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[Page 4]
[Transcribers' notes:
The letters cover William Cull's journey by troopship to Egypt; service in the trenches at Gallipoli; a period of time in hospital in Malta; return to Egypt and another period of hospitalisation there; voyage to Marseilles and travel through France to the area round Ypres; service in the trenches around the Somme; his wounding, capture and internment in an officers' prisoner-of-war camp in Germany; transfer to Montreux, Switzerland, for specialist medical treatment under a prisoner exchange arrangement; and conclude with news that he will be transferred to England and then home to Australia. Also included in the document are some notes on trench warfare at Gallipoli (pp 101-103), two pages in French in what looks like a different hand (pp 519-520) and an issue of the British Internees Magazine (pp 521-540)
Some letters are out of date order.
Some words are partially obscured by tape or binding on the originals; probable completion of the word, based on context, is indicated by square brackets.
Notes on mis-spellings are at the end of the transcript.
Summary:
Embarked on transport ship Euripides and sailed from Melbourne on 8 May 1915 via Colombo, Red Sea & Suez Canal (pages 2 to 20).
Arrived Alexandria Egypt 10 June 1915.
Camped at Heliopolis near Zeitoun from 12 June 1915 to 28 August 1915 (pages 21 to 64).
Commissioned Lieutenant on 23 August 1915 (page 64).
Sailed on transport ship Haverford from Alexandria to Lemnos Island (page 71) and on to Gallipoli.
Disembarked at Anzac Cove on 4 September 1915 (page 80).
Pages 77 and 78 are official notes regarding offensive and defensive tactics at Lone Pine, issued to officers of the 23rd Battalion, including Lieut. Cull, when they relieved the 1st Infantry Brigade on 4 September 1915.
Pages 95-96 give some details of life in the trenches at Gallipoli.
Pages 101-103 give detail of some aspects of trench warfare.
Wounded on 5 November 1915 and evacuated to Malta, arriving 12 November 1915 (letter dated 14 November, page 126).
Left Malta for Egypt on about 4 or 6 December 1915, arriving at Part Said on 8 December (page 150).
Moved to Cairo on 9 December and on to Tel-el-Kebir on 24 December 1915
Relapsed and hospitalised in Cairo on 24 January 1916 (page 191).
Returned to Tel-el-Kebir in early February 1916 and then moved to Canal Zone, Sinai Desert on 5 February 1916 (page 223).
Moved to Alexandria 20 March 1916
Embarked on T.S.S. "Osmanieh" for Marseilles on 22 March 1916 travelling via Malta and Toulon (page 251).
Landed at Marseilles on 30 March 1916 and travelled by train to Rouen and on to Wittes, near Aire-sur-la Lys on about 5 April 1916 (page 258 ff).
In Fort Rompu by late April 1916 and in Armentieres from late May (page 280 ff).
Moved on to Pozieres and then Ypres in early July 1916 (page 324 ff).
Promoted Captain on 12 August 1916 (page 350).
Served in area around the Somme through remainder of 1916.
Several letters include references to support of a "Yes" vote on the failed Australian referendum on conscription (mid-late 1916; pages 361 ff, 379 ff, 398-9).
Became engaged to be married to a young Frenchwoman (Marie Vasseur) in December 1916 (pp 382 and 442).
Hospitalised (Field Hospital) on 4 February 1917 with tonsillitis.
Re-joined unit on 8 February 1917 (page 412).
There is a gap in the letters from 21 February 1917 to 8 May 1917, the period when he was wounded and captured.
On 8 May 1917 he writes from Germany, badly wounded and a prisoner of war in St Elisabeth Hospital, Bochum, Westfalen, Germany (page 422).
Discharged from hospital on 19 June 1917 then held in officers' prisoner of war camp in Karlsruhe, Germany (page 445).
Program of prisoner of war concert pages 452 to 455.
Moved to officers' prisoner of war camp at Freiburg, Baden on about 31 October 1917 (page 480).
During his period of imprisonment he did not receive letters from home and this was of great concern to him.
On 7 December 1917 writes to tell his family his transfer out of the POW camp (via prisoner exchange) is about to occur – arranged because he needs further surgery.
By 10 January 1918 he is staying at the Hôtel de l'Europe, Montreux, Switzerland.
On 17 January 1918 he writes to his family, distressed that the parents of his French fiancée will not allow her to live outside France – see p. 497.
On 24 January 1918 (page 502 to 508) he writes in detail about his wounds and prospects for treatment, tells his parents more about his distress regarding his French fiancée, and gives a little detail about how he was wounded.
He writes on 25 February to say he has suffered a nervous breakdown and is to be sent home for any further treatment (page 510 ff).
He gives more information about his injuries and likely outcome on page 516, with a diagram on page 517.
Pages 519 and 520 are in French, written in a different hand; transcribed but not translated.
Pages 521 to 540 are an issue of the British Internees Magazine (volume 2, no. 1); not fully transcribed.]
I Armadale St.
Northcote,Melb
16-10-19
Principal Librarian & Sec. "Mitchell Library"
Dear Sir,
In response to your invitation to forward letters, trench maps, sketches etc. I send this day, by registered post, packet containing same.
Yours faithfully
Ambrose Cull
[Business card attached:
Captain Wm. Ambrose Cull
1 Armadale St.,
Northcote]