Krithia Posted 18 June , 2007 Share Posted 18 June , 2007 I have a photo with two Anzac officers on camel back posing by the sphinx. I have been trying to match known photos to get their names and have thus far come to a blank on both. Only clues I have is a post stamp on the reverse for "3 April 1915", so prior the Gallipoli Anzac landing. The card is addresed to Mrs Craig, 130 Princes Street, Edinburgh, Scotland. I have included an enlargement of one of the officers (right) as under his rising sun collar badges he has another pair of badges that I cannot identify (maybe unit or an interpreter?). One officer is a captain (right), the other (left) either a 2/Lt or Major. Come on you Anzac experts, put me out of my misery. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ozzie Posted 18 June , 2007 Share Posted 18 June , 2007 Putting Craig Scotland in the NA site bought up 40 hits. None of which was enlisted as an officer. http://www.naa.gov.au/the_collection/recordsearch.html A lot of Craigs born in Glasgow though. Sorry, hopefully someone may be of more assistance though. Cheers Kim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crunchy Posted 18 June , 2007 Share Posted 18 June , 2007 Not much help I'm afraid but they are wearing leggings. Perhaps, LH, Artillery, Transport which might narrow things down a wee bit. One's a Captain. Regards chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Reed Posted 18 June , 2007 Share Posted 18 June , 2007 Hi Steve - perhaps the badges are a pre-war militia unit he served in? I have seen this before some early AIF photos. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Pickerd Posted 18 June , 2007 Share Posted 18 June , 2007 A long shot, but the Captain on the right may well be a doctor M.O. Maybe by the process of elimination we can narrow the search down, they are definitely not officers of the 8th Light Horse Regiment, 3rd Light Horse Brigade. The leggings may also indicate units as noted by Crunchy, but I have seen photographs of Australian infantry officers similarly attired. Jeff Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Krithia Posted 18 June , 2007 Author Share Posted 18 June , 2007 Thanks for the quick response. It could be artillery or field ambulance because of the leggings, but as Jeff mentioned Infantry also wore then sometimes. The postage mark on the reverse is "3rd AUST INF BDE FIELD PO", so from this it is narrowed down to the 3rd Australian Brigade, okay I know, that stills leaves a choice from over 100 officers. There is also a PASSED BY CENSOR stamp. The small note reads: On Active service - no stamps available - Many thanks for letters, to hand yesterday. Am sending post-card as you asked. No particular news. I'm very well ......... letters sent to Egypt will be forwarded in due course. Love to all. T.G W. Is there a list of officers that were with 3 Brigade about this time. With the initials it should narrow down one of them. p.s. Good point Paul, I know the kind you mean. I now have to find an expert on pre-war Australian badges ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ozzie Posted 18 June , 2007 Share Posted 18 June , 2007 Digger History site, if you google it should come up. Lots of info re Badges etc. Cheers Kim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mhifle Posted 18 June , 2007 Share Posted 18 June , 2007 Another long shot. There is a Capt T J G Wilson with the Oversea Contingents, Australia, Army Medical Corps and also a Lt Col T G Wilson. Nov 1916 Army List. Regards Mark. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Krithia Posted 19 June , 2007 Author Share Posted 19 June , 2007 Thanks Mark and all, we have a hit. He is Major (later promoted Lt-Col) Thomas George Wilson 1st Australian Stationery Hospital. He left Australia in December 1914 with the MEF. In late June 1915 he was on Lemnos and diagnosed with enteric fever, thrombosis and pleurisy, and a year later was struck off. Incedently further research shows that 130 Princes Street, Edinburgh was a photographic studio at the time, but I cannot find a connection to Mrs Craig, as yet. Amazing what you can get from the internet. The second officer, to his right remains unidentified, but probably a doctor with the 1ASH. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Pickerd Posted 19 June , 2007 Share Posted 19 June , 2007 Thanks Mark and all, we have a hit. He is Major (later promoted Lt-Col) Thomas George Wilson 1st Australian Stationery Hospital. He left Australia in December 1914 with the MEF. In late June 1915 he was on Lemnos and diagnosed with enteric fever, thrombosis and pleurisy, and a year later was struck off. Incedently further research shows that 130 Princes Street, Edinburgh was a photographic studio at the time, but I cannot find a connection to Mrs Craig, as yet. Amazing what you can get from the internet. The second officer, to his right remains unidentified, but probably a doctor with the 1ASH. Have to agree with you Krithia, well done Mark. From the embarkation roll for the 1st ASH we have three Captains, but only two possibilities judging by the Captains age in your photograph. Of thses two I would suspect that he is Captain Federick Neill Le Messurier, aged 23. Here is the link to the 1st ASH Embarkation Roll on the AWM web site. http://www.awm.gov.au/cms_images/awm8/26_7...pdf/213-217.pdf Jeff Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Krithia Posted 19 June , 2007 Author Share Posted 19 June , 2007 Thanks Jeff. It could be Mr Le Messurier, I'll investigate a little further with the service records. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Esskay Posted 19 June , 2007 Share Posted 19 June , 2007 Thanks Mark and all, we have a hit. He is Major (later promoted Lt-Col) Thomas George Wilson 1st Australian Stationery Hospital. He left Australia in December 1914 with the MEF. In late June 1915 he was on Lemnos and diagnosed with enteric fever, thrombosis and pleurisy, and a year later was struck off. Incedently further research shows that 130 Princes Street, Edinburgh was a photographic studio at the time, but I cannot find a connection to Mrs Craig, as yet. Amazing what you can get from the internet. The second officer, to his right remains unidentified, but probably a doctor with the 1ASH. I was looking at this chap's file yesterday but couldn't get on to this site to post - a couple of things to add - he had a FRCS from Edinburgh - so had presumably been in the city earlier in his career - and after being discharged back in Australia in early 1916 - he appears to have re-embarked on 22/6/16 as OC Hospital Ship Karoola - replacing a Lt Col Craig - who seems to be Robert Gordon Craig - http://naa12.naa.gov.au/scripts/imagine.as...mp;I=1&SE=1 His wife was Marie Graeme Craig They both sound like good Scottish names - but I couldn't find anything else to connect them with the Wilson's unfortunately - Wilson was based in Adelaide and Craig was from Sydney - Wilson's wife was in London for part of the war but nothing else that I could see?????? Cheers Sue Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
revellations Posted 2 January , 2009 Share Posted 2 January , 2009 Krithia, I am replying a little late on this post but never too late I say. I am writing a book about the 1 ASH, and even though I am in contact with the Le Messurier family, I am yet to get a photograph from them to compare....have to watch this space for that. However from my notes the 1ASH was in Mudros in March 1915 so it is very unlikely that it is the aforementioned Doctors posted above. There is a very slight chance that it is Wilson and LeMessurier if they came back to Egypt for supplies etc and went for a day trip to the Pyramids. Sorry for the bad news..... Are you still in possesion of this photo? I am hoping so so you can do a close up shot of the badges.... Cheers Scott Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevenbecker Posted 2 January , 2009 Share Posted 2 January , 2009 Mates, Well done. I thought someone would have mentioned the men being Camel Corps? as I get a number of these types of photos of soldiers mounted on camels who never served a day in the ICC. The Egypto's had a nice little money spinner around the pyrimids with camel and donkey rides. Thousands of men had their photos taken on them as they still doing today. Cheers S.B Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alliekiwi Posted 2 January , 2009 Share Posted 2 January , 2009 However from my notes the 1ASH was in Mudros in March 1915 so it is very unlikely that it is the aforementioned Doctors posted above. There is a very slight chance that it is Wilson and LeMessurier if they came back to Egypt for supplies etc and went for a day trip to the Pyramids. Sorry for the bad news..... Are you still in possesion of this photo? I am hoping so so you can do a close up shot of the badges.... Cheers Scott I don't think the fact that the 1ASH being in Mudros at the time rules the man in question out. The photo could easily have been taken earlier. From the writing on the back it is obvious they are no longer in Egypt but were previously. I'm very well ......... letters sent to Egypt will be forwarded in due course. Allie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Krithia Posted 2 January , 2009 Author Share Posted 2 January , 2009 Yes I still have the photo, send me a PM with your email address and I'll send you a closeup of the badges. Your book sounds interesting. Out of interest do the 1ASH have a War Diary, just a thought that this probably has officer movements within it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
revellations Posted 3 January , 2009 Share Posted 3 January , 2009 I don't think the fact that the 1ASH being in Mudros at the time rules the man in question out. The photo could easily have been taken earlier. From the writing on the back it is obvious they are no longer in Egypt but were previously. I'm very well ......... letters sent to Egypt will be forwarded in due course. Allie Good point Allie....didn't think about that the date being after the fact. I would love this to be Wilson as it would make a great addition to the book...so fingers crossed. PM Sent. There is a war diary from 1ASH but it is packed away downstairs in the house whilst a few renovations are being done. There are officers movements in it as I recall. Cheers Scott Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Pickerd Posted 3 January , 2009 Share Posted 3 January , 2009 Scott, You might not have to worry about trying to find your 1st ASH war diary, the digitized diaries of the Medical, Dental and Nursing, Class 26, are on their way thanks to the AWM. http://www.awm.gov.au/diaries/ww1/diary.asp?diary=85 Jeff Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
revellations Posted 18 January , 2009 Share Posted 18 January , 2009 Hi all, Right oh...I think we have a winner. After 5 months wait, I finally received this week the diary of TG Wilson and HA Powell (2IC 1ASH @ the time) and both speak of Wilson and LeMessurier going to Egypt. In fact they escorted 220 patients from Mudros to Alexandria. They then were suppossed then go to Cairo for only 24 hrs to pick up some specific medical equipment but ended up ther for 10 days.....what would you do when you had to wait around...do the tourist bit. Wilson does not mention what he did in Cairo but only says he was there for 10 days instead of 1. The diaries also do not give specific dates but talk about early April when they were in Egypt....so I think we might have solved the riddle. Well done to all I must say..... Scott Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Krithia Posted 18 January , 2009 Author Share Posted 18 January , 2009 Hi Scott, Superb news, sounds like a match. When I find the photo (hopefully later today) I'll send you off a copy ... thanks, Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
revellations Posted 2 February , 2014 Share Posted 2 February , 2014 Well I thought I would resurrect this post as I have recently been working very hard on writing the chapters in the book on the No 1 Australian Stationary Hospital. Since my last post, I have met relatives, received additional photos and been given access to soldiers diaries. As such, I can finally put any doubt to rest about the subject of this post. The photo is of Major Thomas George Wilson (TGW) (left) and Captain Frederick 'Freddy' Neill Le Messurier (right). The photo had to be taken between the arrival of No 1 ASH at Maadi on 22 Jan 1915 and when they departed for Lemnos on the 02 Mar 1915 (because these two officers were located with half of the hospital in Ma'adi Camp). I had said in early posts that is was taken in early April when the officers returned for 10 days to Egypt from Lemnos. This can be discounted as I have a soldier's diary in which it states for the 13th April that Wilson, LeMessurier and 8 others returned to Egypt (10 days after the letter was sent!). So the dates of 22 Jan - 02 Mar 15 are correct. Interestingly the grandsons of both Major Wilson and Capt Le Messurier both confirm that it is their grandfathers are in the photo....which they love by the way. The family of Major Wilson also provided some information on who Mrs Craig was....she was Major Wilson's sister. Mrs Sterling Craig was born in Armidale but lived in Scotland during WWI. She returned to Australia after the war in 1920. Both the grandson of Thomas Wilson and I were surprised at the formality of TGW referring to his sister as Mrs Craig on the postcard but I guess it is almost 100 years ago! Further research would indicate that Wilson and LeMessurier would good friends and that the photo album of TGW which is still in the family has a few photos of these two doctors taken together, I chose an interesting one to share with all on the forum. I hope this clears everything up and Steve you now have pretty definitive information on your postcard. Thanks Scott PS - Steve - please contact me as I need a high quality scan of the postcard for the book. Capt LeMessurier (left) and Major Wilson (right) on Lemnos 1915. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moggs Posted 2 February , 2014 Share Posted 2 February , 2014 Fantastic compilation of events and information. Well done everyone! Jonathan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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