Ballina RSL Club MV Krait Memorial

This unique war memorial is a framed collage, featuring a wreath used at the Anzac Day Dawn Service at the MV Krait in 1982. It is dedicated to "the crew of Krait POW's that were beheaded by the Japanese" in Singapore in 1945. 

Laid over the top of the wreath are several dried poppies and a Latin cross made of bamboo. There are also two sets of nails, each laid out in the shape of a cross. Below the wreath are two photographs of the Krait, a metal emblem representing Z Force, and two cards printed with the dedication. The whole is presented in a timber frame, made of original timber from the boat, and protected by a pane of glass. 

The memorial hangs on a wall in the Combined Services Museum in the Ballina RSL Club. The museum is open during regular club hours. Positoned directly below it on the wall is an illustration of the Krait, etched on a piece of original teak decking that was taken from the boat when it was refitted in Ballina. 

The MV Krait was originally restored in 1964 and used for training and recreation purposes by the Royal Volunteer Coastal Patrol. To mark the 75th anniversary of the Krait's successful wartime mission, it was restored in 2018. It is now on display at the Australian National Maritime Museum in Sydney, as part of the War Memorial's Collection. 

Details about the history of the MV Krait and its service in the Second World War can be found on the Australian War Memorial website.