Raws, John Alexander (Lieutenant, b.1883 - d.1916); Raws, Robert Goldthorpe (Lieutenant, b.1886 - d.1916) Accession Number: 2DRL/0481

Description

Collection relating to the First World War service of Second Lieutenant John Alexander Raws [known as Alec], 23 Battalion AIF, and Lieutenant Robert Goldthorpe Raws [known as Goldy], 23 Battalion, AIF. Collection consists of photostat copies of typed transcripts of letters written by the Raws brothers between May 1915 and August 1916. Also included is a copy of a letter of condolence dated 31 August 1916 from Lieutenant Lionel G Short [written to Lennon Raws, older brother of Alec and Goldy]; a copy of a letter dated 1 September 1916 from Lieutenant Lionel G Short to Mr H Maddison [probably of the 'Argus' newspaper, Melbourne]; and a copy of a letter dated 4 October 1916 from Lieutenant Norman Roberts to Mr Norman Bayles, MLA. All copies have been bound into a hard-cover album by the Australian War Memorial. Location of original letters unknown.

Contextual Description

This collection is remarkable for the graphic and moving descriptions of fighting conditions in late July & early August 1916 (Pozieres Heights), in the letters of Lieutenant John Alexander Raws.

In 1995 most of the letters in this collection were published by Kangaroo Press, with permission from the Raws family, as 'Hail and Farewell: letters from two brothers killed in France in 1916 - Alec and Goldy Raws / edited by Margaret Young and Bill Gammage'. (ISBN 0864177070)

Biographical note: Lieutenant John Alexander Raws, 23 Battalion, AIF, who was killed in action at Pozieres on 23 August 1916. Journalist (Melbourne Argus); of Melbourne, Victoria; born Manchester, England and came to Australia at age 12. Age at time of death, 33; educated at Prince Alfred College, Adelaide, South Australia. His father wrote that he was a notable athlete. At college he distinguished himself by scoring two centuries at cricket in an inter-collegiate match, and was captain of the cricket and tennis teams in his final year at Prince Alfred College. At tennis he won championships in Victoria, South Australia, and Western Australia, and represented Victoria several times in interstate matches against New South Wales and South Australia. At the time of enlisting he was leader of the "Argus" Parliamentary reporting staff.

Biographical note: Lieutenant Robert Goldthorpe Raws, 23 Battalion, AIF, who was killed at Pozieres on 28 July 1916. Warehouseman; of Adelaide, South Australia; born Manchester, England and arrived in Australia when 9 years old; age at time of death, 30; educated at Prince Alfred College, Adelaide.