Lieut R G Casey's WW1 Photo Album

Emden sailors leaving the 'Orvieto' at Port Said to go aboard the 'Hampshire', 2 Dec 1914. National Archives of Australia.

Martin Elliget came across this interesting WW1 photo album on the NAA website. It belonged to Lieut. Richard Gavin CASEY (later Governor-General of Australia), starting with his voyage from Australia to Egypt on the Transport Orvieto. Later photos are of Egypt, Gallipoli, England and France.

Martin has transcribed the first ten pages of annotations, which you can see here.

You can find the album and scroll the album here.  Click to enlarge to get a really good scan of the album pages.  These are very clear and interesting photos, one minute in Egypt strolling round the Pyramids, and the next minute Anzac Cove.

Well worth a browse, and thanks to Martin for locating it.

Staff Nurse Lilian Rutherford

Staff Nurse Lilian Rutherford

Lilian Rutherford joined her sister Linda in Salonika in 1917.  Authorities would not approve leave to the UK for nursing staff at Salonika until mere days before the Armistice, and once the war ended the Rutherford sisters were granted leave in the UK, Linda leaving a few days before Lilian.  On 1 January 1919, Lilian was awarded a Royal Red Cross "in recognition of her valuable services with the British Forces in Salonika".

Royal Red Cross

Sister Linda Rutherford of Essendon

The sisters' quarters at No 66 British General Hospital on Hortiach Plateau, Salonika.

The British and Australian soldiers who served at Salonika endured harsh winters and hot summers  under canvas, subject to illness, particularly malaria.   Sister Linda Rutherford also endured these conditions.  Click on the link to read her story.

Pte Rudel O'Dowd of the Vet Section

The son of noted poet Bernard O'Dowd, Rudel was a veterinary student at the outbreak of war, and in February 1915 joined the Veterinary Section and embarked for the Middle East.  Marilyn Kenny relates the story of Rudel O'Dowd, who also tried his hand at poetry.

Tedworth House, 1917

Regarded as the most spectacular country house in the County of Wiltshire, the former family home was acquired by the War Office in 1897. The acquisition of 40,000 acres on Salisbury Plain close by turned the small farming village of Tidworth into a Garrison Town.  Tedworth House became the Officers' Mess.

This tiny image comes from an album of photos taken by Driver Gordon Anderson who at the time was serving with the Australian Army Service Corps.  It seems unlikely Gordon ever saw the inside of Tedworth House, unless invited in to wash the glasses!

Wiltshire Community History and Tedworth House websites give reasonably detailed information about the military establishment on the Salisbury Plains.

Private Sproston and the Gallipoli Landing

Lenoard G Sproston of Ascot Vale enlisted on 17 August 1914, one of the very first.  Embarking just a few weeks later with 7 Infantry Battalion, he celebrated his 21st birthday in Egypt while preparations were made for the landing on that fateful shore of Gallipoli.

Marilyn Kenny tells the poignant story of Len Sproston, who is remembered on the Lone Pine Memorial.


Images courtesy of Kim Phillips of The Spirits of
Gallipoli.

Is this Shorty Jackson?

Is the man standing at the rear wearing a tie Shorty Jackson?

Hunting around Ancestry.com for people related to Henry George Jackson of Ascot Vale, I found the above photo attached to the file of Henry's nephew, Robert S Jackson - and based on the photo in the previous post, Who was Shorty Jackson?, I think the fellow standing at the back with the tie could well be Henry George Jackson.  I would love it if someone could confirm that for me.  The photo would appear to be post-war.