Summary

Australian brass 'A' badges to be worn on colour patch indicating service in Gallipoli. Worn by Lieut. Hedley Long 23rd Batt., First AIF.

Hedley Long was a 24-year old spring maker, single and living in Ballarat, when he enlisted on 25 March 1915. He joined the 23rd battalion as a private - service number 970. He embarked 8 May 1915, and arrived in Alexandria, Egypt, on 10 January 1916. Before the end of January he was in hospital with mumps, then in March was shipped to Marseilles, en route to the Western front. In October he was made Lance Corporal, and in December was Mentioned in Dispatches. In July 1917, having avoided injury requiring hospitalization, he was was a cadet officer in Oxford. Only in July 1918 was he hospitalized, for illness rather than injury (his records later mention that he suffered influenza in 1918). He later returned to the front. After the war, in May 1919, he was promoted to Temporary Second Lieutenant in the British Army. He arrived back in Melbourne on 7 September 1919.

Physical Description

Brass badge in the shape of the letter 'A'

More Information