Door knocker : Coat of Arms of the United States of America

Date1941 - 1945

Object number00028653

NameDoor knocker

MediumCast brass

DimensionsOverall: 223 x 195 mm, 0.75 kg

ClassificationsTools and equipment

Credit LineANMM Collection Purchased with USA Bicentennial Gift funds

Terms

DescriptionThis souvenir from WWII features a United States Army Air Force eagle mounted on a brass backplate which has been made into a door knocker. The United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) operated as the aviation arm of the United States military from 1941 - 1947.HistoryDuring the Second World War the United States established a series of airfields in Queensland (Amberley in Ipswich, Garbutt in Townsville and Charters Towers) and the Northern Territory in Australia under the command of the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF). These airfields were used by the USAAF to undertake offensive operations against Japan following the Japanese conquest of the Philippines and Indonesia in 1942. The USAAF Fifth Air Force set up their headquarters in Brisbane on September 18, 1942 under the command of Major General George Kenney. Throughout the Pacific War, these airfields remained a vital part of United States military strategy. However once the Allied Forces deployed north during 1942 and 1943 the bases were returned to the Royal Australian Air Force.SignificanceThis is a common example of the types of trench art made by servicemen or civilians and kept as souvenirs. The style of the eagle relates to American Army Air Force operations based in Queensland during World War II.