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These are copies of common use documents of the
AIF and 42 Bn Assoc
There are some more in The
Schwinghammer Collection
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Notification
of award of Military Medal sent to next of kin. The certificate
is paper but is backed with a heavy cotton or light canvas backing. It was
mailed to next of kin 6 MONTHS after the award was promulgated in the
London Gazette. |
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AIF
nominal roll. Copy of one page of the original typed
& handwritten records of soldiers of the 1st AIF now available online
from the Australian War Memorial. Their data base search is user friendly.
You can get there at http://www.awm.gov.au/database/133.asp |
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Enlistment
papers from Soldiers
records. Each WWI soldier's records are being made available
online. You need to order them from http://www.naa.gov.au/the_collection/recordsearch.html
and there is about a 3 month wait for them to be scanned. Once online they are available to any
person and are full and complete records of service. These are 2 pages of
the 20
available for 805 Sgt. C F W Harris, MM. |
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Discharge Certificate (front
& back) from the Australian Imperial Expeditionary
Force. Issued with
the warning that NO COPY available if lost. (Editors note. This is the
only document I have seen that uses the word "expeditionary" as
part of the AIF title). |
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Notification of Wound
(front
& back) from Base Records Melbourne. This was standard practice.
Wounds got a letter, KIA got a telegram. |
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In the case
of death the next of kin was notified by an
urgent (pink) telegram. A telegram was a telegraphic message sent from one
Post Office to another and then written or typed onto a flimsy sheet of
paper, enclosed in an envelope and delivered by a boy on a bicycle. The
sight of the Telegram Boy approaching was feared and hated. Later a letter
from the King would arrive (sometimes) with a Dead
Man's Penny. That took years and the practice stopped before all The
Fallen were honoured. |
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Field Service Post
Card, troops
for the use of. Note the order that promises total destruction if ANY
WORDING appears other than address & signature. The
troops called these "quick firers" as all you had to do was
address and sign them. No writing was needed or allowed. |
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Combined
Leave & Railway Ticket for HM Forces (Overseas). Front and
back views. |
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Demobilisation
Movement Card. Front and inside. Back was blank. |
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Rail
Pass (Queensland) issued to returned servicemen. Good for
"All
Stations" and "First Class" (which only meant that you didn't have to
travel with the sheep and cattle). |
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Christmas
Card 1939. Front, middle & back of the 42nd Bn Association
Card, Christmas 39 New Year 40. Note
that another printed page was inserted (held by ribbon) that had the
poetry piece "Memories, 20
years after" on it. |
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Christmas
Card1925. Inside & out of the folded 1925 Christmas/New
Year card. Note the ribbon in each card. Note also that the Unit shoulder patch
was printed in colour. |
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Aussie
Magazine. Produced by the Diggers for the Diggers. Note the
interesting use of the map of Australia to form the head of the Digger.
Unfortunately the front page is all I currently have available. |
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