Envelope containing soil from the grave of Lieutenant R J Hunter, 19 Battalion, AIF

Soil taken from the grave site of Lieutenant Reginald John Hunter, buried in the Commonwealth War Graves Commission Cemetery at Vignacourt. The soil is in a paper envelope on which has been written in ink 'FRENCH SOIL FROM MY / BELOVED SON'S GRAVE AT VIGNACOURT / REG. MOTHER'.

Mrs Hughina Hunter travelled to France in 1938 to attend the opening of the cemetery at Villers Bretonneux on 22 July and to lay a wreath there on behalf of the men of the AIF.

Mrs Hunter also visited Vignacourt British Cemetery near Amiens, to visit the grave of her son Lieutenant Reginald John Hunter, 19 Battalion who died of wounds near Morlancourt on 5 June 1918. She collected some soil from his grave to take back to Australia.

Her other son, Sergeant Hector Norman Hunter, was killed serving with 18 Battalion on Gallipoli on 22 August 1915. He has no known grave and is remembered on the Lone Pine Memorial.