Volume 2: Letters written on active service, M-W, 1914-1919 - Page 83
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[Page 83]
[Private, later Staff Sergeant, Leslie James Alexander Nightingale, No 4443, library attendant of Camperdown, NSW, Joined the Army on 9 March 1915, aged 27, and embarked from Sydney on RMS Mooltan on 15 May 1915 with the 3rd Australian General Hospital and served at Gallipoli and on Lemnos Island, and later in England and France with the 12th Australian Field Ambulance. In 1919 he was granted leave with pay to take up employment as a library assistant at the British Museum, Department of Printed Books in London. He returned to Australia on 12 March 1920.
Letters describe his leave in England in 1915 and his experience on Lemnos Island later that year.]
[On letterhead of P & O S N Co.]
Address (Lce Cpl L. J. A. Nightingale.
No 4443.
3rd Aust Gen Hospital A.I.F.
Mudros
Lemnos
c/o Intermediary Base Records Office
Cairo
Egypt.
S.S. "Simla"
At Sea
22.7.15
My Dearest Doris
After a fortnight's holiday in England we are again travelling this time it is for the Dardenelles.
The first half of our holiday I spent at Tidworth I have described this beautiful place in my last letter, the latter half I spent at Southampton & I might say it was the time of my life, the people simply lionized us. I made quite a lot of friend, I also managed to visit a Lodge meeting & spent a most enjoyable evening. I will endeavour to detail how I spent the week.
Monday. Arrived at Southampton Dock Station 4 P.M. was conveyed in Motor Lorries to the Rest Camp, tea 5 P.M. spent the evening with some people my Pal (Eric Mills who was stationed at Southampton all the time we were in England) had met.
Tuesday. I was detailed as N.C.O. in charge of piquet, managed to get into town for a few hours.
[Private, later Lance Corporal, Eric Thomas Clargo Mills, No 4429, 3rd Australian General Hospital.]