Australia for ever [First World War postcard, 16 May 1918]

[Editor: This postcard, dated 16 May 1918, was written by an Australian soldier during the First World War (1914-1918).]

Australia for ever

[Front of postcard]

Australia for ever

[Description: An Australian flag and a sprig of wattle, with the words “Australia for ever”.]

[Reverse of postcard]

[Handwritten text, in italics]

Somewhere in France

H. G. Sawyer

[Manufacturer’s information:]
Tuck’s post card
Raphael Tuck & Sons’ “Broderie d’art” series
Art publishers to Their Majesties the King & Queen.
By appointment

Source:
Original document

Editor’s notes:
Dimensions (approximate): 89 mm. (width), 137 mm. (height).

The writer of this postcard is believed to be Henry George Sawyer, who served in the 32nd Australian Infantry Battalion; he was born in Port Lincoln (South Australia) in 1898, and died in South Australia in 1973
See: 1) “Henry George Sawyer”, Discovering Anzacs [a comparison of the signature on the Attestation Paper, when compared with the signature on the postcard, shows them to be the same handwriting]
2) “SAWYER Henry George: Service Number – 5082” (document 1: Attestation Paper), Discovering Anzacs [Date of birth: 10 May 1898; Next of kin (Father): Richard Sawyer]
3) “SAWYER Henry George: Service Number – 5082” (document 8: reverse of Casualty Form — Active Service), Discovering Anzacs [entry 19: 13/5/18 “Adm Tonsilitis” (admitted to hospital with tonsillitis)]
4) “SAWYER Henry George: Service Number – 5082” (document 19: B.R. Form No. 9), Discovering Anzacs [admitted to hospital in England, 15/10/18, “suffering from gunshot wound chest, severe”]
5) “SAWYER Henry George: Service Number – 5082” (document 25: Application to Enlist), Discovering Anzacs [Father: Richard Sawyer; Mother: Amelia Ellen Sawyer]
6) “NAA: B2455, Sawyer Henry George”, National Archives of Australia [Service Number: 5082; Place of Birth: Port Lincoln SA; Place of Enlistment: Port Lincoln SA; Next of Kin (Father): Richard Sawyer]
7) “Private Henry George Sawyer”, Australian War Memorial [Service number: 5082A; Final Rank: Private; Unit: 32nd Australian Infantry Battalion]
8) Genealogy SA
a) Birth record: Surname: Sawyer; Given Names: Henry George; Gender: M; Father: Richard Sawyer; District: Flinders; Book/Page: 621/475; Birth Year: 1898
b) Death record: Surname: Sawyer; First Names: Henry George; Event Year: 1973

[Editor: Changed “beginning think” to “beginning [to] think” (the square brackets indicate an inserted word); “love to all all” to “love to all” (it is possible that the text was meant to be “love to you all”); “yours loving friend” to “your loving friend”.]

[Editor: For ease of reading, the original text has been separated into paragraphs, and punctuation has been inserted as deemed appropriate.]