| Places | |
|---|---|
| Accession Number | PR04999 |
| Collection type | Private Record |
| Record type | Collection |
| Measurement | 2 wallets: 3 cm. |
| Object type | Letter, Poem |
| Maker |
Handley, Edwin Andrew |
| Place made | Australia: New South Wales, Bathurst, Egypt, India, Libya, Ottoman Empire: Palestine |
| Date made | 1940-1945 |
| Access | Open |
| Conflict |
Second World War, 1939-1945 |
| 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. |
Handley, Edwin Andrew (Major, b.1918 - d.1984)
Description
Collection relating to the Second World War service of NX12222 Major Edwin Andrew Handley, 2/13 Battalion, Middle East, 1940-1941. Collection consists of 78 assorted letters and telegrams, mostly from Major Handley to his parents. Other letters include those written to Handley's father by 'Fred' regarding Edwin's service, a small collection of miscellaneous letters to Edwin or his father from various senders, and a typed copy of a poem titled 'Ali Baba Morshead and his twenty thousand thieves'. Most letters have attached and numbered envelopes, however their order is uncertain based on the incorrect dating of some letters by Handley. The collection begins with letters from Handley's time training in Bathurst NSW, and continues during his deployment to the Middle East. Handley served in Egypt and Palestine, and was one of the infamous 'rats of Tobruk' during the seige of the Libyan port in 1941. His letters detail both everyday life abroad and military action, including his promotion and being awarded the Military Cross.