[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
May 16th 1918
Dear Louise,
Just a few lines to you to say that I spent a week in the hospital with tonsillitis.
I will be soon coming out.
I have had no letters from you yet. I am just beginning [to] think you forgot me, which I hope to have one from you soon.
I will close with love to all.
I remain your loving friend,
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.]
Raymond says
Dear Ed. A lovely embroidered postcard. Thank you.
An advanced search at the National Archives of Australia website: naa.gov.au for SAWYER in World War 1, gave 103 responses.
Provided that this hyperlink works, I believe that this is the person who wrote this card:
https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/ViewImage.aspx?B=8078441
His name is there given as Henry George SAWYER, from Port Lincoln in South Australia. At that link, his war service papers are available to view, and they show on several pages there that this person was indeed admitted to hospital with tonsilitis at the relevant time of the dated postcard.
Those papers show that he survived the war to return to Australia.
This hyperlink (if it works) to the Genealogy South Australia website, provides summary details to what appears to be his marriage in 1922 — not to Louise:
https://genealogysa.org.au/index.php?option=com_gsa&view=gsa&layout=essearch&collection_id=marriage&page_no=1&sort_by=&sort_direction=asc&Surname=sawyer&GivenName=Henry+George&year_from=&accuracy=&ShipName=
This hyperlink appears to show his death in 1973:
https://genealogysa.org.au/index.php?option=com_gsa&view=gsa&layout=essearch&collection_id=newspaper-death&page_no=1&sort_by=&sort_direction=asc&Surname=sawyer&GivenName=Henry+George&year_from=&accuracy=&ShipName=
This hyperlink appears to show his Cemetery Burial:
https://genealogysa.org.au/index.php?option=com_gsa&view=gsa&layout=essearch&collection_id=cemeteries&page_no=1&sort_by=&sort_direction=asc&Surname=sawyer&GivenName=Henry+George&year_from=&accuracy=&ShipName=
And finally, this hyperlink appears to show his BIRTH in 1898:
https://genealogysa.org.au/index.php?option=com_gsa&view=gsa&layout=essearch&collection_id=birth&page_no=1&sort_by=&sort_direction=asc&Surname=sawyer&GivenName=Henry+George&year_from=&accuracy=&ShipName=
Hoping that this is of assistance.
Raymond
IAC says
That was some brilliant work!! Thank you.
Have now updated the post to include his details.
Many thanks again.