Letters written by Field Marshal Lord William Birdwood to Sir Ronald Craufurd Munro Ferguson, 1916

Birdwood, Lord William Riddell (Field Marshal, b.1865 - d.1951)

- Series 6: Correspondence between Field Marshal Lord William Birdwood, Sir Ronald Munro Ferguson, and Lady Helen Munro Ferguson, 1915-1919

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Places	Asia: Ceylon, Colombo Europe: France, Picardie, Somme Europe: France, Picardie, Somme, Albert Bapaume Area, Pozieres Area, Mouquet Farm Europe: Ireland Europe: Serbia Europe: United Kingdom, England Europe: United Kingdom, England, Wiltshire, Salisbury Plain Middle East: Ottoman Empire, Turkey, Dardanelles, Gallipoli, Cape Helles Area, Cape Helles Oceania: Australia, Australian Capital Territory, Duntroon Oceania: Australia, Western Australia
Accession Number	RCDIG0000040
Collection number	3DRL/3376 6/3b
Collection type	Digitised Collection
Record type	File
Item count	13
Object type	Letter
Physical description	150 Image/s captured
Maker	Birdwood, William Riddell
Date made	1916
Conflict	First World War, 1914-1918
Copying Provisions	Digital format and content protected by copyright.

Description

This folder contains copies of 13 letters sent by Field Marshal Lord William Birdwood to Sir Ronald Craufurd Munro Ferguson between 23 January and 31 December 1916. During this period, Sir Ronald Craufurd Munro Ferguson was the Governor-General of Australia. Some of the topics covered in these letters include the evacuation from the Gallipoli peninsula, recruiting, threats to the success of the evacuation, discipline, adaptability of Australian soldiers, the conscription referendum, and officer training schools at Oxford and Cambridge. The 3rd, 4th and 5th Divisions are also mentioned as well as the reorganisation of battalions in Egypt. Several officers in the AIF, as well as the British Army, are also mentioned, including Lieutenant General Sir James Whiteside McCay, Major General Sir Neville Reginald Howse, Lieutenant General James Gordon Legge, General Sir John Monash, and Lieutenant Colonel Lamrock.
This file contains:
Letter from Birdwood to Sir Ronald Craufurd Munro Ferguson, 23 January 1916 [originally included a copy of a poem about Lieutenant General Sir Frederick Stanley Maude - located in 3DRL/3376 File 8/2a]
Letter from Birdwood to Sir Ronald Craufurd Munro Ferguson, 11 February 1916
Letter from Birdwood to Sir Ronald Craufurd Munro Ferguson, 17 March 1916
Letter from Birdwood to Sir Ronald Craufurd Munro Ferguson, 24 March 1916
Letter from Birdwood to Sir Ronald Craufurd Munro Ferguson, 3 May 1916
Letter from Birdwood to Sir Ronald Craufurd Munro Ferguson, 18 May 1916
Letter from Birdwood to Sir Ronald Craufurd Munro Ferguson, 6 June 1916 [copy also sent to George Foster Pearce]
Letter from Birdwood to Sir Ronald Craufurd Munro Ferguson, 4 July 1916
Letter from Birdwood to Sir Ronald Craufurd Munro Ferguson, 13 August 1916
Letter from Birdwood to Sir Ronald Craufurd Munro Ferguson, 29 August 1916
Letter from Birdwood to Sir Ronald Craufurd Munro Ferguson, 5 September 1916
Letter from Birdwood to Sir Ronald Craufurd Munro Ferguson, 20 October 1916
Letter from Birdwood to Sir Ronald Craufurd Munro Ferguson, 31 December 1916