Mason, Francis Edgar (Private, b.1893 - d.1976)

Accession Number PR04833
Collection type Private Record
Record type Collection
Measurement 1 wallet: 2 cm.
Object type Diary, Typescript
Maker Mason, Francis Edgar
Place made Egypt, France
Date made 1915-1918
Access Open
Conflict First World War, 1914-1918
Copying Provisions Copyright restrictions apply. Only personal, non-commercial, research and study use permitted. Permission of copyright holder required for any commercial use and/or reproduction.
Transcript Download PDF document of Mason, Francis Edgar (Private, b.1893 - d.1976) (file)
Description

Collection relating to the First World War service of 139 Private Francis (Frank) Edgar Mason, 2nd Australian Field Ambulance, Egypt and France, 1915 – 1918.

The collection consists of an original leather-bound handwritten diary, which describes in great detail Mason’s war-time experience. Mason was a 21 year old bootmaker when he enlisted in April 1915. The next month he embarked on the RMS Mooltan, disembarking three months later in Egypt. This voyage is described in the opening entries of the diary, which begin on Wednesday April 28 1915. Following, Mason writes about his first post as a nursing orderly on a surgical ward at the Luna Park Hospital, Heliopolis (1 Australian Auxiliary Hospital, formerly the Luna Park Skating Rink). Eight months later Mason leaves Heliopolis for medical transport duty to Australia, aboard the HMAS Nestor. On his last night in Australia before re-embarkation on the RMS Orontes for Plymouth, Mason proposes to Annie Gee.

The majority of Mason’s 1124 days abroad is spent as a stretcher-bearer on the Western Front. His diary reflects his eagerness to get out of the surgical ward and on to the frontline; he achieves this by the 7th of October 1916, when he volunteers to go to France as reinforcement for the 1st Division Field Ambulance. When he arrives in Albert on 13 November 1916, he writes ‘This town is very much smashed by German shell-fire, including the Cathedral, a fine large building, which bears on top of its tower a solid brass statue of the Virgin Mary, bearing in her arms the infant Christ. This statue has been knocked by a shell and now hangs over the side, almost upside down. The French people believe that when this falls properly the war will end’.

By May 1917, Mason is stretcher bearing along the line near Bullecourt. His entries now describe the casualties: ‘There are a tremendous number of our fighting men being wounded or killed, and we bearers are being cracked too. Half my ambulance have been cracked already, some killed. Most of my mates are gone …’

Mason’s entries from mid-July describe the general offensive along the whole Front. At this point he is billeted on a farm in Flanders. Here his pre-war skills as a bootmaker are recognised and he is asked to repair soldiers’ boots; he ‘opened a boot-repairing shop in a fowl shed and used the farmer’s timber to build a bench.’

Two months later, on Tuesday 18 September, he writes ‘We are to go up the line at 6pm and it is raining very heavily. There is a stunt coming off soon, supposed to be the biggest battle yet, and we are to be in it. Expect it will be Hell with a big H. We are to take Polygon Wood or the Ridge.’ And his entry the next day reads ‘Went up the line last night after 5pm and worked all night. We are laying up a stock of blankets, stretchers and medical stores in the front line in preparation for the stunt and we are working through the night, making trips backwards and forwards from the culvert on the Menin Road …’ Following entries go into great detail on ‘The Battle of Menin Road’. Mason humbly estimates that ‘The stunt came off alright …’

After months of battle, Mason is awarded leave in January 1918 and he goes to London. Unfortunately his leave is marred by illness. Within a fortnight he is admitted to Southall Hospital near London, suffering from bronchitis, myocarditis and conjunctivitis as a result of a gas attack in Belgium the previous month. He writes that he is classified B.2.B., which means six months recuperation in Australia. He leaves for Australia on 15 March, arriving in Port Melbourne on 14 June.

Mason didn’t return to Europe; after serving abroad for 1124 days he discharged on 24 July 1918. A closing diary entry, dated 30 July 1918, reads: ‘Put in an application to Repatriation Department for them to purchase the boot retail business of Mrs Walsh in Union Road for me, the money to be repaid to them in instalments. I wanted 350 pounds but they will only allow me 150 pounds if any’.

Of note, following the war, Mason achieved the purchase of two bootmaker’s shops, both in Essendon, Victoria. He remained in Essendon until his death, on 10 April 1976.

Also included in the collection is a transcription of the diary, made in 2010 by Mason’s step-son, Stanley McBride.