HENRY SMERDON (Harry) HOLMES was born in 1897 at the family property, ’Sauchieburn’, 17 km north of Ballarat, in the Ascot district. He was the youngest of four children. After finishing his education at St Patrick’s College, Ballarat, Henry joined the Holmes family farming interests. At the age of 18 he enlisted and served with AIF in Egypt, France and Belgium 1915-1918. Henry served at the famous battlegrounds of Ypes and Somme in the Australian Army 8th Battalion. He was a Driver with the 4th D.A.C. The postcard is of "The Ascot" boys. Includes [Samuel] Gordon Spittle, Henry [Harry] Holmes's first cousin, and other Ascot lads and district connections: neighbours, Ascot State School classmates and football mates from Clunes / Creswick districts. [Research by a granddaughter of Henry Smerdon Holmes, Jane Dyer (nee Chatham) 2024] Ray Blight and Gordon Les Sim were former students of the Ballarat School of Mines. Les Sim was associated with Sim and Co. hardware and wood merchants). Eight soldiers of the AIF. They are the tent mates of Harry Holmes a Driver with the 5th D.A.C. The names of the soldiers are John Raymond (Ray) Blight, Joseph Fawcett, John Joseph (Jack) Nase, Gordon Spittle, Harry Holmes, Harold Joseph Reid, James Leslie (Les) Sim, Leslie John Walters. handwritten in pen on verso "This is a snap of our tent mates. Reading left to right. Back row, Jack Nase, Joe Fawcett, H. Reid. Middle - Les Walters, Ray Blight, Gordon Les Sim, (Sim and Co wood merchants) and Harryworld war 1, chatham, jack nase, chatham family archive, joe fawcett, h. reid, blight, sim, les walters, ray blight, gordon les sim, pickford, world war, gordon spittle, harry holmes, les sim, horace pickford, world war one, aif, armed services

All overseas correspondence to Gladys Holmes. Vida Holmes, Frank and Jim from Byaduk servicemen, relatives and friends, during WW! service 1915-1919. Except Letters and postcards from Orford Critchlow to Gladys. Some of the seven servicemen died and are remembered on the Byaduk war memorial- Wilfred Rentsch, William Thomas Harper, Stanley O Miller, Albert V Harper and Walter Kinghorn. Gladys wad born in Byaduk 1897 daughter to Joseph (Baker) and Agnes Holmes with sisters Vida and Una and brother Frank. She married Alexander George Anderson of Stawell in 1924. Archie McGillivray married Minnie Ramsay, the Scottish sister of a friend Ashley Ramsay.Primary documents sent to Byaduk residents from local friends serving overseas in WW!. Details of feelings, ship journeys, overseas war service and few photographs of period 1915/6- 1919. some of the writers/authors have photographs on the Byaduk Memorial hall Honour Board.001800.1 -001800.10 Cardboard postcards, some colour, one photograph and one embroidered001800.1: To Gladys from Archie - undated 001800.2: To Gladys, With Kindest Regards, From Archie - undated 001800.3: Dear Gladys.. Sept 14.... Bye Archie; Harefield Hospital 001800.4: Dear Gladys...Kindest regards Archie; Sutton Veny June 16/1918 001800.5: Dear Gladys..Archie; Belgium, March 21/1919 001800.6: To Gladys ....From Archie; 16/3/1918 001800.7: Dear Gladys...Your old pal Archie; Belgium, 16/3/1918 001800.8: Dear Gladys....Love from Archie, France, Jan 27/1918 001800.9: To Gladys from Archie; Christmas 1918 001800.10: Dear Gladys....from Arch, France Nov 7 1917 001800.8: 001800.9: gladys, vida holmes, frank holmes, archie mcvillivray, wilfred rentsch, william t harper, albert v harper