'24 Ladies ANZAC Jersey
'24 Ladies ANZAC Jersey
The main feature on the jersey is an Avro Lancaster bomber, representing No. 460 Squadron. These days No. 460 Squadron is a Royal Australian Air Force intelligence unit active within the Defence Imagery and Geospatial Organisation (DIGO), however, it was first formed as a heavy bomber squadron during World War II on 15 November 1941 and disbanded on 10 October 1945 after seeing extensive combat over Europe. The squadron was a multinational unit, but most personnel were Australian. No. 460 Squadron was reformed on 2 July 2010 and currently located in Canberra.
During the second world war No. 460 Squadron flew the most sorties of any Australian bomber squadron and dropped more bomb tonnage than any squadron in the whole of Bomber Command.
After initially using Vickers Wellington, Handley Page Halifax and Avro Manchester planes, the squadron changed to using Avro Lancasters in October 1942.
With the Lancasters the squadron participated in the strategic bombing of Germany. In late 1943 and early 1944, the squadron flew sorties in the Battle of Berlin. During the spring and summer of 1944, the squadron flew many missions in support of the D-Day landings. It’s final raid was an attack on Adolf Hitler’s mountain retreat of Berchtesgaden on ANZAC day 1945.
In early May 1945, No. 460 Squadron joined Operation Manna, the transportation of relief supplies to starving Dutch civilians. In total 7,000 tons of food were dropped into the still Nazi-occupied western part of the Netherlands.
After the defeat of the Nazis in Europe in May ’45, preparations were made to move the squadron to the Pacific theatre, but that move became unnecessary following the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and No. 460 Squadron disbanded on 10 October 1945.
No. 460 Squadron is commemorated at the Australian War Memorial in Canberra by a display featuring its only surviving aircraft, G for George. This aircraft made 90 operational sorties between late 1942 and mid-1944.
The rosemary with the Brumbies logo is an ancient symbol of fidelity and remembrance. The aromatic herb grows wild on the Gallipoli peninsula in Türkiye, where the original Anzacs served in World War I.
Australians traditionally wear sprigs of rosemary as a symbol of remembrance on ANZAC Day or Remembrance Day.
On the lower back of the jersey are the three colours of poppies.
The red poppy is a symbol of remembrance of those who died or suffered in wars, conflicts and peacekeeping operations.
The white poppy is an international symbol of remembrance for all casualties of war – civilians and armed forces personnel – and peace.
The purple poppy remembers animal victims of war and human violence. Animals cannot volunteer and have no choice in becoming involved in war when they serve alongside human military personnel. Like humans, animals living in war zones suffer from the effect of war – injury, stress, lack of food and water.
On the sleeve we have the ADF colours, dark blue for the Navy, red for the Army, and light blue for the Air Force.