Historical information

Black and white photocopy of a typed letter written by Company Sergeant Major (later Captain) George Eric Milne on the second last night at Lone Pine, Gallipoli.
The letter to his parents show that he was scheduled to be in the second last party to leave the area during the evacuation.
The other papers with this letter show that Legatee Don S (probably Simonson) had attended a planting of a Lone Pine seedling at Scotch College and the Head had read the letter out as part of the service. George Milne had attended school at Scotch College and is commemorated with his name on the wall of the Memorial Hall.
From NAA his record shows that he had left Australia as part of the 24th Battalion (on the same ship as Legacy founder Stan Savige), he served at Gallipoli. Later with the 46th Battalion he was wounded in action and died in France on 5 April 1918, and is buried at Gezaincourt Communal Cemetery.
Full text of the letter is transcribed and attached.

Significance

A first hand account of the evacuation of Lone Pine from someone in the same battalion as Stan Savige.

Physical description

Black and white A4 photocopy x 5 pages of a typed letter written by GE Milne and associated research.