| Accession Number | PR04066 |
|---|---|
| Collection type | Private Record |
| Record type | Collection |
| Measurement | 1 wallet: 1 cm |
| Object type | Letter |
| Maker |
Doe, Thomas Charles |
| Place made | Australia |
| Date made | 1916 |
| Access | Open |
| Conflict |
First World War, 1914-1918 |
| Copying Provisions | Copyright expired. Copying permitted subject to physical condition. Permission for reproduction not required. |
Doe, Thomas Charles (Driver, b.1884 - d.1963)
Description
Collection relating to the First World War service of 13055 Driver Thomas Charles Doe. Collection consists of a one page letter, written by Driver Doe and thrown overboard in a bottle. Driver Doe enlisted in Melbourne and embarked aboard HMAT Persic on 20 December 1916. While sailing across the Great Australian Bight on Christmas Day, he threw the bottle overboard. The single paged letter expresses Christmas sentiments to his loved ones. The bottle was discovered on Western Rock Beach, Port Sinclair, south of Penong in South Australia, in 1968. The bottle was broken to extract the envelope inside. The envelope fell apart, but the letter was largely intact. The letter was returned to the family and later donated to the Memorial.
Driver Doe went on to serve in France. He survived the war and returned to Australia in 1919.