[Editor: This Demobilisation Movement Card was issued to Sergeant Orrie Edward Dugan on 24 January 1919, just after the end of the First World War (1914-1918).]
Demobilisation Movement Card
[Front of Demobilisation Movement Card]
A. I. F. Form 541
Demobilisation Movement Card
Instructions
1. This card properly filled in and signed by the O.C. Unit will be given to each Officer, W.O., N.C.O., or man proceeding to U.K. (except on ordinary leave) whether sent as member of a draft or individually.
2. The individual to whom the card is issued will retain it until FINAL arrangements are made for his disposal.
— Department of Repatriation and Demobilisation, — 54, Victoria Street, London, S.W. 1
6 1 19
[Middle of Demobilisation Movement Card]
[Handwritten text, in italics.]
A. I. F. Form 541
Demobilisation Movement Card
Unit ….. 27th Bn A.I.F.
Surname (in block letters) ….. DUGAN
Other Names ….. Orrie Edward
Reg. No. ….. 60 Rank ….. Sgt
Where to report in U.K ……….
Proceeding to U.K. for reasons ….. C ….. set out below.
Reference Letters.
(A) Early Repatriation.
(B) Early Repatriation with wife.
(C) Ordinary Repatriation.
(D) Extended leave ………. months.
(E) Discharge elsewhere than in Australia.
(F) Educational or Industrial Employment.
(G) Any other purpose not mentioned above
………………………………….
The reference letter designating the reasons will be marked in the square above.
Date ….. 24.1.19 Signature ….. [signed]
O.C. Unit ……….
EMBARKATION QUOTA No. ….. 2 ….. (To be filled in by Unit and ONLY when the individual is a member of the Quota).
DRAFT No. ………. (To be filled in at Base, HAVRE)
[Reverse of Demobilisation Movement Card]
[Handwritten text, in italics.]
Lord Roberts’ prediction
The Government of Quebec
states that when Lord
Roberts was in Canada ten
years ago at the dedication
of the Plains of Abraham
as a park & playground,
he made this prediction,
They refuse to believe
me, & we are asleep inside
a false security, for I do
not hesitate to affirm
that we shall have
a frightful war in
Europe, & that England &
France will have the
hardest experience of their
existence, they will in
fact see defeat very [near], but the
war will finally be won
by the genius of a French
general named Ferdinand
Foch, professor in the
military school in Paris ?
[The handwritten text continued at the top of the front of the card, where the final four words of the text were written.]
Source:
Original document
Editor’s notes:
Dimensions (approximate): 78 mm. (width) (when folded), 124 mm. (height).
The writer of the handwritten text on this Demobilisation Movement Card is believed to be Orrie Edward Dugan, of the 27th Australian Infantry Battalion, born in Edithburgh (South Australia).
See: 1) “Private Orrie Edward Dugan”, Australian War Memorial [Date of embarkation: 31 May 1915]
2) “Corporal Orrie Edward Dugan”, Australian War Memorial [Final Rank: Corporal; Date of enlistment: 04 February 1915; Date returned to Australia: 08 April 1919]
Note: Whilst the AWM record says that Dugan’s final rank was Corporal, it may be that he was Acting Sergeant for a time.
3) “Orrie Edward Dugan”, Discovering Anzacs
4) “Dugan Orrie Edward: SERN 60”, Discovering Anzacs
The handwritten text is repeating a news item that was published in various newspapers; for example:
“Lord Roberts’s prophecy about Foch”, The Mercury (Hobart, Tas.), 25 January 1919, p. 6
“Lord Roberts’ prophecy about Foch”, Darling Downs Gazette (Toowoomba, Qld.), 5 February 1919, p. 4
A.I.F. = Australian Imperial Force; the First Australian Imperial Force was created in 1914 to fight in World War One, the Second Australian Imperial Force was created in 1939 to fight in World War Two
Bn = an abbreviation of “Battalion”
Ferdinand Foch = (1851-1929) a French general and military theorist; he was the Supreme Allied Commander during the First World War
Lord Roberts = Frederick Sleigh Roberts (1832-1914), 1st Earl Roberts, known as Lord Roberts, a British military officer, he was promoted to the rank of Field Marshal in 1895; born in India to British parents in 1832, he died in France (of pneumonia) in 1914
N.C.O. = Non-Commissioned Officer (e.g. Sergeant, Corporal, Lance Corporal)
O.C. = Officer Commanding
Plains of Abraham = an area in Quebec City (Quebec, Canada); it was the location of the Battle of the Plains of Abraham (also known as the Battle of Quebec), a key battle in the Seven Years’ War (1756-1763) between France and Great Britain (the battle took place on an area of land formerly owned by a farmer by the name of Abraham Martin, just outside of the then boundaries of the city of Quebec)
Reg. No. = Regimental Number
Sgt = an abbreviation of “Sergeant”
U.K. = United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland (the name of the United Kingdom from 1801, following the union of the Kingdom of Great Britain and the Kingdom of Ireland); United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (the name of the United Kingdom, unofficially from 1922, and officially from 1927, following the establishment of the Irish Free State in 1922)
W.O. = Warrant Officer
[Editor: Changed “defeat very, but” to “defeat very [near], but” (the square brackets indicate an inserted word).]
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