Series 2: Wartime correspondence and papers, 1915-1919

This file contains an extensive series of letters between Field Marshal Lord William Birdwood and various correspondents, covering the years 1915 - 1919. Much of the 1915 correspondence deals with events at Gallipoli, including letters from Lieutenant General Sir Ian Hamilton and Colonel Lord Wigram. Wigram states in one letter, 'Rightly or wrongly we have started this campaign and to my mind it is much more important to go through with it than attempting to break the heavily entrenched lines in Belgium.' Another major correspondent is James Allen, the New Zealand Minister for Defence, who wrote a number of letters to Birdwood concerning complaints made by New Zealand soldiers against Major General Alexander Godley during the Gallipoli campaign. This series also contains a number of letters exchanged between Birdwood and soldiers who were under his command at Gallipoli. Most of these are in response to letters Birdwood wrote to the soldiers congratulating them for the awards they had received. There are also some letters exchanged between Birdwood and the mothers of Australian soldiers, including Isabel Howell-Price and Isabell Day. Other correspondents include General Sir Dighton Macnaghten Probyn, Admiral Sir Cecil Fiennes Thursby, Sir George Foster Pearce, Austen Chamberlain, General Chauvel, and Sir Ronald Craufurd Munro Ferguson.

• Letters written and received by Field Marshal Lord William Birdwood, 29 March 1915 – 29 December 1915
• Letters received by Field Marshal Lord William Birdwood, 6 January 1916 – 30 May 1916
• Letters received by Field Marshal Lord William Birdwood, 1 June 1916 – 25 December 1916
• Letters received by Field Marshal Lord William Birdwood, 3 January 1917 – 14 December 1917
• Letters received by Field Marshal Lord William Birdwood, 1 January 1918 – 25 December 1918
• Letters received by Field Marshal Lord William Birdwood, 1 January 1919 – 10 November 1919
• Letters and papers received or written by Field Marshal Lord William Birdwood, 5 February 1909 – 5 February 1919
• Forewords, congratulatory messages, etc. Public speeches, addresses to cadets [Part 1]
• Order-in-Council – GHQ orders. Appointment of GOC, AIF
• Letters to Field Marshal Lord William Birdwood about the death of Lord Kitchener, 10 June – 29 June 1916
• Letters written by Field Marshal Lord William Birdwood to various correspondents, 19 July 1916 – 16 September 1918
• Letters to Field Marshal Lord William Birdwood and pamphlets on repatriation, 1918-1920
• Letters relating to the Dora Ohlfsen ANZAC Medal Fund, 1919