Summary
Letter sent from the Dardanelles by Private Percy David (Dobbie) Stewart, service no. 2001, to Roy King, Elm Grove, Windsor, Victoria, in August 1915. Hand-written on lined paper.
Stewart enlisted on 18 September 1914, as a 21-year-old clerk. He became part of the 9th A.A.S.C. - the Australian Army Service Corps, responsible for supplies and transport during World War I. He served in Gallipoli and later in France, and returned to Australia in November 1918 on '1914 leave'.
The letter is dated 1 August 1915. Within weeks Stewart was hospitalized in Mudros, first for diarrhoea and then for a septic leg. By 22 August he on board a ship, bound for hospital in England. He survived the rest of the war relatively unscathed, other than a diagnosis of 'VD' (venereal disease) in July 1916.
Description of Content
LETTER SENT FROM GALLIPOLI BY PT. P. D. (DOBBIE) STEWART TO MR. ROY KING, ELM GROVE, WINDSOR, VIC. IN AUG. 1915, WITH ENVELOPE. WRITTEN IN PENCIL ON FOLD OVER LINED PAPER.
Physical Description
Single piece of lined paper, folded in half to form four pages, hand-written on all sides. Yellowed and stained.
More Information
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Collection Names
Military Memorabilia Collection, Returned and Services League (RSL) Collection
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Collecting Areas
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Acquisition Information
Donation from Victorian Branch, Returned & Services League of Australia Limited (RSL), 24 Feb 1986
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Date Written
Private Percy D. Stewart - Australian Imperial Force (AIF), Gallipoli Peninsula, Dardanelles, Turkey, 1 Aug 1915
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Original Owner
Mr Roy King, Elm Grove, Windsor, Greater Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
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Individuals Identified
STEWART, P. D. (PT.); KING, ROY.
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Inscriptions
Extensive text. The letter begins: 'Dardanelles. 1st August 15 / Dear Roy / You will be surprised to / receive this letter from me; considering / it is eight months since I left Melbourne / and I have not even drop you a / post card.'
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Classification
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Category
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Discipline
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Type of item
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Keywords
Letters, Militaria: Australian, Military Memorabilia, World War I, 1914-1918, Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs)