AUSTRALIAN IMPERIAL FORCE -GALLIPOLI WOUNDED AT TARTA, MALTA 1915

[Guest]

  The following item is up at auction at Cooper and Tanner,auctioneers, of Frome on 22-23rd October 2020, Lot 814.  This is put up merely to record that the item exists, given it's ephemeral nature.  Hope it ends up at the Australian War memorial sometime soon. Once again, I must stress that I have no connection with either the vendor or the auctioneers-Information only.

 

A very interesting WWI period album with hand written entries by wounded soldiers admitted to hospital after various battles, many from Australian forces wounded at the Dardenelles, some good illustrations, including sufragette & military subjects. Inscriptions to Sister Downing, the frontispiece inscribed R B Downing 5-1-15

 

 

[Guest]

  Hope it ends up at the Australian War memorial sometime soon.

One can only hope the right bidder comes along, and it ends up at the AWM.  

[Guest]

  Hope it ends up at the Australian War memorial sometime soon.

 

BTW, should Tarta be Imtarfa / Mtarfa?  

 

 

 

[frev]

Although it’s quite possible that the autograph album is being put to auction by a family member, I kind of hope there’s a family member out there that would actually cherish it.

Rosetta Bessie Downing (1870-1952) never married, but she did come from a fairly large family, so…

If she had been an Australian nurse, and there wasn’t a family member interested, it would have been nice if it came to the AWM, but….

 

Rosetta was British and joined the TFNS in 1909, was called up 18/8/1914, and posted to Malta on the 10/5/1915 (followed by France Apr 1916 – 1919).

So perhaps the IWM?

 

Out of interest: John Dunbar (1433), 13^th Bn, (inscription bottom right) was admitted to the Imtarfa Hospital, Malta 4th or 5/6/1915 to the 12/7/1915 with a GSW to the elbow.

 

Cheers, Frev

[Guest]

some good points raised by Frev.