Mayor, Peter Russell (Able Seaman, b.1925 - d.1980)

Collection relating to the Second World War service of PM6720 Able Seaman Peter Russell Mayor, HMAS Shropshire, Royal Australian Navy, Australia, New Guinea, the Philippines and Japan, 1943-1947.

This collection consists of correspondence between Able Seaman Peter Russell Mayor and his friends and family. The correspondence covers the period of Able Seaman Mayor’s training at Flinders Naval Depot, Victoria, in 1943, and service on HMAS Shropshire in Australia, New Guinea, the Philippines and Japan between 1944 and 1946.

Wallet 1 of 10 – Consists of 12 letters from Able Seaman Peter Russell Mayor to his family members, and 30 letters from his family and friends to Able Seaman Mayor, dated between July and August 1943. These letters were written during Able Seaman Mayor’s early training at Flinders Naval Depot, Victoria. In his letters to his family members, Able Seaman Mayor writes about settling to life at the depot, training, the weather, life at Flinders Naval Depot, daily duties, participating in drills, and planning for leave. In their letters to Able Seaman Mayor, his family members and friends write about the weather, his father’s service in the Royal Australian Air Force, attending social activities, seeing films, family news, and Peter’s leave and training. Writers include Able Seaman Mayor’s mother Mrs Ethel May ‘Maisie’ Mayor (née Cumming), his father 55466 Corporal Austin Frederick William Mayor, his brother Geoffrey Maurice Mayor, his grandmother, his aunt, and his friends ‘Pat’, ‘Gwen’, ‘Walter’, ‘Jim’, ‘John’ [exact identities unknown], Alex Alden, and Edna [Vigar].

Wallet 2 of 10 – Consists of 17 letters from Able Seaman Peter Russell Mayor to his family members, and 28 letters from his family and friends to Able Seaman Mayor, dated between September and December 1943. These letters were written during Able Seaman Mayor’s training at Flinders Naval Depot, Victoria, and his early service on HMAS Shropshire. In his letters to his family members, Able Seaman Mayor writes about his training, daily duties, participating in tests, and his first impressions of life on board HMAS Shropshire. In their letters to Able Seaman Mayor, his family and friends write about family news, his father’s service in the Royal Australian Air Force, recreational activities, the weather, and his father’s health. Writers include Able Seaman Mayor’s mother Mrs Ethel May ‘Maisie’ Mayor (née Cumming), his father 55466 Corporal Austin Frederick William Mayor, and his friends 430191 Leading Aircraftman Howard O’Meara, 46458 Aircraftwoman Jill Alexander, ‘Greta’ and ‘Marc’ [exact identities unknown].

Wallet 3 of 10 – Consists of 30 letters and one telegram from Able Seaman Peter Russell Mayor to his family members, and one letter from Able Seaman Mayor’s mother, Mrs Ethel May ‘Maisie’ Mayor (née Cumming), to Able Seaman Mayor, dated between January and April 1944. These letters were written during Able Seaman Mayor’s early service on HMAS Shropshire in Australia and New Guinea. In his correspondence to his family members, Able Seaman Mayor writes about settling into life on HMAS Shropshire, sending and receiving mail, his daily duties, the weather, living conditions on board the boat, having leave in Sydney, swimming, and his health. In her letter to Able Seaman Mayor, his mother writes about family news and sends her love.

Wallet 4 of 10 – Consists of 19 letters from Able Seaman Peter Russell Mayor to his family members, and eight letters from his family and friends to Able Seaman Mayor, dated between May and August 1944. These letters were written during Able Seaman Mayor’s service on HMAS Shropshire in Australia and New Guinea. In his letters to his family members, Able Seaman Mayor writes about sending and receiving mail, being on leave in Sydney, being in action in New Guinea, his daily duties, living conditions on board the boat, studying for an exam, taking part in bombardments, and receiving a promotion. He also responds to news from home. In their letters to Able Seaman Mayor, his friends and family write about the weather, recreational activities, social events, family news, and his father’s service in the Royal Australian Air Force. Writers include his Able Seaman Mayor’s mother Mrs Ethel May ‘Maisie’ Mayor (née Cumming), his father 55466 Corporal Austin Frederick William Mayor, and his friend ‘Greta’ [exact identity unknown].

Wallet 5 of 10 – Consists of 22 letters from Able Seaman Peter Russell Mayor to his family members, and 13 letters from his family and friends to Able Seaman Mayor, dated between September and December 1944. These letters were written during Able Seaman Mayor’s service on HMAS Shropshire in New Guinea, and the Philippines. In his letters to his family members, Able Seaman Mayor writes about sending and receiving mail, life on board the ship, the transfer of the ship’s skipper, being in action against Japanese forces, his feelings after the Battle for Leyte Gulf, recreational activities, and Christmas celebrations. He also responds to news from home. In their letters to Able Seaman Mayor, his family and friends write about recreational activities, attending social events, family news, and his father’s service in the Royal Australian Air Force. Writers include Able Seaman Mayor’s father 55466 Corporal Austin Frederick William Mayor, and his friends ‘Greta’, ‘Maurice’ and ‘Jack’ [exact identities unknown].

Wallet 6 of 10 – Consists of three letters from Able Seaman Peter Russell Mayor to his family members, and 18 letters from his family and friends to Able Seaman Mayor, dated between January and April 1945. These letters were written during Able Seaman Mayor’s service on HMAS Shropshire in the Philippines. In his letters to his family, Able Seaman Mayor writes about sending and receiving mail, being unable to write in detail due to censorship, daily duties, and his health. In their letters to Able Seaman Mayor, his family members and friends write about recreational activities, their service, daily events, family news, and hearing news of the war in the Pacific. Writers include Able Seaman Mayor’s father 55466 Corporal Austin Frederick William Mayor, his friend 142838 Leading Aircraftman Francis Phillip ‘Frank’ Bristow, and his friend ‘Greta’ [exact identity unknown].

Wallet 7 of 10 – Consists of 21 letters from Able Seaman Peter Russell Mayor to his family members, and 17 letters from his friends to Able Seaman Mayor, dated between May and August 1945. These letters were written during Able Seaman Mayor’s service on HMAS Shropshire in Australia and the Philippines. In his letters to his family, Able Seaman Mayor writes about being on leave in Sydney, meeting friends, attending a dance, news regarding mutual acquaintances, his health, daily duties, birthday celebrations, and hearing news of the end of the war. In their letters to Able Seaman Mayor, his friends write about recreational activities, social events, news regarding mutual acquaintances, their service, the weather, and Victory celebrations. Writers include his friends PM7265 John Stewart Duncan, 142838 Leading Aircraftman Francis Phillip ‘Frank’ Bristow, Miss Gwen Cleary, and ‘Greta’ [exact identity unknown].

Wallet 8 of 10 – Consists of 11 letters from Able Seaman Peter Russell Mayor to his family members, and 19 letters from his family members and friends to Able Seaman Peter Russell Mayor, dated between September and October 1945. These letters were written during Able Seaman Mayor’s service on HMAS Shropshire in Japan. In his letters to his family, Able Seaman Mayor writes about the lifting of censorship, being in Japan, the signing of the Japanese surrender, sending and receiving mail, limited sightseeing, looking forward to returning home, living conditions on board the boat, piloting a motor-boat, and the weather. In their letters to Able Seaman Mayor, his family and friends write about recreational activities, the weather, their service, and family news. Writers include his friends PM7561 Ordinary Seaman Maxwell Walter Galt, PM7265 John Stewart Duncan, ‘Greta’ and ‘Alexander’ [exact identities unknown], his younger brother Geoff Mayor, his father 55466 Corporal Austin Frederick William Mayor, and his mother Mrs Ethel May ‘Maisie’ Mayor (née Cumming).

Wallet 9 of 10 – Consists of eight letters, two telegrams and one card from Able Seaman Peter Russell Mayor to his family members, and 27 letters from his family members and friends to Able Seaman Mayor, dated between November and December 1945. These letters were written during Able Seaman Mayor’s service on HMAS Shropshire in Japan and Australia. In his letters to his family, Able Seaman Mayor writes about his plans for returning home, piloting a motor boat, maintenance of the ship, being on leave in Japan, travelling to Australia, being on leave in Sydney, and looking forward to seeing his family again. In their letters to Able Seaman Mayor, his family members and friends write about recreational activities, family news, looking forward to Able Seaman Mayor’s return, the demobilisation of Australian forces, the weather, and their work. Writers include Able Seaman Mayor’s father 55466 Corporal Austin Frederick William Mayor, his mother Mrs Ethel May ‘Maisie’ Mayor (née Cumming), his aunt [exact identity unknown], and his friends 129230 Leading Aircraftman John Geoffrey Baring, PM6767 Able Seaman David Murray Lewis, ‘Greta’ and ‘Maurice’ [exact identities unknown].

Wallet 10 of 10 – Consists of six letters and one telegram from Able Seaman Peter Russell Mayor to his family members, and 18 letters from his family members to Able Seaman Mayor, dated between January 1946 and November 1947. It also includes one letter from Able Seaman Mayor’s friend ‘Casey’ [exact identity unknown] to Corporal Mayor [undated], one birthday note from Able Seaman Mayor’s brother, Geoff, to their mother, dated October 1946, and one printed cartoon [undated]. These items of correspondence were written during Able Seaman Mayor’s late service on HMAS Shropshire, and after his discharge from the Navy. In his letters to his family, Able Seaman Mayor writes about getting a new job on board the HMAS Shropshire, his plans for returning home, going ashore in Tasmania, delays in demobilisation, and his readiness to leave the Navy. In their letters to Able Seaman Mayor, his friends and family members write about their daily lives, their work, Able Seaman Mayor’s departure for further service, family news, and recreational activities. Writers include Able Seaman Mayor’s mother Mrs Ethel May ‘Maisie’ Mayor (née Cumming), his father, 55466 Corporal Austin Frederick William Mayor, his brother Geoff Mayor, his friend ‘Greta’ [exact identity unknown], and his shipmate ‘Mr D R Broughill’ [thought to be H1882 Cook Dare Broughill]. The printed cartoon depicts two people standing in a bathroom, and is undated.

Oversize Folio 1 of 1 – Consists of one letter from Able Seaman Peter Russel Mayor to his younger brother, Geoff Mayor, dated 5 October 1945. This letter was written by Able Seaman Mayor while he was serving on HMAS Shropshire in Japan. In his letter, he responds to news from home and writes broadly about his life on the boat. This letter also includes a souvenir watercolour portrait of Able Seaman Mayor, which was painted by an artist in Tokyo.

Able Seaman Peter Russell Mayor enlisted in the Royal Australian Navy in Melbourne, Victoria, on 6 July 1943. After his initial training at Flinders Naval Depot, Victoria, he was posted to HMAS Shropshire. On this vessel, he served in the Pacific, including the waters of New Guinea, the Philippines and Japan. Able Seaman Mayor was discharged on 24 June 1946.