Historical information

By arrangment with local and family history librarian, Myra Dowling, this diary was transcribed by Sandra Dexter from the original, which was donated to the City of Boroondara Library Service following the Boroondara Remembers project in 2015.
It is a day-to-day account of a soldier's experience going to fight in World War 1, 1914-1919.
Robert Thomas Garford (SERN 1138) was born in Fitzroy in 1892. He was aged 23 and living in Camberwell when he enlisted on 14 September 1914. He embarked from Melbourne on board HMAT A38 Ulysses on 22 December 1914. He was a sapper with the 2nd Divisional Signal Company. He was awarded a Military Medal:
'At CLERY, near MT.ST. QUENTIN, on the 31st of August 1918, this soldier was engaged as a linesman at the Brigade Forward Station. Throughout the day forward lines were repeatedly broken by enemy shell fire. Despite this Sapper FARFORD [sic], with very conspicuous coolness patrolled the lines from end to end repairing one break after another. His untiring efforts were responsible for the constant maintenance of communications from the Brigade Station to the Battalions.'
Source: 'Commonwealth Gazette' No. 115, 10 October 1919.
He returned to Australia 3 December 1918.
He married Annie Christina Devine in 1941. They lived at 16 York Street, Surrey Hills and later 17 Blackburn Street, Surrey Hills.
He died 30 May 1969 at Surrey Hills and is buried in Box Hill Cemetery: P-A-0054.

Physical description

A day to day account of a soldier's experience going to fight in World War 1, 1914-1919