Historical information

Bertie Ernest Albert Henderson was born at Naringal in 1891 and was 24 at the time of enlistment. He fought in France and died from injuries in France on June 1, 1918. The entries relate to matters which relate to military procedures and duties, places visited in France and England, time spent at the front and on leave.

Significance

For Australia, as for many nations, the First World War remains the most costly conflict in terms of deaths and casualties. From a population of fewer than five million, 416,809 men enlisted, of which over 60,000 were killed and 156,000 wounded, gassed, or taken prisoner.* Australian War Memorial Website
Bertie Henderson was but one of these casualties and this diary gives an insight into the life of the average soldier. He records events from the mundane to conditions common to the war experience.

Physical description

Front page has photograph and typed enlistment details, followed by copy of enlistment paper and numerous pages of typed diary entries dated from July 1916. Other entries give day only with no year. Back cover has basic family tree.