the daily life of a boy sailor in the Royal Australian Navy in the early 20th century.