Leo James Pollard (L.J Pollard) was a Lieutenant serving in the Australian Army during World War II. He and Margaret Malval engaged in regular correspondence between December 1943 and July 1945. There are four letters in the collection from Leo Pollard.

Leo's initial letter, dated 27th December 1942, was sent in response to a Christmas hamper he received through the Australian Comforts Fund which was donated by Margaret. Leo expresses 'sincere thanks and appreciation' for the Christmas parcel and the 'reassurance and security' of the comradeship that exists between Australia and the United States of America. Leo mentions that, due to security restrictions, he is not able to disclose the name of his unit, but he does reveal that he is presently serving in Papua New Guinea. Additionally, Leo mentions that he lived in New Guinea at some point prior to the War and briefly describes the climate of New Guinea during peacetime conditions.

In subsequent letters, Leo mentions that he was able to visit home briefly for the first time in over 12 months, and he describes the rain and dust storms that had been happening in many parts of New South Wales. Leo also expressed his sympathy for Margaret's husband who had been injured in the line of service and briefly describes his own experience of wartime mishaps. In his last letter, dated 24th July 1945, Leo writes of capturing a 'big town' in Balikpapan, a port on the southern coast of what was then Dutch Borneo. He describes how the soldier's made themselves very comfortable, until the officials caught up with them. In these later letters, Leo expresses his desire to the leave the army. He tells that he has served five years of service and two years of occupational service and he now wishes to return home as he does not want to personally invade Japan or any other territory.

Service Number: SX9958
Rank: Lieutenant
Service: Australian Army
Date of Birth: 24 August 1915
Place of Birth: Goulburn, NSW
Date of Enlistment: 2 August 1940
Date of Discharge: 6 December 1945
Posting at Discharge: 2/10 Australian Infantry Battalion

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