Australian War Memorial Digitised Collections – Seeking copyright holders
The Memorial’s Research Centre Digitised Collections team digitises archival collections at risk of deterioration. This process helps to preserve the original items and enables the selected collections to be accessed online in the future.
The Memorial is seeking permission from the copyright holders to publish the collections listed below. If you are a copyright holder, a relation, or a descendant of persons named, please contact the Memorial via email: Digitised.Collections@awm.gov.au
Richard Thomas Charles, 1910–1992
Richard “Dick” Thomas Charles was born in 1910 at Beckenham, England, to Ellen Charles and Thomas Walker Charles. He had two older siblings, Eric Reginald Charles and Margaret Nelly Charles. Soon after his father’s death in 1911, Richard was sent to live at St Michael’s Orphanage also known as The Convent at Croydon in Surrey, England.
In 1939 at Randwick, Sydney, Richard married Ida Florence Baines who from that time was known as Mrs Ida Florence Charles (1907–1974). It is unknown if their marriage produced any children.
During the Second World War he served as Merchant Navy Second Officer Richard Thomas Charles with Burns, Philp & Co, Limited. In March 1944 he was aboard the MV Tulagi when it was torpedoed by a German submarine and quickly sank. He drifted on a raft with six other survivors for 59 days at sea before making it ashore to Bijoutier Island in the Seychelles. Richard was awarded a Member of the Order of the British Empire (Civil) for distinguished service in the face of adversity.
Richard continued his career as Mercantile Marine Officer as a Tug Master. He lived in Randwick, Sydney until his death in 1992 at the age of 81.
The Australian War Memorial holds a handwritten diary by Richard Thomas Charles covering his experience on the MV Tulagi and the time he spent lost at sea. If you are a copyright holder, a relation, or a descendant of Richard Thomas Charles, please contact the Memorial via email: Digitised.Collections@awm.gov.au.
Collection number: AWM2018.360.1
Robert Stanley Bastard, 1892–1966
Robert Stanley (born Robert Stanley Bastard) was born on 11 March 1892 in Adelaide to Emily Bastard née Denny (1861–1936) and Robert Charles Bastard (1863–1941). He had three siblings, Ethel Emily, Frederick Charles and Winifred Isabel.
During the First World War he served as 11 Signaller Robert Stanley Bastard in 10 Battalion, E Company, Australian Imperial Force, from 19 August 1914 to 13 March 1916. Robert undertook a formal name change in March 1916 and from this date was known as Robert Stanley.
In 1928, Victoria, he married Anna Claire Barron, from then known as Mrs Anna Claire Stanley (1894–1979). It is unknown if their marriage produced any children. Robert Stanley died on 13 October 1966 at the age of 74 in the Victorian city of Bairnsdale, East Gippsland Shire.
The Australian War Memorial holds a diary in its collection written by Robert Stanley between February and August 1915. If you are a copyright holder, a relation, or a descendant of Robert Stanley, please contact the Memorial via email on Digitised.Collections@awm.gov.au.
Collection number: 3DRL/3614
Alfred Barrett Garland, 1932–2002
Brigadier Alfred ‘Alf’ Barrett Garland OM AM was born on 19 March 1932 to Mary Garland née Bantin (1904–1973) and William Alfred Garland (1890–1945). He was an Australian Army Officer and the National President of the Returned and Services League of Australia (RSL) from 1988 to 1993. Alf Garland died on 9 March 2002.
The Australian War Memorial holds a Private Records collection that contains a letter written by Alf Garland in 1991 while he was the National President of RSL Australia. If you are a copyright holder, a relation, or a descendant of Alf Garland, please contact the Memorial via email on Digitised.Collections@awm.gov.au.
Collection number: PR00293
Dr Rudolf Werneberg
Dr Rudolf Werneberg was a Lieutenant of the Royal Prussian Reserve Field Artillery Regiment No. 7 and worked as a teacher at the Lyceum in Bitterfeld, Germany.
The Australian War Memorial holds a book titled Königl. Preußisches Reserve-Feldartillerie-Regiment Nr. 7 [Royal Prussian Reserve Field Artillery Regiment No. 7] edited by Dr Rudolf Werneberg, according to the official war diaries.
If you are a copyright holder, a relation, or a descendant of Dr Rudolf Werneberg, please contact the Memorial via email on Digitised.Collections@awm.gov.au.
Collection number: 940.41343 G459irf no.7