Summary

Three page handwritten letter from Sapper A.T. McDougall of 8th Australian Field Ambulance, 5th Division, to Miss Florence Crossley c/o Red Cross Society, Newbridge Victoria. McDougall writes of his work as a stretcher bearer at the Somme during December of the previous year.

Lance Corporal Andrew Thomas McDougall (#6739), son of James Beith McDougall and Sarah Teresa Coughran, enlisted with the 8th Australian Field Ambulance in May 1915 in Liverpool, New South Wales, when he was 25 years old. After marrying Mary Edwards in June 1915, McDougall left Australia for England in November of the same year. According to his war record, McDougall travelled to France where he served briefly with the 7th Australian Field Ambulance in July 1917 before he rejoined the 8th Australian Field Ambulance later that same month. In January 1918 he was transferred to the 5th Divisional Headquarters and appears to have stayed with this unit until the end of the war. It is therefore likely to have been in the latter half of 1917 that McDougall received the socks and poem from Florence Crossley.

McDougall returned to Australia in February 1919 where he was reunited with his wife, Mary. The couple settled in North Sydney and had five children, three of whom appear to be still living. According to census records, McDougall found work as a civil servant. Sadly, Mary died in 1940 when she was only 48 years old; McDougall died 22 years later, in 1962.

McDougall was awarded the British War Medal, the Victory Medal and the 1914-1915 Star for his service.

McDougall wrote to Florence on a second occasion (HT 11778) to thank her for a pair of socks she had knitted.

Description of Content

LETTERS OF APPRECIATION (7) SENT FROM SOLDIERS (AUSTRALIAN AND BRITISH) TO MISS FLORENCE CROSSLEY, C/O RED CROSS SOCIETY, NEWBRIDGE, VICTORIA, 1917-1918. LETTERS DATED, 29.3.1917, 5.5.1917, 6.8.1917, 20.9.1917, 16.11.1917, 12.4.1918 AND 25.3.1918. SOME ON Y.M.C.A. PAPER, TWO ON RED CROSS.

Physical Description

Letter handwritten in purple pencil on three small sheets of notepaper. Text on the one (unruled) side of each page only.

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