McGinley, Barry Vincent (Acting Corporal, b.1918 - d.1942)

Collection relating to the Second World War service of NX35415 Acting Corporal Barry Vincent McGinley, 2/19th Australian Infantry Battalion, Malaya 1941-1942.

Collection consists of three letters and one telegram dated late 1941 or early 1942 by A/Cpl McGinley to his family in Australia. The letters discuss the situation in Malaya and the relative lack of action the unit was facing in late 1941. The telegram wishes his family a Merry Christmas.

Also included are the following, all dated in early 1942, following A/Cpl McGinley's death on 21 January 1941:
- one postal receipt for A/Cpl McGinley's personal possessions following his death
- seven condolence cards relating to the death of A/Cpl McGinley
- forty-two telegrams of condolence sent to Acting Corporal McGinley's family, all dated 31 January 1942
- one King's letter relating to the death of A/Cpl McGinley; one newspaper clipping containing an obituary for A/Cpl McGinley
- one character reference for A/Cpl McGinley dated 21 June 1940
- one letter addressed to A/Cpl McGinley's sister, Madeleine, from a Cpl W N Smith advising her that he was part of the group fighting with A/Cpl McGinley at the time of his disappearance and that he assumed that A/Cpl McGinley was simply being held prisoner by the Japanese
- one ode written by a V P Kiley in remembrance of A/Cpl McGinley
- three Catholic 'in memoriam' cards depicting scenes of Christ's life and on the versos of two, pieces of scripture memorialising A/Cpl McGinley, the other with writing describing the costs of such cards to be printed
- three handwritten condolence letters addressed to A/Cpl McGinley's family
- and one copy of 'The Crusader and Messenger of St Anthony', with an article on page 7 with handwritten annotation stating that it is in part written about A/Cpl McGinley's death.