Summary

Alternative Name(s): Post Card Album, Booklet

World War I postcard album from Egypt containing 33 postcards, most with Egyptian themes and two representing English sites. When the album was donated to Museum Victoria 28 of the postcards have been placed within the pages of the album; the remaining five were loose at the back. They have since been removed and stored separately on conservation advice.

Part of a collection of material relating to the World War I service of brothers John and Albert Victor Peile, who both died in the conflict. Younger brother Albert enlisted first. He was a 22-year-old unmarried clerk when he enlisted on 27 August 1914, service number 769, 3rd Battalion. He served in Gallipoli and later France, and was eventually promoted to the rank of corporal. He died in Bullecourt, France on 4 May 1917 and his body was never found. He is commemorated at the Villers-Bretonneux Memorial. His brother John Peile was a 38-year-old unmarried miner when he enlisted on 25 June 1915, service number 2662, 2nd Battalion. He also served in in Gallipoli and France, and was similarly promoted to corporal. He died in France on 18 September 1918 and is buried at Roisel Communal Cemetery Extension, France. Their mother died only a few years later in 1926, aged 73.

Their niece was Mrs M. J. Hitchens, the donor. Margaret Joan Hitchens (1916-?) was the daughter of Albert and John's sister Alice and her husband John Henry Dinwoodie.

Of particular interest amongst these postcards is one containing a letter written to 'Mother' signed by 'Jack,' which is actually a reference to John Peile as ST 40697 is also signed from 'Jack' and lists his service number (2662) with the return address. Another postcard is addressed to 'Father' (presumably John Peile Snr.) and is signed from 'VS.' The inclusion of these postcards suggests the album either belonged to John Peile Snr. or was compiled in Australia by another member of the Peile family, from souvenirs collected by or received from the brothers. Also of interest is a postcard of Mena House which has a hand-written inscription 'This is our Hospital' on the front. This suggests that, of the three A.I.F. training camps in Egypt, at least one of the Peile brothers was posted to Mena camp.

Description of Content

Post card album from Egypt, World War I.

Physical Description

Album with a printed floral design on the cover, originally containing 33 crudely colourised postcards, mostly with Egyptian themes. The colourised postcards that were contained within the album were housed in following order (likely to be the order when the album was received by the Museum): 'Rue a Heliopolis'; 'Cairo - Sphinx'; 'Heliopolis - Palace-Hotel'; Image of the Great Sphinx; 'Cairo, The Avenue to the Pyramids'; 'HELOUAN / VUR SUR LE PALACE HOTEL'; 'EGYPT - General View of the Pyramids of Gize'; 'General View of Heliopolis'; 'Cairo, Native sweet seller'; 'Cairo, Omnibus Station'; 'Cairo (Egypt) - The interior of a mosque "El Ashar"'; 'Cairo (Egypt) / Interior / of Mohammed / Aly Mosque'; 'Cairo, Native Young Men'; 'Cairo, Damanhour / Eglise Cophtu'; 'DENDERAH, THE SMALL TEMPLE'; 'Le Caire, Tribunal Mixte'; 'Cairo (Egypt) / Barrage du Nil El Kerich'; 'Le Caire, Entree du Mousky'; 'Cairo (Egypt) / Grand Hotel Liverpool'; 'Cairo, Eden Palace Hotel'; 'Vue Generale D'Assiout (Haute Egypt)'; 'Cairo, Clot Bey Street'; 'MINIEH / Le Palmier'; '?-el-Zaygat / ? des Barques au Bord / du Nil, et le Pont'; 'Assouan / Vue sur les Tombeaux de Rochers'; 'Cairo, Native Girl'; 'Cairo, Native Flower Seller'; 'Cairo, Saida Zenab Mosque' A collection of five loose colourised postcards were contained in the back of the album in the following order: 'THE LIBRARY, ORIEL COLLEGE'; 'THE RIVER ISIS'; 'Cairo, Mena House near the Pyramids'; 'Cairo - The Tombs of the Kalifs'; 'Le Caire, Ferblantier indigene'.

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