The Australian War Memorial Collection. Test site
Letters relating to the First World War service of 4272 Private William Edward Peach, 7th Battalion. These letters were written by Peach to his family between 14 July and 30 December 1915.
In these letters, Peach writes of volunteering with his two best mates, Percy David ‘Perce’ Mansfield and David ‘Dave’ Collis, with Peach and Mansfield vowing to look after each other during their service abroad. This, according to Peach, gave Mansfield’s mother enough peace of mind to let her son enlist. He also writes of other friends that have enlisted. Peach writes of camp at Broadmeadows and his first taste of inoculation, suffering a stiff and sore arm which temporarily prevented him from writing. While in camp he writes of encountering others from Beechworth and Alexandra. On 29 December 1915, the men embark from Australia aboard the troopship HMAT Demosthenes, Peach writing of the sadness of leaving Australia and Mansfield’s father having come out to farewell the boys. The last letter in this file, written on 30 December 1915, finds Peach settling in and writing of the conditions on board, such as the food and sleeping quarters, the troopship having just left the Port Phillip.
This file contains:
Letter from William Edward Peach to his mother, Alexandra, 14 July 1915 [includes envelope];
Letter from William Edward Peach to his mother, Melbourne, 23 November 1915 [includes envelope];
Letter from William Edward Peach to his sister, Broadmeadows, 2 December 1915 [includes envelope];
Letter from William Edward Peach to his mother, Broadmeadows, 19 December 1915 [includes envelope];
Letter from William Edward Peach to his mother, At sea, [28 December 1915] [includes envelope];
Letter from William Edward Peach to his mother, At sea, [29 December 1915] [includes envelope];
Photographic postcard of T.S.S. Demosthenes from William Edward Peach to his mother, At sea, 29 December 1915 [includes envelope];
Letter from William Edward Peach to his mother, At sea, 30 December 1915 [includes envelope].
Letters relating to the First World War service of 4272 Lance Corporal William Edward Peach, 7th Battalion. These letters were written by Peach to his family between 2 January and 17 December 1916. I
Letters relating to the First World War service of 4272 Sergeant William Edward Peach, 7th Battalion. These letters were written by Peach to his family between 2 January and 25 December 1917. In thes
Letters relating to the First World War service of 4272 Sergeant William Edward Peach, 7th Battalion. These letters were written by Peach to his family between 6 January 1918 and 2 June 1919. In thes
File of letters relating to the First World War service of Second Lieutenant David Gerald Evans, 22nd Infantry Battalion. Known as Gerald at home, these letters written between February and December 1
Letters relating to the First World War service of 3232 Sergeant William George Blaskett, 16th Infantry Battalion, 48th Infantry Battalion, November 1915 - May 1916. In this collection of letters fro
File of letters relating to the First World War service of Second Lieutenant Cecil Beaumont Mills, 23 Infantry Battalion. These letters were written by Mills to his wife between 27 October and 31 Dece
