Williams, Amos Edward (Private, b.1876 - d.1967)

Collection relating to the First World War service of 3236 Private Amos Edward Williams, 14th Infantry Battalion and 55th Infantry Battalion, Australia, France, Belgium, and United Kingdom, 1916-1918.

Wallets one and two:
Contains 92 letters which date from November 1916 to September 1918. They discuss Pte Williams' voyage to England and his training. Pte Williams then discusses his movement to France and his role as a policeman within his battalion. Throughout there are frequent mentions of church services, the morality of Australian soldiers, the ethics of drinking and smoking, and the fates and activities of other soldiers from around his home in the NSW Southern Highlands. Many letters describe Pte William's time on leave in the United Kingdom, particularly time spent in Scotland, with later letters discussing the effects he feels as a result of being gassed. Most letters in the collection are addressed to his wife Millicent (Millie), with regular letters to his children. Within the letters, Pte Williams often mentions items that he had enclosed, such as flowers, souvenirs, and cigarette cards. Within the collection are also two empty envelopes, one Wills' cigarette card, depicting St Front Cathedral, two silk BDV cigarette cards from the Crests and Badges series, 1914, one silk BDV cigarette card of the McMillan Clan crest and tartan from the 1912 Clan Tartan series, and 5 dried and pressed flowers.

Wallet 3:
Contains 18 letters relating to Pte Williams' service and his family during the war. They include items such as an application for the Lord Mayor's Patriotic Fund, letters from various family members and friends discussing Pte Williams' service, or Millie's employment as a teacher, a dried and pressed piece of wattle sent by Pte Williams' daughter to him while he was in France, and a field service postcard advising Pte Williams of the death of Pte Henry Woods.

Also provided as reference is a typed transcript of many of the letters. Three diaries written by Private Williams are held by the Memorial at AWM2018.977.1.