snape collection

Shows detail of Artillery Planning in the area of Peronne & Mont St Quentin. Inscribed "Map to accompany H.A. Scheme for Mobile Warfare". Marked with 'Lanes' and Corps/Division Boundaries.The donor, Staff Sergeant R.O. (Bob) Snape, Reg No 8651, enlisted as a Stretcher Bearer in 1915 but, because of his secretarial skills was employed in HQ positions as soon as he arrived in France and as a stenographer who worked as Confidential Clerk to General Sir John Monash from June to December 1918; and subsequently, for General Sir Talbot Hobbs until June 1919. The map was very likely directly used in the planning of the 1918 battles such as Mont St Quentin.Original Item recovered from possibly Australian Corps HQ, probably between the Armistice, 11 November 1918, and June 1919, when Staff Sergeant R.O.(Bob) Snape was repatriated. Shows detail of Artillery Planning in the area of Peronne & Mont St Quentin. Inscribed "Map to accompany H.A. Scheme for Mobile Warfare". Marked with 'Lanes' and Corps/Division Boundaries.snape collection

snape collection

snape collection

Original, single page propaganda broadsheet, collected by Bob Snape, when he was working as Confidential Clerk to General Sir John Monash, with Australia Corps HQ, in Belgium, late 1918. Yellowed with age, but despite some tears along the folds and a hole the size of a 20 cent piece, it is a good legible document with a front-line mapsnape collection

This little piece of Allied Propaganda was written not long after the death of Bob's much loved brother and comrade. Perhaps it was composed in grief and bitterness, but later regretted and disowned, as not being worthy of himself.snape collection

snape collection

snape collection

Newspapersnape collection

snape collection

This is one of the very few surviving pieces of correspondence between Bob and his wife, Madge. Bob destroyed the bulk of such correspondence between the pair, although some of Bob's typed letter/stories that Bob sent to Madge survived, pasted into a large hard-backed journal, and later passed on to grand-daughter, Margaret Davey. The Registry Office marriage was a secret business. Perhaps an Irish nationalist, Madge's father, Andrew McLaughlin, had absolutely forbidden any of his daughters to marry a soldier. The Snapes were taken by surprise too and Madge wore the wedding ring on a string about her neck. Bob wrote to Madge McLaughlin c/- her parents's home in at 22 Hull Street, Richmond (near West Richmond Railway Station).Picture Postcard.snape collection

snape collection

From 30 Sep and 27 Nov 1916, Bob and Harold Snape worked together in 2nd Division HQ, in the basement of Fricourt Château, snape collection

snape collection

Topographical Map. Full colour. Attached by glue to matching copy of 1:100,000 map sheet, 'Amiens' (as per 9002-Bob).snape collection

snape collection

Original Item recovered from possibly Australian Corps HQ, probably between the Armistice, 11 November 1918, and June 1919, when the Staff Sergeant R.O.(Bob) Snape was repatriated.Cloth-backed paper. 6 map sheets glued together to form one large wall map of NW Europe, covering from Normandy beaches to Cologne and Paris to Strasbourg.snape collection

snape collection

snape collection

Bob Snape always included in his kit a few second hand Baedeker's guide books, as well as the 'Belgium and Holland' volume. Bob was a keen observer and commentator and used these guide books as any interested tourist. Bob's letters home often made reference to the history, culture and architecture of the countries he visited in the course of the war. Bob's English born father had lived and worked in France from 1878 to 1880 before his emigration to Australia.Two tone map in orange, grey and black. snape collection

Original Item recovered from possibly Australian Corps HQ, probably between the Armistice, 11 November 1918, and June 1919, when the Staff Sergeant R.O.(Bob) Snape was repatriated.Sepia photograph, showing trench lines, gun emplacements, landscape peppered with shell craters.snape collection

Original Item recovered from possibly Australian Corps HQ, probably between the Armistice, 11 November 1918, and June 1919, when the Staff Sergeant R.O.(Bob) Snape was repatriated.Sepia photograph showing shelled/bombed out village with all roofs blown in.snape collection

Original Item recovered from possibly Australian Corps HQ, probably between the Armistice, 11 November 1918, and June 1919, when the Staff Sergeant R.O.(Bob) Snape was repatriated.snape collection

snape collection

snape collection