Historical information

Postcards were a common form of souvenirs for soldiers who were travelling either during World War 1, or just after, or while returning to Australia. These postcard scenes are from Bombay which is a stop on the route from Australia to Europe. India was often the first time young soldiers saw a different culture on their way to the first World War.
These were with other World War 1 memorabilia that has come from Private John Basil McLean, 2nd Reinforcements, 37th Battalion, A.I.F. There was a large collection of postcards so he may have been collecting them as souvenirs (none of these have been written on or posted).
J.B. McLean (Service No. 13824) was from near Maffra, Victoria and enlisted on 22 January 1916. He embarked on 16 December 1916 for Europe. His full war record is available from AWM. He spent time with the Australian Field Artillery (Pack Section). At the end of the war he worked for a year at the A.I.F. Headquarters in London before returning to Australia on the 'Ceramic', (which stopped in Bombay), arriving Portsea in 1920.

Significance

Postcards were a very common form of communication in the first World War. Postcards as souvenirs or as correspondence would have been familiar to the first Legatees as they had served in World War 1. These places in Bombay, India could have been visited by the first Legatees when they were soldiers in World War 1.

Physical description

Postcards x 7 with images from Bombay in India.

Inscriptions & markings

01139.1 Bombay - A street scene, Pydowni Junction
01139.2 Bird's eye view of Fort from Taj Mahal Hotel, Bombay
01139.3 Cuffe Parade - Bombay
01139.4 General Post Office - Bombay
01139.5 Bombay - Queen's Road showing palms
01139.6 A woman tapping rubber tree (possibly from Sri Lanka as it was printed in Colombo).
01139.7 Bombay from Harbour
Each one has the word POST CARD on the reverse with room for an address and an area for Correspondence. Different makers.