This photograph was with a number of others associated with Harry Holmes of Ascot, Victoria. The postcard was written on by Harry Holmes who was a member of the Australian Imperial Force based in Egypt at the time. Nurse Kirkham is Laurie Hemsley Kirkham She was admitted to the Suez Public Hospital (Abbassia) post 06 January 1916. She left Australia with a group of South Australian nurses. 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) The Nurse Kirkam mentioned by the writer is probably Sarah Alice Kirkham, Staff Nurse with the Australian Army Nursing Service. Nurse Kirkham was from North Perth, Western Australia. She was posted to the Auxiliary Hospital, Egypt on 09 November 1915 leaving for France on 23 June 1916. Samuel Gordon Spittle (8005) enlisted into the AIF on 17 July 1915, a member of the 18th Australian Army Service Corps (AASC). He left Alexandria on 15 June 1916 disembarking at Marseilles 24 June 1916. Harry Holmes was discharged from a hospital in Egypt on 15 August 1919. He was awarded the Military Medal promulgated on 11 December 1919. (NAA: B2455, Spittle Samuel Gordon) Not only does this photograph portray life in Egypt during World War War, it highlights the role played by members of the Australian Army Nursing Service in both professional and social activities in the theatre of war.Two Australian nurses and a number of Australian soldiers in Hospital Uniform pose for a photograph in Egypt during World War One. Verso: "A little group of Australians at Suez Hospital Joe F[awcett] & I [Gordon Spittle] are standing in the back row with Nurse Kirkham standing between, she is on the short side so stood on a box. Gordon S."chatham family archive, chatham, holmes, world war, world war 1, world war i, world war one, france, gordon spittle, kirkham, suez, egypt, samuel gordon spittle, joe fawcett, laurie kirkham, nurse kirkham, suez hospital, laurie helmsley kirkham, l.a. kirkham, harry holmes, nurses, ascot

Panoyiannis (Peter) Raftopoulos arrived in Australia in 1937 on the RMS STRAITHAIRD. Travel to Australia between the He married Evgenia Raftopulos and they had two children, Loula and Spearos. Peter was the brother of Kalypso Sofianos nee Raftopoulos. Peter was secretary of the Ithacan Philanthropic Society 1938-1949 and 1953 and an Honorary Life Member.Between the world wars migrants made the long journey to Australia on steamships such as the STRAITHAIRD. Then came the ocean liners which remained the main form of transportation for immigrants to Australia until well into the 1960s. By the 1970s, the wave of post-war migration by ocean liner to Australia was largely over. With fewer migrants coming to Australia, travel was mainly by air.A scanned photograph of the P&O liner, RMS STRAITHAIRD on a voyage. P&O. RMS "STRAITHAIRD' 22 500 TONS/INDIA AND AUSTRALIA MAIL AND PASSENGER SERTVICE.

This collection was compiled and donated by a veteran who saw overseas active service in a post-Vietnam conflict. While an inmate of the Coral-Balmoral Building at the Heidelberg Repatriation Hospital in Melbourne, 2025, he met with the President of the Vietnam Veterans Association (Vic) and explained to him that during his early Army career, he had been deeply influenced by Vietnam veterans, who had taught him life-skills and given him a sense of direction lacking in his upbringing. He created this piece to honour those Vietnam Veterans.Large black frame with khaki matt board. A black bayonet in the centre is set over a gold wreath reflective of the Royal Australian Regiment emblem. Set in a circle around that are 17 circular medallions. Beneath that is line of 5 more medallions. Three rectangular plaques are engraved with information explaining the significance of the medallions.See images in media sectioncommemoration, vietnam, medallions, vietnam war