This blog is a companion to the Database of Volunteers of Essendon and Flemington

Tuesday, October 30, 2012

Lt Newall and the Henley Peace Regatta

The AIF No 2 crew, 1919.  Photo:  History of Australian Rowing
Seated in the front row, second from the left, is Lieutenant Harold Robert Newall of Ascot Vale, who was selected to represent the AIF at the Henley Peace Regatta in 1919.   Newall rowed in the stroke position, as he had earlier done for the Essendon Rowing Club.     The No 2 crew were unlucky to drop out of the event early when they were drawn to row in the first heat with the stronger AIF No 1 crew, which went on to win the King's Cup.  This Cup is still competed for today at the Australian National Rowing Championships as the Inter-state Trophy.  See the History of Australian Rowing website for the full story of the Cup and the Peace Regatta.

Tuesday, October 9, 2012

Pte Valentine Legg embarks, 1916

Members of 3 Reinforcements/58 Battalion on the dock before boarding
HMAT Ajana, 8 July 1916
Private Valentine Legg was amongst the reinforcements of 58 Inf Bn which boarded the Ajana on 8 July 1916 en route for the war in France.  In March 1917 Valentine received a head wound from a fragment of high explosive shell. Rod Martin tells his story.

Monday, October 1, 2012

Diary of a native of Flemington

Facsimile of Allen Allsop's diary on the FromThePage website
A transcription project from FromThePage includes the war diary of a young man from Mosman, NSW, Wilfred John Allan Allsop, who served with the 8th Field Ambulance.  Allan, as he was known, was born in Flemington, Victoria and the front pages of his diaries include addresses for friends and relatives in Kensington and Essendon.   If you like this kind of work, you might like to volunteer to transcribe this or other handwritten works.  There are a number of transcription projects being organised in Mosman.