Historical information

Private Harry Nutman Derrick, a native of Tallangatta Valley in NE Victoria served with the 37th Australian Infantry Battalion 10th Brigade, 3rd Division AIF. He was wounded on three occasions. On the third occasion he was captured near the village of Clery on 30 August 1918. He died in a German military hospital on 12 November 1918 the day following the Armistice. A transcribed copy of the diary is held in the Local History Section of the Albury LibraryMuseum.

Significance

This diary documents the day-to-day activities of a private soldier of the AIF during almost two years at war including two occasions on which he was wounded and evacuated to England. Its significance is enhanced by the presence of his death medallion in the 8/13 VMR Collection.

Physical description

Black cloth soft covered diary kept by 854 Pte Harry Derrick 37th Battalion AIF for the period 16 February 1916, the day he left Tallangatta Valley, to 31 December 1917. To fit two years into a one year diary, Derrick made use of every spare space in the small book.