Ray Blight from Ballarat, Victoria was an Australian soldier during World War One. John Raymond (Ray) Blight enlisted on 19 July 1915. He was an electrical engineer, having studied at the Ballarat School of Mines. On 23 June 1916 Ray Blight disembarked at Marseilles. On 3 February 1917 he was hospitalised with scabies. Ray Blight's next of kin was his mother, Mary Jane Blight of 116 Lyons Street South, Ballarat. This photograph was with a number of other World War One photos relating to the Holmes family of Ascot, Victoria.Black and white photographic portrait of Ray Blight a soldier of the Australian Imperial Forces (AIF). Verso "Sincerely Yours Ray Blight France 1918."chatham family archive, chatham, holmes, world war, world war 1, world war i, world war one, france, blight, ray blight, france

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. [Jane Dyer May 2024] Black and white photograph showing eight men outside a tent. They are most probably World War One soldiers in the Australian Imperial Forces (AIF). 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 including a Wrigley son, Ascot State School classmates and football mates from Clunes / Creswick districts. The man in the front row, second from the right is probably my great-grandfather Henry [Harry] Holmes. The man far left in the back row is probably his cousin, Samuel Gordon Spittle [Jane Dyer 2024]harry holmes, world war one, tent, aif, soldiers, uniform, henry smerdon holmes, sauchieburn, ascot, postcard

The postcard was sent by Harry Holmes who was a member of the Australian Imperial Force based in Egypt at the time. He sent a number of postcards home to his family in Ascot, Victoria. Egypt was a major base for the AIF from December 1914. A number of campaigns were fought in this theatre. There were two campaigns involving the AIF. Note that not all the fighting was actually geographically in Egypt. (http://www.aif.adfa.edu.au:8888/about3.html) This photograph is significant because it was taken by a soldier (rather than an official war artist) and shows one of the daya to day activities experienced by Australian Soldiers in Egypt during World War One.A number of tents and soldiers in a dry landscape. They are Australian Soldiers At Metras, Egypt during World War One. Verso: 'Breaking Camp at Metras prior to making our departure from there on March 28th.'chatham family archive, chatham, holmes, harry holmes, world war, world war 1, world war one, world war i, metras, egypt

Australian soldiers unload the ration launch at Serapeum..1) Verso - Ration launch being unloaded at Serapeum. .2) Verso - 'Joe and Harry in front taken after stoking down the fold on Bakara.'chatham family archive, chatham, holmes, world war, world war 1, world war i, world war one, france, serapeum, bakara

This photo was taken at Ferry Post, Suez Canal. .2) Two Australian Soldiers around a camp fire at Ferry Post boil a billy for tea..1) Verso: Harry [Holmes] and Gordon [Spittle] make afternoon tea for Cam, who snaps them in tea-making operation. (Ferry Post, Ismailia, Egypt). .2) S.G.S. [S. Gordon Spittle] and Harry [Holmes] making coffee to entertain Cam Williamson on his first visit to our camp. The hat hides Harry's face. These snaps are taken by Cam's Kodak."chatham family archive, chatham, holmes, world war, world war 1, world war i, world war one, france, suez, ferry post, billy tea

Black and White image of a donkey and cart covered with fabric and featuring the Red Cross Symble. It is an Indian Ambulance, Suez Canal.Verso: "An Indian Ambulance Cart with myself (Harry Holmes) at the donkey's head."8.7 x 14.0 cmchatham family archive, chatham, holmes, world war, world war 1, world war i, world war one, france, ambulance, harry holmes, horse drawn waggon, egypt

Verso "Our horse lines at [censored in blue pencil - probably Serapeum]. Notice the camp in the background also the fine plantation."chatham family archive, chatham, holmes, world war, world war 1, world war i, world war one, france, harry holmes

Verso: 'Native water wheel and buildings near A.O.D.chatham family archive, chatham, holmes, world war, world war 1, world war i, world war one,

The postcard was sent by Harry Holmes who was a member of the Australian Imperial Force based in Egypt at the time. Egypt was a major base for the AIF from December 1914. A number of campaigns were fought in this theatre. There were two campaigns involving the AIF. Note that not all the fighting was actually geographically in Egypt. (http://www.aif.adfa.edu.au:8888/about3.html) Black and white image of a canal in Egypt during World War One.chatham family archive, chatham, holmes, world war, world war 1, world war i, world war one, harry holmes, egypt

Black and white image of Australian soldiers, horses, supplies, and tents at an Australian Army Depot.chatham family archive, chatham, holmes, world war, world war 1, world war i, world war one, harry holmes

The photograph is associated with Harry Holmes and Gordon Spittle who were members of the Australian Imperial Force based in Egypt at the time. Egypt was a major base for the AIF from December 1914. A number of campaigns were fought in this theatre. There were two campaigns involving the AIF. Note that not all the fighting was actually geographically in Egypt. (http://www.aif.adfa.edu.au:8888/about3.html) Gordon Spittle was the youngest of Three brothers. He grew up in Creswick and attended Creswick Grammar School. Gordon purchased 'Mt Cavern' in 1912. It had 4 years of a 10 year lease to run. His mother and father took delivery of it on 1 April 1916. They lived there and farmed it until Gordon returned from active service in May 1919. He married Violet Holmes and both lived at "Mt Cavern" until their deaths. Gordon died in 1942 aged 51. Violet Holmes-Spittle dies in 1949 aged 56. Black and white postcard showing a statue in the middle of a townscape in Alexandria, Egypt. The monument is Mohamed Aly.Verso "Monument to Mohamed Aly which is erected in the square Alexandria. Gordon. 30/3/16chatham family archive, chatham, holmes, world war, world war 1, world war i, world war one, egypt, spittle, gordon spittle,

Chu Chin Chow is a musical comedy written, produced and directed by Oscar Asche, with music by Frederic Norton, based (with minor embellishments) on the story of Ali Baba and the 40 Thieves. Tickets to see Chu Chin Chow were particularly eagerly sought by troops on leave from the Western Front. One of the attractions for the on-leave soldiers was the chorus of pretty slave girls who, for the period, were very scantily dressed. The cast was large and included a camel, a donkey, poultry and snakes. A total of 2,800,000 people saw the show. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chu_Chin_Chow) It is thought that Harry Holmes attended 'Chu Chin Chow' while on leave in London during World War One. Around this time he had been serving in the Australian Imperial Forces in Egypt. Henry 'Harry' Holmes was the son of Violet Holmes. He enlisted under the name Harry Smerdon Holmes and was put into the 18th A.A.S.C., then later transferred into the 5th Division Train A.S.C. According to his Soldier's Pay Books (Cat. No. 20112) Holmes Registration number was 7983. He was Catholic and enlisted in the Third Military District on 17 September 1915, and embarked on 8 November 1915. Holmes was in the 18th AASC Unit with the rank of Driver at that time. On 15 November 1918 Holmes was promoted to Lance Corporal. He received leave on: * 3 August 1917 - London (10 days) * 19 February 1918 - Paris (10 days) * 27 August 1918 - London (14 days) White paper theatre programme with red and black writing. It is a publicity brochure from the play 'Chu Chin Chow' by Oscar Asche set to music by Frederic Norton. In black ink in front 'So far this is an easy first of the shows I've seen, The scenes are great and being Egyptian we understand them all the better'. chatham family collection, holmes, theatre, world war 1, world war, world war i, herbert tree, entertainment, music, musical, oscar asche, fred norton

The Easter Uprising took place in April 1916 in Dublin and is one of the pivotal events in modern Irish history. At the end of the Easter Uprising, 15 men identified as leaders were executed at Kilmainham Jail. To some, these men were traitors, to others they became heroes. (http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/1916_easter_rising.htm, accessed 16 April 2014) Organised by seven members of the Military Council of the Irish Republican Brotherhood,[3] the Rising began on Easter Monday, 24 April 1916, and lasted for six days. Members of the Irish Volunteers — led by schoolmaster and Irish language activist Patrick Pearse, joined by the smaller Irish Citizen Army of James Connolly, along with 200 members of Cumann na mBan — seized key locations in Dublin and proclaimed the Irish Republic independent of the United Kingdom. There were some actions in other parts of Ireland: however, except for the attack on the Royal Irish Constabulary barracks at Ashbourne, County Meath, they were minor. With vastly superior numbers and the use of artillery, the British army quickly suppressed the Rising, and Pearse agreed to an unconditional surrender on Saturday 29 April. Most of the leaders were executed following courts-martial, but the Rising succeeded in bringing physical force republicanism back to the forefront of Irish politics. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Easter_Rising, accessed 16/04/2014) Sackville Street Dublin is now known a O'Connell Street.Seven black and white postcards showing photographic scenes before and after the Rising in Dublin.chatham family archive, chatham, holmes, ireland, dublin, uprising, sackville street, o'connell bridge, citizen army, liberty hall, henry street, nelson's pillar, post office, arnott's, abbey street, ruins, hotel metropole, the rising, easter uprising, easter rebellion, o'connell, chatham family archive, chatham, holmes, ireland, dublin, uprising, sackville street, o'connell bridge, citizen army, liberty hall, henry street, nelson's pillar, post office, arnott's, abbey street, ruins, hotel metropole, the rising, easter uprising, easter rebellion, o'connell

Edith Sarah Pickford was born and raised in Clunes, Victoria. She is the only daughter of John Pickford and Betsey (Robbins) Pickford and sister of Henry Pickford, John Pickford, William Harold Pickford, Horace Pickford DCM, Arthur Pickford and Charles Alexander Pickford. Edith's maternal grandmother was a descendent of Donald Cameron, the first recorded European settler in the Clunes area.The Pickford family's pioneer settler legacy in the Clunes- Glendaruel district is commemorated with a Pickford Road and displays in the Clunes Museum. A collection of Edith's song music was donated to the Clunes Museum by her great grand-daughter in 2023. Edith married a local farmer, Henry Smerdon Holmes from "Sauchieburn" Ascot, Victoria. Henry was a descendant of the family who had inherited their maternal ancestor's, Catherine Coghill (nee Holmes), Ascot - Coghills Creek property. This branch of the Coghill Family descended from the district's pioneer settler, Captain Coghill. Edith and Henry spent all their married life, and raised 4 children Jack [John], Bill [William], [Mary] Elizabeth and David, at Ascot. She was buried in the Coghills Creek Cemetery with her husband, Henry Smerdon Holmes, and their son, David, in 1967. Her children, Bill Holmes and Elizabeth Chatham, and their spouses are buried nearby.Social and historicalMounted black and white photo of a young girl wearing a white dress and ribbon.chatham holmes collection, holmes, pickford

This image was taken by C.M. Bawden of Clunes.Black and white photograph on green mount showing a young girl and a young boy on a tricycle. chathan-holmes collection, clunes, c.m. bawden, tricycle, cyclist

Black and white photograph glued onto card showing a seated man holding two young children. Probably members of the Pickford Family, Cluneschatham-holmes collection, clunes, children, bawden, pickford family

Ismalia is a city in north-eastern Egypt. It would have been part of a booklet available during World War One. A black and white postcard showing a row of double storey housed behind a row of trees. This card was purchased by an Australian soldier, probably Henry Smerdon Holmes, during World War One. chatham-holmes family collection, ismailia, egypt, world war one, world war

This item most probably dates from the World War One era. Boulevard de Bonne Nouvelle in the 9th district of the city of Paris.Buses and cars travel along a Paris street lined with buildings.chatham-holmes family collection, paris, bus, car, horse, world war one, paris, france

At Mont-des-Cats Abbey a first community of the Hospital Brothers of St. Anthony was settled in 1650 and lasted until the French Revolution which closed the monastery in 1792. In 1826, a new community of Trappists (Reformed Cistercians) was funded, and this congregation has run the abbey ever since. (wikipedia). This card was most probably purchased during an Australian soldier during World War One. A black and white postcard showing a french abbey which is sitting behind a garden in winter.chatham-holmes family collection, france, church, abbey, mont des cats, world war 1, world war, world war one

Colonne Vendôme is located in the centre of the Place Vendome square and was erected by Napoleon as the Colonne d'Austerlitz. The column in 44 metres tall and is modeleld after Rome's Trajan Column. It was built to commemorate the victory at Austerlitz in 1805, one of Napoleon's greatest. The column's continuous ribbon of bas-relief bronze plates by the sculptor Pierre-Nolasque Bergeret were made from 1200 cannons taken from the combined armies of Russia and Austria during that battle. The reliefs depict scenes during the Napoleonic Wars between 1805 and 1807. The Column was later was given the names of Colonne de la Victoire (Victory Column) and Colonne de la Grande Armée (Column of the Great Army). Today it is commonly known as the Colonne Vendôme. A statue of Napoleon was installed at the top of the column in 1810. Later, the statue of the emperor was removed and the bronze melted down to provide the bronze for the recast of the equestrian statue of Henri IV on the Pont Neuf. A new statue was installed in 1833 which was later replaced by the statue that is seen today. It was erected by Napoleon III and depicts Napoleon I as a Roman emperor.Black and white postcard of a sculptural column in Paris. chatham-holmes family collection, sculpture, napoleon, paris, vendome, world war, world war 1, world war one, column

Le Bizet is a village in the Belgian province of Hainaut . It lies in the district of Ploegsteert and is near the French border. This postcard was purchased by an Australian soldier during World War One. Black and white postcard showing houses in Le Bizet, Belgium in ruins after bombing during World War One. This card was purchased by an Australian soldier, probably Henry Smerdon Holmes, during World War One. chatham-holmes family collection, le bizet, belgium, ploegsteert, world war, world war 1, bombing, world war one, western front

A Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) burial ground, the Dickebusch Old Military Cemetery, is a burial ground for the dead of the First World War and the Second World War. It is located at Dickebusch in the Ypres Salient in Belgium on the Western Front of the first war. Dickebusch (now Dikkebusch) is a village and commune in the Province of West Flanders, 5 kilometres South-West of Ypres on the road to Bailleul.Black and white photograph of a church with a steeple with a clocktower. The church was bombed in 1917 during World War One. This card was purchased by an Australian soldier, probably Henry Smerdon Holmes, during World War One. chatham-holmes family collection, dickebusch, belgium, ypres salient, dikkebusch, world war one

Great Pulteney Street is a grand thoroughfare that connects Bathwick on the east of the River Avon with the City of Bath, England via the Robert Adam designed Pulteney Bridge. Famous former residents of the street have included the novelist Jane Austen and the anti-slavery campaigner William Wilberforce.A black and white postcard showing Great Pulteney Street in Bath. The street is lined with triple storey building. A fountain and small shelter is located in the foreground.This card was purchased by an Australian soldier, probably Henry Smerdon Holmes, during World War One. chatham-holmes family collection, bath, gret pulteney street, fountain

South Parade in Bath, Somerset, England is a historic terrace built around 1743 by John Wood, the Elder.Black and white postcard showing South Parade Bath lined with triple storey buildings and trees. A lady posts a letter in the foreground of the image.chatham-holmes family collection, bath, south parade

Volcanic activity in this region ceased about 50 million years ago, after which the landscape was shaped by glaciation from about 1.8 million years ago to the end of the Great Ice Age about 10,000 years ago. The U-shaped glen of Glen Docherty is typical of a glen formed by the action of glaciers. (wikipedia)Black and white photographic postcard showing a road running between Glen Docherty and Loch Maree. The A832 road runs through the glen.chatham-holmes family collection, rosshire, glen docherty, loch maree, mountains, scotland

La Joliette is a neighbourhood of the 2nd arrondissement of Marseille located at the start of the autonomous port of Marseille. Black and white photograph of a sea going vessel carrying the outgoing mail of the Port of Joliette. A lighthouse is located to the left.chatham-holmes family collection, la joliette, marseille, france, port, boat, ship, vessel, phare sainte marie

The Château de Malmaison is a country house in the city of Rueil-Malmaison about 12 km from Paris. It was formerly the residence of Joséphine de Beauharnais and, with the Tuileries, was from 1800 to 1802 the headquarters of the French government. (Wikipedia)A black and white postcard showing a garden setting with rose in the foreground. It is the garden of Chateau de la Malmaison, Rueil, France.chatham-holmes family collection, chateau de la malmaison, reiel, garden, france

Charleroi is a city and a municipality of Wallonia, located in the province of Hainaut, Belgium. Heavy fighting took place during World War I due to the city's strategic location on the Sambre. This postcard was most probably purchased during an australian soldier during World War One.Black and white postcard depicting a cobbled street with horse drawn carriage and people gathered around a flag. charleroi, belgium, world war i, world war, henry smerdon holmes

The north front of Westminster Abbey is built in Gothic Style.Black and white postcard showing the architectural wonder of Westminster Abbey and its north front. chatham-holmes family collection, westminster abbey, architecture, church, postcard, gothic

Salisbury is a cathedral city in Wiltshire, England, and the only city within the county. It is the 2nd-largest settlement in the county with a population of 40 302, between Chippenham at 35 800 and Swindon at 209 156. (Wikipedia)Black and white photographic postcard showing a road lined with three storey buildings. chatham-holmes family collection, salisbury, postcard